Shifts in organic carbon protection mechanism in agricultural soils across climatic gradients

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Chong Ma
  • Yinhang Xia
  • Yichao Rui
  • Wei Gao
  • Xun Duan
  • Hang Qiao
  • Xunyang He
  • Yajun Hu
  • Daoyou Huang
  • Jinshui Wu
  • Yirong Su
  • Georg Guggenberger
  • Xiangbi Chen

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
  • Hunan Agricultural University
  • Purdue University
  • Shandong University
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number109184
Number of pages10
JournalAgriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Volume375
Early online date30 Jul 2024
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2024

Abstract

The persistence of carbon (C) in soils strongly depends on its biophysiochemical formation pathways. However, the contributions of physical, chemical and microbial processes to organic C accrual across various landscapes and climates remain unclear. In this study, we employed a combination of physical fractionation and biomarker analysis to investigate soil organic C subjected to microbial anabolism and protected by aggregates and free minerals in typical agricultural lands across a climatic gradient across eastern China. Results showed that the proportion of aggregate-protected C in total C decreased progressively from mid-temperate (62 %) to tropical regions (20 %), while free mineral-associated C increased from 24 % to 58 %. This suggests a shift from aggregate protection as the primary pathway for soil organic C formation in cooler climates to a mineralogical association in warmer climates. Compared to free minerals, the stronger C acquisition in aggregates was characterized by greater occluded mineral-associated C probably due to the enriched reactive minerals and cations. However, less microbial-derived C detected in aggregates than in free minerlas (especially in warmer climates) because of spatial isolation. The enhanced soil organic C preservation in paddy fields compared to adjacent uplands was attributed to the strengthened microaggregate formation and increased C sequestration capacity of free minerals induced by long-term flooding conditions. To enhance C storage in agricultural soils, it is crucial to adopt strategies such as improving aggregation, strengthening microbial anabolism in cooler regions, and incorporating calcium-enriched inorganic amendments in warmer climates.

Keywords

    Aggregate-protected C, Agricultural lands, Microbial residues, Mineral-associated C

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Shifts in organic carbon protection mechanism in agricultural soils across climatic gradients. / Ma, Chong; Xia, Yinhang; Rui, Yichao et al.
In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, Vol. 375, 109184, 01.11.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Ma, C., Xia, Y., Rui, Y., Gao, W., Duan, X., Qiao, H., He, X., Hu, Y., Huang, D., Wu, J., Su, Y., Guggenberger, G., & Chen, X. (2024). Shifts in organic carbon protection mechanism in agricultural soils across climatic gradients. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 375, Article 109184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109184
Ma C, Xia Y, Rui Y, Gao W, Duan X, Qiao H et al. Shifts in organic carbon protection mechanism in agricultural soils across climatic gradients. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 2024 Nov 1;375:109184. Epub 2024 Jul 30. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2024.109184
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abstract = "The persistence of carbon (C) in soils strongly depends on its biophysiochemical formation pathways. However, the contributions of physical, chemical and microbial processes to organic C accrual across various landscapes and climates remain unclear. In this study, we employed a combination of physical fractionation and biomarker analysis to investigate soil organic C subjected to microbial anabolism and protected by aggregates and free minerals in typical agricultural lands across a climatic gradient across eastern China. Results showed that the proportion of aggregate-protected C in total C decreased progressively from mid-temperate (62 %) to tropical regions (20 %), while free mineral-associated C increased from 24 % to 58 %. This suggests a shift from aggregate protection as the primary pathway for soil organic C formation in cooler climates to a mineralogical association in warmer climates. Compared to free minerals, the stronger C acquisition in aggregates was characterized by greater occluded mineral-associated C probably due to the enriched reactive minerals and cations. However, less microbial-derived C detected in aggregates than in free minerlas (especially in warmer climates) because of spatial isolation. The enhanced soil organic C preservation in paddy fields compared to adjacent uplands was attributed to the strengthened microaggregate formation and increased C sequestration capacity of free minerals induced by long-term flooding conditions. To enhance C storage in agricultural soils, it is crucial to adopt strategies such as improving aggregation, strengthening microbial anabolism in cooler regions, and incorporating calcium-enriched inorganic amendments in warmer climates.",
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AU - Ma, Chong

AU - Xia, Yinhang

AU - Rui, Yichao

AU - Gao, Wei

AU - Duan, Xun

AU - Qiao, Hang

AU - He, Xunyang

AU - Hu, Yajun

AU - Huang, Daoyou

AU - Wu, Jinshui

AU - Su, Yirong

AU - Guggenberger, Georg

AU - Chen, Xiangbi

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2024/11/1

Y1 - 2024/11/1

N2 - The persistence of carbon (C) in soils strongly depends on its biophysiochemical formation pathways. However, the contributions of physical, chemical and microbial processes to organic C accrual across various landscapes and climates remain unclear. In this study, we employed a combination of physical fractionation and biomarker analysis to investigate soil organic C subjected to microbial anabolism and protected by aggregates and free minerals in typical agricultural lands across a climatic gradient across eastern China. Results showed that the proportion of aggregate-protected C in total C decreased progressively from mid-temperate (62 %) to tropical regions (20 %), while free mineral-associated C increased from 24 % to 58 %. This suggests a shift from aggregate protection as the primary pathway for soil organic C formation in cooler climates to a mineralogical association in warmer climates. Compared to free minerals, the stronger C acquisition in aggregates was characterized by greater occluded mineral-associated C probably due to the enriched reactive minerals and cations. However, less microbial-derived C detected in aggregates than in free minerlas (especially in warmer climates) because of spatial isolation. The enhanced soil organic C preservation in paddy fields compared to adjacent uplands was attributed to the strengthened microaggregate formation and increased C sequestration capacity of free minerals induced by long-term flooding conditions. To enhance C storage in agricultural soils, it is crucial to adopt strategies such as improving aggregation, strengthening microbial anabolism in cooler regions, and incorporating calcium-enriched inorganic amendments in warmer climates.

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