Effects of different grazing patterns on soil carbon and nitrogen storage and sequestration in desert steppee

doi:10.11686/cyxb2021412

Abstract

Abstract:

It is important for scientific grassland management to know the effects of grazing on carbon and nitrogen storage and sequestration. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage and carbon and nitrogen sequestration in the 0-40 cm soil horizon were studied in a Ningxia desert steppe under treatments of enclosure to prevent grazing， free grazing and warm season rotational grazing. It was found that： 1） After 5 years of grazing， the soil carbon and nitrogen contents were the highest （5.66±0.32 g·kg^-1 and 0.32±0.01 g·kg^-1， respectively） in warm season rotational grazing， and the lowest in free grazing. The organic carbon content increased with soil depth in warm season rotational grazing， but the differences between warm season rotational grazing and enclosure to prevent grazing and free grazing were not significant. The vertical variation of nitrogen content did not differ significantly among the three treatments. The C∶N ratio under free grazing was the highest （26.98±1.05）， while warm season rotation grazing was the lowest. Soil carbon and nitrogen storage for the 0-40 cm soil horizon ranked warm season rotation grazing>enclosure to prevent grazing>free grazing. 2） The carbon and nitrogen sequestration and sequestration rates ranked warm season rotation grazing>enclosure to prevent grazing>free grazing. 3） Pearson correlation analysis showed that soil carbon and nitrogen storage and retention were significantly correlated with aboveground biomass （P<0.05）. It is positively correlated with species diversity （P<0.01， P<0.001）. It was concluded that， from a perspective of soil carbon and nitrogen storage and retention， warm season rotational grazing is more conducive to the improvement of carbon sink capacity and sustainable development of desert steppe in the study area.

Key words: desert steppe, soil carbon and nitrogen storage, carbon and nitrogen retention, grazing patterns

Yan-ming CHENG, Hong-bin MA, Jing MA, Zi-yuan MA, Jin-di LIU, Yao ZHOU, Wen-dong PENG. Effects of different grazing patterns on soil carbon and nitrogen storage and sequestration in desert steppee[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2022, 31(10): 18-27.

Figures/Tables 6

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处理 Treatments	盖度 Coverage （%）	地上生物量Aboveground biomass （g·m^-2）	多样性H' diversity
FG	39.60±15.48b	37.38±7.14c	12.60±0.89b
EG	53.20±12.62a	64.69±10.63a	10.60±1.95c
WG	52.50±6.75ab	58.22±4.23b	14.37±2.61a

处理 Treatments	盖度 Coverage （%）	地上生物量Aboveground biomass （g·m^-2）	多样性H' diversity
FG	39.60±15.48b	37.38±7.14c	12.60±0.89b
EG	53.20±12.62a	64.69±10.63a	10.60±1.95c
WG	52.50±6.75ab	58.22±4.23b	14.37±2.61a

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