Effect of reclamation on soil organic carbon pools in coastal areas of eastern China

doi:10.1007/s11707-018-0680-5

Front. Earth Sci.

2018, Vol. 12

Issue (2) : 339-348 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-018-0680-5

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effect of reclamation on soil organic carbon pools in coastal areas of eastern China

Jianguo LI¹, Wenhui YANG¹, Qiang LI¹, Lijie PU^2,³(

), Yan XU², Zhongqi ZHANG¹, Lili LIU¹

¹. School of Geography, Geomatics and Planning, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
². School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
³. Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection, Ministry of Land and Resources, Nanjing 210023, China

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Abstract

The coastal wetlands of eastern China form one of the most important carbon sinks in the world. However, reclamation can significantly alter the soil carbon pool dynamics in these areas. In this study, a chronosequence was constructed for four reclamation zones in Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, eastern China (reclaimed in 1951, 1974, 1982, and 2007) and a reference salt marsh to identify both the process of soil organic carbon (SOC) evolution, as well as the effect of cropping and soil properties on SOC with time after reclamation. The results show that whereas soil nutrient elements and SOC increased after reclamation, the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe), pH, and bulk density decreased within 62 years following reclamation and agricultural amendment. In general, the soil’s chemical properties remarkably improved and SOC increased significantly for approximately 30 years after reclamation. Reclamation for agriculture (rice and cotton) significantly increased the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in the top 60 cm, especially in the top 0–30 cm. However, whereas the highest concentration of SOCD in rice-growing areas was in the top 0–20 cm of the soil profile, it was greater at a 20–60 cm depth in cotton-growing areas. Reclamation also significantly increased heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) levels in the 0–30 cm layer, thereby enhancing the stability of the soil carbon pool. SOC can thus increase significantly over a long time period after coastal reclamation, especially in areas of cultivation, where coastal SOC pools in eastern China tend to be more stable.

Keywords soil organic carbon (SOC) reclamation time land use coastal wetlands heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) light fraction organic carbon (LFOC)

Corresponding Author(s): Lijie PU

Just Accepted Date: 02 March 2018 Online First Date: 04 April 2018 Issue Date: 09 May 2018

Cite this article:

Jianguo LI,Wenhui YANG,Qiang LI, et al. Effect of reclamation on soil organic carbon pools in coastal areas of eastern China[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2018, 12(2): 339-348.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-018-0680-5
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2018/V12/I2/339

Fig.1 Study area and sampling site locations. The study area is located in eastern China, and has a north subtropical oceanic monsoon climate. Rudong’s coastal beach expands seaward at a rate of about 150 m per year. At present, about 20 reclamation zones have been built for agricultural use with a total area of approximately 260 km².

Tab.1 Descriptive statistics of soil physico-chemical properties in the study area (0–10 cm)

Fig.2 SOC shown in different soil layers and treatments (1951, 1974, 1982, 2007 and the salt marsh). SOC tends to decrease down the soil profiles from depths of 0 to 60 cm within about 60 years of reclamation. abc: The lower-case letters indicate significant differences (P<0.05), at the same depth, among treatments.

Tab.2 Effect of reclamation on the fraction of SOC in the study area

Fig.3 Effect of land use on SOCD in the study area. ab: The lower-case letters indicate significant differences (P<0.05), at a depth of 0–60 cm, among land use types. 123: Numbers indicate significant differences (P<0.05), at a depth of 0–20 cm, among land use types.

Tab.3 Correlation coefficients between soil organic carbon levels and different soil properties (0–20 cm)

Fig.4 Organic horizon in the salt marsh and oxidized horizon at Yudong (2007). The soil profiles with a depth of 100 cm of salt marsh (a) and Yudong (b) were built. The two soil profiles were very close, separated only by an embankment (as shown in Fig. 1 to eliminate the influences of other factors. The land-use/cover in salt marsh and Yudong are bare, flat, and barley-growing areas.

Fig.5 Spatial distribution of SOCD in the study area. The geostatistical analyst of the ArcGIS 10 software is used to predict the SOCD in the study area. The SOCD map was made by the spherical model; the main parameters of the model indicating prediction precision are collected. The parameters of C₀/(C₀+C) and R² are 0.0026 and 0.59, respectively.

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