Conversion of drylands to paddy fields on former wetlands restores soil organic carbon by accumulating labile carbon fractions in the Sanjiang Plain, northeast China

Abstract

BACKGROUND Since the 1990s, drylands have been extensively converted to rice paddy fields on the former wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain of northeast China. However, the influence of this successiveland‐use change from native wetlands to drylands to rice paddy fields on soil organic carbon (C) dynamics remains unexplored. Here, we compared the difference in soil organic C stock among native wetlands, drylands, and paddy fields, and then used a two‐step acid hydrolysis approach to examine the effect of this land‐use change on labile C I (LPI‐C), labile C II (LPII‐C), and recalcitrant C (RP‐C) fractions at depths of 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm, and 30–50 cm. RESULTS Soil organic C stock at a depth of 0–50 cm was reduced by 79% after the conversion of wetlands to drylands but increased by 24% when drylands were converted to paddy fields. Compared with wetlands, paddy fields had 74% lower soil organic C stock at a depth of 0–50 cm. The conversion of wetlands to drylands reduced the concentrations of LPI‐C, LPII‐C, and RP‐C fractions at each soil depth. However, land‐use change from drylands to paddy fields only increased the concentrations of LPI‐C and LPII‐C fractions at the 0–15 cm and 30–50 cm depths. CONCLUSION The conversion of drylands to paddy lands on former wetlands enhances the soil organic C stock by promoting labile C fraction accumulation, and labile C fractions are more sensitive to this successive land‐use change than recalcitrant C fractions in the Sanjiang Plain of northeast China. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.