Distribution Characteristics of Carbon Density in Plant–Soil System of Temperate Steppe and Temperate Desert in the Longzhong Loess Plateau
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsDear Editor: I have gone through the manuscript entitled " Distribution characteristics of carbon density in plant-soil sys- 2 tem of temperate steppe and temperate desert in Longzhong Lo- 3 ess Plateau. This paper aims to understand how did grassland carbon pools vary in environments with different grassland community compositions and how did the distribution of soil carbon pools and allocation patterns in grassland ecosystems vary?
Line no 16: Explain double carbon
Why only temperate steppe and the temperate desert was considered for the study?
Line 56-57: Why grasslands had higher carbon sequestration capacity compared to woodlands? The authors should probably give an explanation here
I am seeing more variation in below ground carbon density in Ts than Td…However the soil carbon density shows a clear pattern for both Ts and Td.. the authors should probably give an explanation for this in the discussion
The conclusion should probably highlight how this study can be useful in terms of policy
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewers of Agriculture：
Greetings! I would like to thank the editors and reviewers for their valuable comments of our manuscript titled “Distribution characteristics of carbon density in plant-soil system of temperate steppe and temperate desert in Longzhong Loess Plateau”. The paper has been carefully revised according to the reviewers' and reviewers' comments, and the following article-by-article revision
notes are attached to the paper for your review.
Specific modification instructions will be uploaded as an attachment
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript explores the distribution characteristics of carbon density in the plant-soil system of temperate steppe and temperate desert ecosystems in the Longzhong Loess Plateau. Their work included analyses of aboveground vegetation biomass, belowground biomass, and soil carbon density to assess their contributions to global climate change and the significant impact of temperate steppe on improving grassland ecosystem carbon stock.
Overall, the manuscript is well presented. However, I feel it lacks information regarding ecosystem functions and services, and their trade-offs. I believe the authors can include more information regarding ecosystem services in their introduction and discussion.
At this point the manuscript is not ready for publication, but there are other reviews the authors need to address:
Section 1. Introduction:
Consider condensing some sentences for clarity and conciseness.
Example L37, you might consider combining the first two sentences to streamline the information and improve flow.
Define the Objective and Hypothesis clearly: Add a clear statement, possibly at the end of the introduction (around L86), that succinctly outlines the study's primary objective and your hypothesis.
Transition Phrases:
Use transition phrases to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs (L49-52).
Organize the introduction more clearly to guide readers through the logical progression of ideas. Group related information together, such as the background on grassland ecosystems, carbon stocks, and the specific focus on Longzhong Loess Plateau.
Section 2. Materials & Methods:
Clearly describe the procedures for soil and biomass sampling, including specific details on measurements and equipment used. Make sure to add appropriate references to it.
L106-114, provide more details on the process of sampling and collecting biomass, including the type of herbaceous samples and the method for obtaining litter material.
Improve Sentence Structure in L102-106, consider breaking down the sentence into smaller, more digestible parts to enhance readability.
Provide more details on the specific statistical analyses performed. L161-164, elaborate on the type of statistical analysis conducted, the variables tested, and the rationale behind choosing the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and LSD method. State clearly the significance level for each test.
Section 3. Results:
L167: Consider adding a brief introductory sentence to set the stage for the results section. Something like: "In this section, we present the results of our analysis on the biomass carbon density of vegetation in temperate steppe and temperate desert on the Loess Plateau in Longzhong."
L174: Mention the sample size (n) within the parenthesis after the p-value.
L189: Consider a smoother transition to the next subsection, perhaps by briefly summarizing the key findings of the biomass analysis.
L203-206: Clarify the trends observed in the soil organic carbon content for temperate desert. Consider rephrasing for clarity.
L247-250: Consider rephrasing for clarity: "The 0-100 cm soil organic carbon density of temperate steppe and temperate desert accounted for 91% and 96% of the ecosystem carbon density, respectively." Create a second sentence.
L253: Specify the amounts and units (g•m-2) of total vegetation biomass carbon density.
Section 4. Discussion
L259-L263: Specify the units when referring to carbon density values (g•m-2) for clarity and consistency.
L268-L269: Clarify the link between the strong tillering property of dominant species and its impact on soil and environmental factors.
L271-L272: Provide evidence or references supporting the statement about the depth of root systems in temperate steppe.
L276-L278: It would be beneficial to provide a more explicit connection between the continuous improvement of the soil environment and the increase in herbaceous vegetation.
L288-L291: Clarify how precipitation affects the aboveground biomass in temperate desert, and how it relates to the observed differences in carbon density.
L295-L298: Expand on the impact of livestock carrying rate on aboveground biomass, providing more details or references.
L302-L311: The discussion on the role of belowground biomass is well-presented. However, consider clarifying the term "average carbon density approach" for better understanding.
L316-L319: Provide a concise summary of the advantages of the method used in this study compared to the average carbon density approach.
L320-L319: Consider providing a smooth transition to the next subsection.
Section 5. Conclusions:
L415-L416: Clarify the importance of the 0-100 cm soil organic carbon density accounting for 91% of the ecosystem carbon density. What are the challenges to conserve these stocks?
L418: Consider rephrasing the sentence about soil carbon density tendencies to enhance clarity.
L420-L421: Elaborate on how temperate steppe's role in increasing carbon pools could contribute to broader ecological benefits or environmental management strategies.
L422: Consider summarizing the main findings and their broader implications in a concise manner. How does this can benefit other stakeholders? What are the trade-offs?
Comments on the Quality of English Language
Appropriate usage of English.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewers of Agriculture：
Greetings! I would like to thank the editors and reviewers for their valuable comments of our manuscript titled “Distribution characteristics of carbon density in plant-soil system of temperate steppe and temperate desert in Longzhong Loess Plateau”. The paper has been carefully revised according to the reviewers' and reviewers' comments, and the following article-by-article revision notes are attached to the paper for your review.
Specific modification instructions will be uploaded as an attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript brings interesting results regarding the carbon quantification in two different ecosystems in Longzhong Loess Plateau. The introduction is well written. However, the methodology needs to be improved principally by including more information related to soil to understand the variation of carbon in different treatments.
Find below some specific comments:
Line 102: Improve figure 1, avoid crossed lines in the figure.
Line 107: give the number of plots for each treatment. It seems 9 per treatment??
Line 105: give more information about the vegetal species presented in each region. (Line 266)
Line 135: Give more information about the soil classes and soil texture in each sampled region. What is the depth of the soil in desert region? in desert region generally we have shallow soil which does not exceed 50 cm depth. What is the part of gravel in the soil sampled?
Line 158: give more information about the methodology used to determine the bulk density.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
Moderate language correction is needed.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewers of Agriculture：
Greetings! I would like to thank the editors and reviewers for their valuable comments of our manuscript titled “Distribution characteristics of carbon density in plant-soil system of temperate steppe and temperate desert in Longzhong Loess Plateau”. The paper has been carefully revised according to the reviewers' and reviewers' comments, and the following article-by-article revision notes are attached to the paper for your review.
Specific modification instructions will be uploaded as an attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
