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Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change
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Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil Conservation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 9334

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaodong Nie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Interests: soil carbon cycle; ecological effect; soil erosion
Dr. Jinquan Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Soil and Water Conservation Department, Yangze River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China
Interests: soil water erosion process; soil aggregate; soil carbon cycle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil carbon cycles have prominent impacts on soil quality and atmospheric carbon concentrations. The exchanges of carbon between soil and the atmosphere and biosphere affect—and are affected by—global change. Changes in heat and water, driven by global change, may have tremendous impacts on soil carbon cycles and affect the sustainable development of agricultural ecosystems and human social systems. Despite considerable scientific attention in recent decades, the magnitude and direction of soil carbon cycles under global changes remains a challenging area for investigation. To promote the understanding of soil carbon cycles and their responses to global change, this Special Issue welcomes the submission of papers that study the translocation, transformation, sequestration, and mineralization of soil carbon, as affected by changing temperatures, precipitation, land use, and human activities.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Soil carbon sequestration;
  • Carbon emission from soil to atmosphere;
  • Effects of soil erosion on soil carbon cycles;
  • Tracing of translocated soil carbon;
  • Response of soil carbon dynamics to climate change;
  • Projection of soil carbon budget under different conditions;
  • Effects of soil carbon cycles on the ecosystem.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiaodong Nie
Dr. Jinquan Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon decomposition
  • carbon sequestration
  • fate of soil carbon
  • climate change
  • eco-environmental effect
  • carbon budget

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2712 KiB  
Article
Response of Soil Aggregate Stability to Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Organic Fertilizer Addition: A Meta-Analysis
by Xiaolan Liu, Jigen Liu, Jinquan Huang, Yanfei Chen, Lu Zhang, Yujie Qi, Weiwen Li and Yi Zhu
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10601; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310601 - 5 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1689
Abstract
Soil is a highly significant resource for human survival, and agglomerates, as the basic unit of the soil structure, not only enhance the soil fertility and control the biological validity of nutrients but also strengthen the soil’s erosion resistance. The mass application of [...] Read more.
Soil is a highly significant resource for human survival, and agglomerates, as the basic unit of the soil structure, not only enhance the soil fertility and control the biological validity of nutrients but also strengthen the soil’s erosion resistance. The mass application of fertilizers may significantly affect crop growth and the soil structure, and the rational application and dispensing of fertilizers will be an urgent issue to be addressed. Therefore, the effect of fertilizer application on the stability of water-stable soil aggregates needs to be studied under different meteorological and soil conditions to draw more general and feasible conclusions. Our meta-analysis of data from 220 independent observations from 56 published studies found that fertilizer application increased the mean weight diameter (MWD) by an average of 18% compared to the no-fertilizer treatment. Among the nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and organic (OM) fertilizer treatments, the organic fertilizer treatment had a more significant stimulatory effect on the MWD (26%). Among the different fertilizer levels, a low level of phosphorus (<40 kg·ha−1 yr−1), a high level of N (>120 kg·ha−1·yr−1), and a low level of organic fertilizer (<5000 kg·ha−1·yr−1) increased the MWD by 19%, 14%, and 41%, respectively. Across the soil types and land use types, the response to the MWD was positive for red soils and paddy fields, and the organic fertilizer’s stimulatory effect was more significant than that of the chemical fertilizer. The correlation analysis showed that the response rate of the MWD was negatively correlated with the response rate of the soil pH and bulk density (BD) and positively correlated with the response rate of the soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial mass carbon (MBC). Meanwhile, the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) showed that the meteorological factors were the main factors affecting the stability of the soil aggregates, while the secondary factors were the soil’s physical and chemical properties. Therefore, this study found that the long-term use of organic fertilizer instead of partial fertilizer is better than the use of chemical fertilizer alone, while more attention should be paid to the influence of temperature and rainfall on the stability of fertilizer in aggregate soil in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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17 pages, 2290 KiB  
Article
Insights into the Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon in the Maoershan Mountains, Guangxi Province, China: The Role of Environmental Factors
by Hailun Wang, Jiachen Wang, Jinye Wang and Wende Yan
Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8716; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118716 - 28 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1304
Abstract
The forest ecosystem is the largest carbon reservoir in the terrestrial ecosystem, with soil organic carbon (SOC) being its most important component. How does the distribution of forest SOC distribution change under the influence of regional location, forest succession, human activities, and soil [...] Read more.
The forest ecosystem is the largest carbon reservoir in the terrestrial ecosystem, with soil organic carbon (SOC) being its most important component. How does the distribution of forest SOC distribution change under the influence of regional location, forest succession, human activities, and soil depth? It is the basis for understanding and evaluating the value of forest SOC reservoirs and improving the function of forest soil carbon sinks. In this paper, soil organic carbon concentrations (SOCCs) and environmental factors were measured by setting 14 experimental plots and 42 soil sampling sites in different forest communities and different elevations in the Maoershan Mountains. The redundancy analysis (RDA) method was used to study the relationship between SOC distribution and external factors. The results show that SOC distribution was sensitive to elevation, forest community, and soil layer. It had obvious surface aggregation characteristics and increased significantly with the increase in elevation. Among them, SOCCs increase by 1.80 g/kg with every 100 m increase in elevation, and that decreased by 5.43 g/kg with every 10 cm increase in soil depth. The SOC distribution in natural forests is greater than that in plantations, and the spatial variation in SOC distribution in plantations is higher due to the effect of cutting and utilization. SOC distribution is the result of many environmental factors. The response of SOC distribution to the forest community indicates that the development of plantations into natural forests will increase SOC, and excessive interference with forests will aggravate SOC emissions. Therefore, strengthening the protection of natural forests, restoring secondary forests, and implementing scientific and reasonable plantation management are important measures for improving the SOC reservoir’s function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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17 pages, 6854 KiB  
Article
Transport/Detachment Regimes of Different Size Class Sediment Particles and Enlightenments for Transport Capacity Prediction for Rain-Induced Overland Flow Erosion
by Shanqi Wang, Ying Fan, Lin Liu and Jiuqi Qu
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7906; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107906 - 11 May 2023
Viewed by 1272
Abstract
The transport/detachment regimes of each particle size vary with size. Moreover, the changing transport/detachment regimes of sediments with size and their related mechanisms considerably affect sediment transport capacity (Tc). To investigate the transport/detachment regimes of each particle size and their [...] Read more.
The transport/detachment regimes of each particle size vary with size. Moreover, the changing transport/detachment regimes of sediments with size and their related mechanisms considerably affect sediment transport capacity (Tc). To investigate the transport/detachment regimes of each particle size and their explanation for Tc prediction, 27 simulated rainfall experiments were conducted under slope gradients of 8.7%, 17.6%, and 26.7% and rainfall intensities of 60, 90, and 120 mm h−1. The experimental soil was Cumulic Anthrosols, and the duration of each rainfall was 1 h. Results showed that for rain-induced overland flow erosion, the average transport ratios (Trs) of clay, fine silt, and coarse sand (<0.002, 0.002–0.02, and >0.25 mm, respectively) for rainfall, were greater than 1.0, and their erosion regimes were detachment-limited. The Trs of coarse silt and fine sand (0.02–0.05 mm and 0.05–0.25 mm, respectively) were less than 1.0, and their erosion regimes were transport-limited. The transport-/detachment-limited degree of each size class of particles, except for coarse sand, increased with the slope gradient, but slightly and complexly changed with rainfall intensity. The Trs of each size class of particles on the gentle slope (8.7%, 17.6%) increased with the Trs of total sediments. In the case of the steep slope (27.6%), however, the Trs of fine silt and clay increased with a decrease in the Trs of the total sediment particles. Different prediction equations were established to simulate the Tcs of sediments with different sizes in the two slope ranges (R2 > 0.823, p < 0.01). The findings will help to elucidate the selective transport mechanisms of all sizes of sediment particles and improve the prediction of Tc in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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13 pages, 3386 KiB  
Article
Characteristic of Molecular Weight-Fractions of Soil Organic Matter from Calcareous Soil and Yellow Soil
by Liangang Ma and Baohua Xiao
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021537 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
Soil organic matter (SOM), along with the rock weathering, originating from the residues of animals, plants and microorganisms involved in soil formation and evolution. The stability of SOM could directly produce an effect on carbon sequestration. To elucidate the stability characteristics of SOM [...] Read more.
Soil organic matter (SOM), along with the rock weathering, originating from the residues of animals, plants and microorganisms involved in soil formation and evolution. The stability of SOM could directly produce an effect on carbon sequestration. To elucidate the stability characteristics of SOM in karst areas at the molecular structure level, in this study, the humic acids (HA), as the major proxy of SOM, were extracted, purified, and ultra-filtrated. The HA from calcareous soil were fractionated into five size fractions, while the HA from yellow soil were separated into eight size fractions. Via the analysis of potentiometric titration, FTIR, and CPMAS 13C NMR, the results showed some common features, whereby compared with the bigger size fractions, the smaller size fractions have much lower contents of aliphatic carbon, but have higher contents of aromatic carbon, carboxyl groups, ketonic groups, phenolic hydroxyl groups, and total acidity, which indicates that the smaller size fractions are more soluble as well as more degradable than the bigger ones. It was distinct that, in the size fractions of HA from calcareous soil, negative correlations between the acidic functional groups’ contents and the oxygen contents were found, suggesting that the oxygen was mainly located in the hydroxyl group of carbohydrates instead of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups in aromatic rings, and confirming that the bigger size fractions have much higher contents of carbohydrate subunits. According to the analysis, comparing with the HA in yellow soil, we presumed that the HA from calcareous soil were more polar and degradable. However HA from calcareous soil had a larger molecular size than that of HA from yellow soil, as well as, calcareous soil had a higher content of SOM than that of the same layer of yellow soil which suggests that the conservation mechanism of HA in calcareous is not only the organic molecular structure resistance but also the chemical protection from forming complexes with calcium or/and physical protection from enclosing by hypergene CaCO3 precipitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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15 pages, 3591 KiB  
Article
Scale-Location Dependence Relationship between Soil Organic Matter and Environmental Factors by Anisotropy Analysis and Multiple Wavelet Coherence
by Yuxuan Gou, Dong Liu, Xiangjun Liu, Zhiqing Zhuo, Chongyang Shen, Yunjia Liu, Meng Cao and Yuangfang Huang
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12569; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912569 - 2 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
Soil organic matter (SOM) and environmental factors have been shown to have a scale-location dependence relationship. However, few studies have considered the anisotropy, and the scale-location dependence relationship may not be fully characterized. In this study, transects with dominant directions of SOM variability [...] Read more.
Soil organic matter (SOM) and environmental factors have been shown to have a scale-location dependence relationship. However, few studies have considered the anisotropy, and the scale-location dependence relationship may not be fully characterized. In this study, transects with dominant directions of SOM variability in the dryland farming regions of Songliao Plain, China were extracted by anisotropy analysis. The scale-location specific multivariate relationships between SOM and environmental factors along the two transects were examined using multiple wavelet coherence. Results indicated that the scale and location-specific variations in SOM and environmental factors were direction-specific. The major direction with the most significant SOM variations was 56° east by north, while the minor direction was perpendicular to the major direction. The strongest single factor for explaining SOM variations differed between two dominant directions, sand along the major direction (average wavelet coherence (AWC) = 0.57, percentage area of significant coherence (PASC) = 40.32% at all scales) and bulk density (BD) along the minor direction (AWC = 0.66, PASC = 50.16% at all scales). The combination of mean annual temperature (MAT) and BD was the best to explain SOM variations along the major direction (AWC = 0.78, PASC = 46.23% at all scales). A two-factor combination is adequate to explain SOM variability along the major direction, whereas a single factor is sufficient for the explanation along the minor direction. More factors did not evidently increase or even decrease the percentage of scale-location domains where SOM variations were significantly explained. This work has important implications for developing future sampling strategies and preparing detailed digital soil maps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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9 pages, 2036 KiB  
Communication
The Importance of Adding Short-Wave Infrared Bands for Forest Disturbance Monitoring in the Subtropical Region
by Xi Li, Yao Chen, Shixiong Jiang, Chongqing Wang, Sunxian Weng and Dengyong Rao
Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10312; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610312 - 19 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1345
Abstract
Forest disturbance, such as harvest and fire, can cause a huge amount of carbon emission from soil to the atmosphere. Monitoring forest disturbance at a high spatial resolution is critical for soil carbon modeling. The short-wave infrared bands are important bands in monitoring [...] Read more.
Forest disturbance, such as harvest and fire, can cause a huge amount of carbon emission from soil to the atmosphere. Monitoring forest disturbance at a high spatial resolution is critical for soil carbon modeling. The short-wave infrared bands are important bands in monitoring forest disturbance. However, many high spatial resolution satellites do not contain the short-wave infrared bands in their band designs, and whether the lack of short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands will cause a large influence on forest disturbance monitoring remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the values of adding SWIR bands in forest disturbance monitoring using the modified continuous monitoring of land disturbance (COLD) approach. Results showed that without the SWIR bands the accuracy of detecting forest disturbance will be reduced by 19–26%. The highest accuracy of modified COLD using the optimal band combination with SWIR bands was 76.3% for monitoring harvest and 86.6% for monitoring fire, while it decreased to 49.8% in detecting harvest and 67.6% in detecting fire without using any SWIR bands. The results demonstrated the importance of adding SWIR bands in forest disturbance monitoring and would guide users to select the satellite data with at least one SWIR band to monitor forest disturbance for improving the soil carbon modeling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon Cycle and the Response to Global Change)
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