Grassland degradation significantly enhances soil CO2 emission

Abdalla, Khatab; Mutema, Macdex; Chivenge, Pauline; Everson, C. S.; Chaplot, Vincent

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2018.05.010

Cited by 49 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…However, large areas of grasslands have been degraded around the world in recent decades, mainly as a result of human activities and climate change (Akiyama & Kawamura, 2007; Dlamini, Chivenge, Manson, & Chaplot, 2014). Grassland degradation often leads to negative consequences such as reductions in soil basal cover and plant productivity, which may cause SOC losses through aggravating soil erosion and reducing soil organic matter (SOM) inputs (Abdalla, Mutema, Chivenge, Everson, & Chaplot, 2018; Li, Dong, Wen, Wang, & Wu, 2014). In these cases, grassland soils may become a source rather than a sink for atmospheric CO 2 (Abdalla et al, 2018; Mchunu & Chaplot, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grassland degradation often leads to negative consequences such as reductions in soil basal cover and plant productivity, which may cause SOC losses through aggravating soil erosion and reducing soil organic matter (SOM) inputs (Abdalla, Mutema, Chivenge, Everson, & Chaplot, 2018; Li, Dong, Wen, Wang, & Wu, 2014). In these cases, grassland soils may become a source rather than a sink for atmospheric CO 2 (Abdalla et al, 2018; Mchunu & Chaplot, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: A meta‐analysis

et al. 2020

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Until now, nearly 90% of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) have been degraded. However, there is currently no consensus on how soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) stocks vary with the degradation succession of alpine grasslands in this region. Here, a meta‐analysis was conducted to quantify the dynamics of SOC and STN stocks in topsoil (0–30 cm) at different degradation stages of alpine grasslands on the QTP. The results showed that grassland degradation led to average losses of 48 and 39% for SOC and STN stocks, respectively. The changes in SOC and STN stocks following grassland degradation did not differ significantly between grassland types, but were significantly affected by grassland degradation stage. The reductions in both SOC and STN stocks increased with the degradation stage, and the highest reductions were all found at extreme degradation stage. The results indicated that the depletion of SOC and STN pools were aggravated with the degradation succession of grassland. The tightly coupled SOC and STN implied that the depletion of SOC stock was closely related to that of STN stock during the process of grassland degradation. Positive relationships were detected between the dynamics of vegetation coverage and that of SOC or STN stock, indicating that vegetation coverage could not only reflect grassland degradation, but might also be a potential indicator of SOC and STN status. The findings suggest that preventing the degradation succession of alpine grasslands is vital to maintain or promote SOC and STN levels on the QTP.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: A meta‐analysis

et al. 2020

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“…Du et al (2019) reported that grassland ecosystems have higher C losses than farmland when following desertification [74], which could also attribute to the SOC increment with increasing cultivation years. Soil desertification in the Songnen Plain has decreased the area of grassland, as well as grass vegetation coverage, resulting in a lower input of above-and below-ground biomass, reducing the SOC stock and increasing soil erosion from wind and water [75]. For instance, SOC losses induced by the 20-year coverage of degraded grasses in C5 (and P5) were related to the low SOC stocks as compared with C25 (and P25) ( Figure 3).…”

Section: Effects Of Crop Cultivation On Socmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corn and Rice Cultivation Affect Soil Organic and Inorganic Carbon Storage through Altering Soil Properties in Alkali Sodic Soils, Northeast of China

Wang

Tang

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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Soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) play essential roles in carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems; however, the effects of crop cultivation on them are still poorly understood, especially in alkali sodic soils widely distributed in semiarid regions. Alkali sodic soils from cornfields and paddies with cultivation years of 5, 15, and 25 were analyzed here to assess the response of soil properties and soil carbon pools to crop cultivation. Soil pH and exchangeable sodium percentages decrease in accordance with cultivation years, while enzyme activity (amylase, invertase, and catalase) shows a contrary trend. Soil pH and exchangeable sodium percentages are negatively correlated with SOC, but positively correlated with SIC. Redundancy analysis reveals an obvious relationship between SOC and invertase activity. The percentage of δ 13 C SOC found here is approximately -24.78% to -22.97% for cornfields and approximately -26.54% to -23.81% for paddies, suggesting that crop cultivation contributes to SOC sequestration and stocking, increasing with cultivation years. The percentage of δ 13 C SIC found here is approximately 1.90% to 3.73% , proving that lithogenic inorganic carbon is the major SIC, where the stock decreases with increasing cultivation years. Significant total carbon stock loss is observed in cornfields, while it is preserved at 120 Mg ha −1 in paddies. We conclude here from the results that corn and rice cultivation reduce alkali sodic conditions in soil, thereby improving soil enzymes and favoring SOC stocking, but reducing SIC stocks.

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“…The conceptual definitions of degradation are very broad, involving the deterioration of grassland quality, productivity, economic potential, service function, recovery ability, and diversity [24]. Others focus only on the decline of forage production or grassland productivity [9,[25][26][27][28], and others incorporate invasion of non-native plant species [29,30], dominance of non-palatable species [31] or functions related to biogeochemical and water cycle [12,[32][33][34]. In summary, the term "degradation" referring to the condition of a natural grassland, is widely used in different circumstances by different stakeholders, from researchers and rural extension agents, to policy makers, without a common agreed definition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers, Process, and Consequences of Native Grassland Degradation: Insights from a Literature Review and a Survey in Río de la Plata Grasslands

2019

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Natural grasslands are being progressively degraded around the world due to human-induced action (e.g., overgrazing), but there is neither a widely accepted conceptual framework to approach degradation studies nor a clear definition of what “grassland degradation” is. Most of the drivers, processes, and consequences related to grassland degradation are widespread and are usually separately quoted in the literature. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework with different conceptual categories, for monitoring grassland degradation, and a new definition based on current ones. We provide a conceptual update of grassland degradation based on a literature review and an expert survey, focused on the Río de la Plata grasslands (RPG). We identified “drivers” as external forces or changes that cause degradation; “processes” as measurable changes in grasslands conditions that can be evaluated using indicators; and “consequences” as the impacts or results of the process of grassland degradation. We expect that this conceptual framework will contribute to monitoring programs, to support management decisions, to design conservation measures, and to communicate the importance of grasslands conservation and the different concepts involved. Particularly for RPG, we expect that this paper will contribute to promote sustainable management practices in this important and often neglected ecosystem.

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Grassland degradation significantly enhances soil CO2 emission

Cited by 49 publications

References 32 publications

Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: A meta‐analysis

Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau: A meta‐analysis

Corn and Rice Cultivation Affect Soil Organic and Inorganic Carbon Storage through Altering Soil Properties in Alkali Sodic Soils, Northeast of China

Drivers, Process, and Consequences of Native Grassland Degradation: Insights from a Literature Review and a Survey in Río de la Plata Grasslands

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