Changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen capacities of Salix cheilophila Schneid along a revegetation chronosequence in semi-arid degraded sandy land of the Gonghe Basin, Tibet Plateau

• Published in: Solid earth (Göttingen) Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 1045 - 1054
• Main Authors: Yu, Y, Jia, Z. Q
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gottingen Copernicus GmbH 07.11.2014; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Basins; Biomass; Carbon; Degradation; Earth science; Ecology; Restoration; Revegetation; Salix; Soil (material); Soil carbon; Soil structure; Systems management
• ISSN: 1869-9529; 1869-9510; 1869-9529
• DOI: 10.5194/se-5-1045-2014

The Gonghe Basin is a sandified and desertified region of China, but the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) along the cultivation chronosequence across this ecologically fragile region is not well understood. This study was carried out to understand the effects of restoration with Salix cheilophila for different periods of time (6, 11, 16, 21 years) to test whether it enhanced C and N storage. Soil samples, in four replications from seven depth increments (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-100, 100-150 and 150-200 cm), were collected in each stand. Soil bulk density, SOC, TN, aboveground biomass and root biomass were measured. The results further indicated that restoration with S. cheilophila has positive impacts on the Gonghe Basin and has increased the capacity of SOC sequestration and N storage. The shrub's role as carbon sink is compatible with system management and persistence. The findings are significant for assessing C and N sequestration accurately in semi-arid degraded high, cold sandy regions in the future.