Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China
Rainfall intensity (<i>RI</i>) and land cover type are two important factors that affect soil erosion and thus the transfer and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the in situ quantitative monitoring of SOC loss under natural rainfall and various land cover types restored on erod...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/11/2563 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846154767359803392 |
|---|---|
| author | Mengqi Chang Shengsheng Xiao Yunhua Liao Junjie Huang Haifeng Li |
| author_facet | Mengqi Chang Shengsheng Xiao Yunhua Liao Junjie Huang Haifeng Li |
| author_sort | Mengqi Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rainfall intensity (<i>RI</i>) and land cover type are two important factors that affect soil erosion and thus the transfer and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the in situ quantitative monitoring of SOC loss under natural rainfall and various land cover types restored on eroded lands has not been thoroughly examined. In order to further study the effects of rainfall changes and vegetation types on SOC loss in the red soil region of Southern China, the Jiangxi Eco-Science Park of Soil and Water Conservation in De’an County, Jiangxi Province, was taken as the research object. Considering natural rainfall and based on the long-term field in situ monitoring of rainfall and runoff and sediment data, we studied the effects of three land cover types (bare land, orchards, and grass cover) on surface runoff, sediment production, and SOC loss in relation to 1 hour of <i>RI</i> during natural rainfall in the red soil region of Southern China during rainy seasons of 2020 and 2021 (March to August). Compared with bare land plots, the orchard and grass cover plots had surface runoff reductions of 67% and 98%, respectively, and sediment reductions of 79% and 99% over the two rainy seasons, respectively. With an increasing <i>RI</i> over 1 hour, total SOC loss increased for each of the three land cover types. More SOC loss was associated with sediments, and the enrichment ratio of SOC in the sediments (<i>ER<sub>oc</sub></i>) decreased significantly. The <i>ER<sub>oc</sub></i> values decreased in the following order: bare land (1.23) > orchard (1.08) > grass cover (0.81). Bare land exhibited the highest proportion of SOC associated with sediment in the total SOC loss (<i>P<sub>s</sub></i>), at 68.69%, followed by the orchard plots, at 55.02%, and then the grass cover plots at 49.24%. With the transfer of land cover type from bare land to orchard and to grass cover (decreased soil loss intensity, <i>SLI</i>), more SOC was lost associated with runoff in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC); the values of <i>ER</i><sub>oc</sub> and organic carbon loss intensity (<i>CLI</i>) also decreased significantly. These findings are crucial to improving our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of rainfall changes and land cover types on SOC loss during soil erosion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68edf17e3a3f47c6a9c7fbf05ca0253e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-68edf17e3a3f47c6a9c7fbf05ca0253e2024-11-26T17:44:27ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-10-011411256310.3390/agronomy14112563Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern ChinaMengqi Chang0Shengsheng Xiao1Yunhua Liao2Junjie Huang3Haifeng Li4Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Watershed Soil and Water Conservation, Jiangxi Provincial Academy of Water Resources Sciences, Jiangxi Provincial Eco-Hydraulic Technology Innovation Center of Poyang Lake Basin, Nanchang 330029, ChinaJiangxi Key Laboratory of Watershed Soil and Water Conservation, Jiangxi Provincial Academy of Water Resources Sciences, Jiangxi Provincial Eco-Hydraulic Technology Innovation Center of Poyang Lake Basin, Nanchang 330029, ChinaCollege of Land Resource and Environment, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaCollege of Land Resource and Environment, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaCollege of Land Resource and Environment, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaRainfall intensity (<i>RI</i>) and land cover type are two important factors that affect soil erosion and thus the transfer and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the in situ quantitative monitoring of SOC loss under natural rainfall and various land cover types restored on eroded lands has not been thoroughly examined. In order to further study the effects of rainfall changes and vegetation types on SOC loss in the red soil region of Southern China, the Jiangxi Eco-Science Park of Soil and Water Conservation in De’an County, Jiangxi Province, was taken as the research object. Considering natural rainfall and based on the long-term field in situ monitoring of rainfall and runoff and sediment data, we studied the effects of three land cover types (bare land, orchards, and grass cover) on surface runoff, sediment production, and SOC loss in relation to 1 hour of <i>RI</i> during natural rainfall in the red soil region of Southern China during rainy seasons of 2020 and 2021 (March to August). Compared with bare land plots, the orchard and grass cover plots had surface runoff reductions of 67% and 98%, respectively, and sediment reductions of 79% and 99% over the two rainy seasons, respectively. With an increasing <i>RI</i> over 1 hour, total SOC loss increased for each of the three land cover types. More SOC loss was associated with sediments, and the enrichment ratio of SOC in the sediments (<i>ER<sub>oc</sub></i>) decreased significantly. The <i>ER<sub>oc</sub></i> values decreased in the following order: bare land (1.23) > orchard (1.08) > grass cover (0.81). Bare land exhibited the highest proportion of SOC associated with sediment in the total SOC loss (<i>P<sub>s</sub></i>), at 68.69%, followed by the orchard plots, at 55.02%, and then the grass cover plots at 49.24%. With the transfer of land cover type from bare land to orchard and to grass cover (decreased soil loss intensity, <i>SLI</i>), more SOC was lost associated with runoff in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC); the values of <i>ER</i><sub>oc</sub> and organic carbon loss intensity (<i>CLI</i>) also decreased significantly. These findings are crucial to improving our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of rainfall changes and land cover types on SOC loss during soil erosion.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/11/2563selective transportationorganic carbon enrichment ratio in sedimentsrainfall intensitysoil organic carbon lossnatural rainfallred soil region |
| spellingShingle | Mengqi Chang Shengsheng Xiao Yunhua Liao Junjie Huang Haifeng Li Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China Agronomy selective transportation organic carbon enrichment ratio in sediments rainfall intensity soil organic carbon loss natural rainfall red soil region |
| title | Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China |
| title_full | Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China |
| title_short | Effects of Rainfall Variability and Land Cover Type on Soil Organic Carbon Loss in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China |
| title_sort | effects of rainfall variability and land cover type on soil organic carbon loss in a hilly red soil region of southern china |
| topic | selective transportation organic carbon enrichment ratio in sediments rainfall intensity soil organic carbon loss natural rainfall red soil region |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/11/2563 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mengqichang effectsofrainfallvariabilityandlandcovertypeonsoilorganiccarbonlossinahillyredsoilregionofsouthernchina AT shengshengxiao effectsofrainfallvariabilityandlandcovertypeonsoilorganiccarbonlossinahillyredsoilregionofsouthernchina AT yunhualiao effectsofrainfallvariabilityandlandcovertypeonsoilorganiccarbonlossinahillyredsoilregionofsouthernchina AT junjiehuang effectsofrainfallvariabilityandlandcovertypeonsoilorganiccarbonlossinahillyredsoilregionofsouthernchina AT haifengli effectsofrainfallvariabilityandlandcovertypeonsoilorganiccarbonlossinahillyredsoilregionofsouthernchina |