Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 123-132.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.01.14

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Application of stable carbon isotope technique in soil organic carbon research: A literature review

LIU Lizhen1,2(),PANG Danbo1,2,WANG Xinyun1,2,CHEN Lin1,2,LI Xuebin1,2(),WU Mengyao1,2,LIU Bo1,2,ZHU Zhongyou1,2,LI Jingyao3,4,WANG Jifei3,4   

  1. 1. Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    2. Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    3. Ningxia Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Management Bureau, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    4. Ningxia Helan Mountain Forest Ecosystem Location Observation and Research Station, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
  • Received:2020-06-02 Revised:2020-07-26 Online:2021-01-15 Published:2021-03-05
  • Contact: Xuebin LI E-mail:lizhenliu2019@163.com;lixuebin@nxu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Soil carbon turnover is an important part of carbon transfer between the atmosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. Even small changes in the soil carbon pool could affect the atmospheric CO2 concentration and dynamic carbon above and underground. Stable carbon isotope technology is currently used widely in carbon biogeochemical cycle research at different time and space scales. However, there is a lack of integration of this technology with soil carbon turnover research. This literature review examined numerous studies on the application of stable carbon isotope technology to soil carbon origin, turnover, and dynamic changes. It also analyzed stable carbon isotope (δ13C) variations in the leaf-litter-soil leaf-soil continuums, and terrestrial ecosystems; focusing on (1) the characteristics of stable carbon isotope technology in the soil carbon cycle, (2) the main factors influencing the cycle, (3) the adaptive rules of soil carbon cycle turnover, (4) the similarities and differences between natural and artificial13C labeling methods, and (5) the aspects of future research integration that should be emphasized. This review could elucidate the role of soil carbon sources and sinks in terrestrial ecosystems and soil organic carbon turnover mechanisms and processes.

Key words: stable carbon isotope, δ13C, soil organic carbon, Δδ13C, influence factors