Effects of land-cover type and topography on soil organic carbon storage on Northern Loess Plateau, China

Han, Xiangwei; Tsunekawa, Atsushi; Tsubo, Mitsuru; Li, Shiqing

doi:10.1080/09064710902988672

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…While many studies have reported higher SOC content [19][20][21] on the north-facing slopes of the Himalayas, Sidari et al [18] reported lower SOC content on the northern aspect direction. In contrast, Han et al [22] did not find any significant difference in SOC content between the north and south-facing slopes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Vertical Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Density in Relation to Land Use/Cover, Altitude and Slope Aspect in the Eastern Himalayas

Dorji

Odeh

Field

2014

Land

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In-depth understanding about the vertical distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) density is crucial for carbon (C) accounting, C budgeting and designing appropriate C sequestration strategies. We examined the vertical distribution of SOC density under different land use/land cover (LULC) types, altitudinal zones and aspect directions in a montane ecosystem of Bhutan. Sampling sites were located using conditioned Latin hypercube sampling (cLHS) scheme. Soils were sampled based on genetic horizons. An equal-area spline function was fitted to interpolate the target values to predetermined depths. Linear mixed model was fitted followed by mean separation tests. The results show some significant effects of LULC, altitudinal zone and slope aspect on the vertical distribution of SOC density in the profiles. Based on the proportion of mean SOC density in the first 20 cm relative to the cumulative mean SOC density in the top meter, the SOC density under agricultural lands (34%) was more homogeneously distributed down the profiles than forests (39%), grasslands (59%) and shrublands (43%). Similarly, the SOC density under 3500-4000 m zone (35%) was more uniformly distributed compared to 3000-3500 m zone (43%) and 1769-2500 m and 2500-3000 m zones (41% each). Under different aspect directions, the north and east-facing slopes (38% each) had more uniform distribution of SOC density than south (40%) and west-facing slopes (49%).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Vertical Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Density in Relation to Land Use/Cover, Altitude and Slope Aspect in the Eastern Himalayas

Dorji

Odeh

Field

2014

Land

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“…Inappropriate agricultural practices on fragile soils are a common cause of soil degradation, causing compaction, surface capping, erosion or secondary salinization. An example of re‐vegetating degraded agricultural land can be seen on the loess plateau in north‐west China: Han et al (2010) provide examples of SOC increases achieved through conversion of arable land in this region to grassland. The following website gives information on the wider natural resource, economic and social benefits of this strategy: http://www.earthshope.org/Lessons_of_the_Loess_Plateau.html.…”

Section: Examples Of Land Management Changes That Increase Socmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change: a critical re‐examination to identify the true and the false

Powlson

Whitmore

Goulding

2011

European J Soil Science

650

402

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The term 'carbon sequestration' is commonly used to describe any increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content caused by a change in land management, with the implication that increased soil carbon (C) storage mitigates climate change. However, this is only true if the management practice causes an additional net transfer of C from the atmosphere to land. Limitations of C sequestration for climate change mitigation include the following constraints: (i) the quantity of C stored in soil is finite, (ii) the process is reversible and (iii) even if SOC is increased there may be changes in the fluxes of other greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane. Removing land from annual cropping and converting to forest, grassland or perennial crops will remove C from atmospheric CO 2 and genuinely contribute to climate change mitigation. However, indirect effects such as conversion of land elsewhere under native vegetation to agriculture could negate the benefit through increased CO 2 emission. Re-vegetating degraded land, of limited value for food production, avoids this problem. Adding organic materials such as crop residues or animal manure to soil, whilst increasing SOC, generally does not constitute an additional transfer of C from the atmosphere to land, depending on the alternative fate of the residue. Increases in SOC from reduced tillage now appear to be much smaller than previously claimed, at least in temperate regions, and in some situations increased N 2 O emission may negate any increase in stored C. The climate change benefit of increased SOC from enhanced crop growth (for example from the use of fertilizers) must be balanced against greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacture and use of fertilizer. An over-emphasis on the benefits of soil C sequestration may detract from other measures that are at least as effective in combating climate change, including slowing deforestation and increasing efficiency of N use in order to decrease N 2 O emissions.

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“…The Loess Plateau in China is an arid and semiarid region, with some of the most severe water shortages and most fragile ecosystems in the world (Han et al, ; Wang et al, ; Zhang et al, ). The project, known as the Grain for Green Project (GfGP) that returns sloped farmland to forest or grassland, was initiated in 1999 to control soil erosion and improve vegetation coverage of the Loess Plateau (Han et al, ; Zhang et al, ). The GfGP is the largest vegetation restoration program in China so far (Chen et al, ; Feng et al, ; Qiu et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the Increase in Regional Evaporative Water Consumption as a Result of Vegetation Restoration Over the Loess Plateau, China

et al. 2019

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One of the world's largest revegetation programs, the Grain for Green Project (GfGP), has been taking place on the Loess Plateau of China since 1999. Such massive revegetation causes changes in the region's hydrological cycle, water availability, and ecological sustainability through enhanced evapotranspiration (ET). Here we quantify effects of the GfGP's revegetation on ET over this water-stressed region. Our approach involves use of a modified Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) model, incorporating vegetation dynamics as a new component. The original PT-JPL model has been expanded from site scale to regional scale, thereby allowing its application to the Loess Plateau. The modified PT-JPL model was calibrated and validated against flux tower-measured and water balance-based ET observations. The model performed well at a regional scale with the incorporation of vegetation dynamics. To quantify the net effect of revegetation on evaporative water consumption after the GfGP, we compared scenarios with and without revegetation. We find the revegetation has led to a significant increase in ET across the Loess Plateau, of 4.39 mm/yr averaged over the past 15 years (mean annual precipitation was 464 mm). Compared with the no revegetation scenario, the GfGP revegetation appreciably enhanced evaporative water consumption across the Loess Plateau, by approximately 31 × 10 8 m 3 /yr (or 4.90 mm/yr). Our findings suggest that to maintain ecologically sustainable restoration and rational use of water resources, factors including the strength of revegetation and the relationship between evaporative water consumption and revegetation type should be considered. Key Points:• The PT-JPL model has been upgraded to allow incorporation of vegetation dynamics at a regional scale • The extended PT-JPL model performs well at regional scale • Compared with a no-revegetation scenario, revegetation increases evaporative water consumption byapproximately 31 × 108 m3/yr (4.90 mm/yr) across theLoess Plateau, China Supporting Information:• Supporting Information S1

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Effects of land-cover type and topography on soil organic carbon storage on Northern Loess Plateau, China

Cited by 21 publications

References 25 publications

Vertical Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Density in Relation to Land Use/Cover, Altitude and Slope Aspect in the Eastern Himalayas

Vertical Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Density in Relation to Land Use/Cover, Altitude and Slope Aspect in the Eastern Himalayas

Soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change: a critical re‐examination to identify the true and the false

Estimating the Increase in Regional Evaporative Water Consumption as a Result of Vegetation Restoration Over the Loess Plateau, China

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