Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 95-103.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.01.11

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of short-term nitrogen and phosphorus addition on unprotected soil organic carbon in desert grassland

ZHANG Yarou1(),AN Hui1(),WANG Bo2,WEN Zhilin2,DU Zhongyu1,WU Xiuzhi1,LI Qiaoling3   

  1. 1. Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    2. Grassland Experiment Station of Yanchi, Wuzhong 751506, Ningxia, China
    3. School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
  • Received:2020-05-12 Revised:2020-07-23 Online:2021-01-15 Published:2021-03-05
  • Contact: Hui AN E-mail:zhangyr007@163.com;anhui08@163.com

Abstract:

To explore the response of the proportion of unprotected organic carbon and the transformation rate of unprotected soil organic carbon into protected soil organic carbon into nutrient addition, the content, proportion, and sensitivity index of particulate organic carbon (POC) and light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) were investigated under nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition in a desert grassland in arid and semiarid regions. The results showed that soil POC in topsoil (0-10 cm layer) significantly increased by 50%-70% under nutrient addition (N addition, P addition, and combined N and P addition), and the soil LFOC in topsoil significantly increased by 15%-31%. The proportion of unprotected organic carbon significantly increased under nutrient addition (25%-52%), but the conversion rate of unprotected soil organic carbon to protected soil organic carbon decreased (24%-42%). Soil organic carbon is mainly stored as unprotected organic carbon in desert grassland. The labile components of soil organic carbon increased as the proportion of unprotected organic carbon increased under short-term nitrogen and phosphorus addition. Therefore, nutrient addition was detrimental to the stability of soil organic carbon in desert grassland.

Key words: nitrogen addition, phosphorus addition, desert grassland, unprotected soil organic carbon