Temporal progress in improving carbon and nitrogen storage by grazing exclosure practice in a degraded land area of China's Horqin Sandy Grassland

Li, Yuqiang; Zhou, Xinhua; Brandle, James R.; Zhang, Tonghui; Chen, Yinping; Han, Jianqiao

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2012.06.024

Cited by 46 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In China's Horqin Sandy Land, we have investigated the positive effects of grazing exclosures and tree planting (using an introduced species of Mongolian pine) in areas with active dunes on the vegetation characteristics and soil properties of afforestation sites [17,20]. We confirmed that the exclosures and afforestation can control desertification in the region.…”

Section: Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Desertification Control Inmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…The present results, combined with the results of our previous studies [17,20], can provide the basic data required to comprehensively estimate the potential C and N sequestration in soils that would result from the restoration of severely desertified sandy land through tree and shrub planting as well as grazing exclosures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…One of our previous studies showed that SOC storage to a depth of 100 cm increased by 566 kg·C·ha −1 ·yr −1 during a 25-year grazing exclosure [20], versus 205 kg·C·ha −1 ·yr −1 during a 28-year afforestation period using Mongolian pine [17]; both studies were established in areas with active dunes. In the present study, the 31-year-old plantation established in areas with active dunes was closest to the ages in the two previous studies, and showed an increase of 360 kg·C·ha −1 ·yr −1 in SOC storage.…”

Section: Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Desertification Control Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…mongolica Litv.) in areas with active dunes in the region have had significant positive effects through the vegetation's ability to sequester CO2 [17,20]. Caragana microphylla, a native perennial leguminous shrub, has performed well and is widely used for stabilization of active dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land (Figure 1b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Chen

Wang

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Caragana microphylla, a native perennial leguminous shrub, is widely used for desertification control in China's Horqin Sandy Land. We investigated the effects of afforestation using C. microphylla in areas with fixed and active dunes on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage in the soil total and light-fraction (LF) organic matter. Compared to the values in the control areas, soil organic carbon (SOC) storage to a depth of 100 cm increased by 88%, 74%, and 145% at 9, 15, and 31 years after shrub planting, respectively; the corresponding values were 68%, 61%, and 195% for total nitrogen (TN) storage, 109%, 199%, and 202% for LF organic carbon storage, and 203%, 337%, and 342% for LF nitrogen storage. The soil light-fraction (LF) organic matter contributed significantly to total SOC and TN storage, despite the low proportion of total soil mass accounted for by the LF dry matter. Thus, afforestation using C. microphylla was an effective way to sequester C and to restore degraded soils, but the process was slow; it would take more than 100 years to fully restore SOC storage in active dunes through afforestation with C. microphylla in the Horqin Sandy Land.

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Section: Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Desertification Control Inmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Desertification Control Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Chen

Wang

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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“…Livestock exclosures have a potential value in assessing the effects of grazing upon vegetation and C sequestration in the grasslands (Bock et al, 1984;Cheng et al, 2011;He et al, 2011;Li et al, 2012;Su et al, 2003). Exclosures appear to favor higher community diversity and productivity compared with grazing in the arid grasslands (Bock et al, 1984;Cheng et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field 13CO2 pulse labeling reveals differential partitioning patterns of photoassimilated carbon in response to livestock exclosure in a Kobresia meadow

Zou

Zhao

et al. 2014

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Livestock exclosure has been widely used as an approach for grassland restoration. However, the effects of exclosures on grasslands are controversial and can depend on many factors, such as the grassland ecosystem types, evolutionary history and so on. In this study, we conduct field experiments to investigate the variations of the ecosystem function in response to livestock exclosure in a Kobresia humilis meadow with 6 years of grazing exclosure on the QinghaiTibetan Plateau. We focused on two ecosystem functions: plant community structure and ecosystem carbon cycling. The plant aboveground productivity, plant diversity and the composition of plant functional groups of the meadow were addressed as the indicators of the plant community structure. The 13 C isotope pulse labeling technique was applied to evaluate the alterations of ecosystem carbon cycling during a short term. The results showed that the plant community structure was changed after being fenced in for 6 years, with significantly decreased aboveground productivity, species loss and varied composition of the four plant functional groups (grasses, sedges, legumes and forbs). Using the pulse labeling technique, we found a lower cycling rate of 13 C in the plant-soil system of the fenced plots compared with the grazed sites during the first 24 h after labeling. A higher proportion of recovered 13 C in the plant-soil system migrated into the soil as root exudates immediately after labeling at both fenced and control grazed sites, with a significantly lower proportion in the fenced site, coinciding with the lower proportion of 13 C lost from soil respiration. Thirtytwo days after labeling, 37 % of the recovered 13 C remained in the soil of the fenced plots, with significant differences compared to in the grazed plots (47 %). In addition, less 13 C (5 vs. 7 %) was lost by soil respiration in the fenced plots during the chase period of 32 days. Overall, our study suggests that livestock exclosures have negative effects on the plant community structure and partitioning patterns of the photoassimilated carbon in the Kobresia meadow, and the effects on photoassimilated carbon cycling are likely to result from the variations of community structures in the ecosystem.

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Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storage in alpine grassland ecosystems of Tibet: effects of grazing exclusion

Lü

Yan

Sun

et al. 2015

Ecology and Evolution

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In recent decades, alpine grasslands have been seriously degraded on the Tibetan Plateau and grazing exclusion by fencing has been widely adopted to restore degraded grasslands since 2004. To elucidate how alpine grasslands carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) storage responds to this management strategy, three types of alpine grassland in nine counties in Tibet were selected to investigate C, N, and P storage in the environment by comparing free grazing (FG) and grazing exclusion (GE) treatments, which had run for 6–8 years. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in total ecosystem C, N, and P storage, as well as the C, N, and P stored in both total biomass and soil (0–30 cm) fractions between FG and GE grasslands. However, precipitation played a key role in controlling C, N, and P storage and distribution. With grazing exclusion, C and N stored in aboveground biomass significantly increased by 5.7 g m−2 and 0.1 g m−2, respectively, whereas the C and P stored in the soil surface layer (0–15 cm) significantly decreased by 862.9 g m−2 and 13.6 g m−2, respectively. Furthermore, the storage of the aboveground biomass C, N, and P was positively correlated with vegetation cover and negatively correlated with the biodiversity index, including Pielou evenness index, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, and Simpson dominance index. The storage of soil surface layer C, N, and P was positively correlated with soil silt content and negatively correlated with soil sand content. Our results demonstrated that grazing exclusion had no impact on total C, N, and P storage, as well as C, N, and P in both total biomass and soil (0–30 cm) fractions in the alpine grassland ecosystem. However, grazing exclusion could result in increased aboveground biomass C and N pools and decreased soil surface layer (0–15 cm) C and P pools.

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Temporal progress in improving carbon and nitrogen storage by grazing exclosure practice in a degraded land area of China's Horqin Sandy Grassland

Cited by 46 publications

References 20 publications

Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Field <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> pulse labeling reveals differential partitioning patterns of photoassimilated carbon in response to livestock exclosure in a <i>Kobresia</i> meadow

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storage in alpine grassland ecosystems of Tibet: effects of grazing exclusion

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Temporal progress in improving carbon and nitrogen storage by grazing exclosure practice in a degraded land area of China's Horqin Sandy Grassland

Cited by 46 publications

References 20 publications

Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Improvements in Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Capacities after Shrub Planting to Stabilize Sand Dunes in China’s Horqin Sandy Land

Field &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; pulse labeling reveals differential partitioning patterns of photoassimilated carbon in response to livestock exclosure in a &lt;i&gt;Kobresia&lt;/i&gt; meadow

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storage in alpine grassland ecosystems of Tibet: effects of grazing exclusion

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Field <sup>13</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> pulse labeling reveals differential partitioning patterns of photoassimilated carbon in response to livestock exclosure in a <i>Kobresia</i> meadow