IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i5p2554-d506663.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Grassland Conversion in the Chinese Chernozem Region on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus

Author

Listed:
  • Chunli Li

    (College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

  • Guotao Dong

    (Heihe Water Resources and Ecological Protection Research Center, Lanzhou 730030, China)

  • Biao Sui

    (College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

  • Hongbin Wang

    (College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

  • Lanpo Zhao

    (College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

Abstract

Converting natural vegetation to other types of land utilization is presently the most common land use change around the world. Conversion of grassland plays an important role in estimating the regional nutrients budget and assessing ecological effects. However, few studies have estimated the impacts of grassland conversion on soil nutrients under different soil pedogenic horizons. This study selected three sites, which were covered by grassland, shelterbelt, and cropland. The study evaluated the effects of grassland conversion and soil pedogenic horizon (to a depth of 100 cm) on the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil total phosphorus (STP) concentrations and stocks in the Chinese Chernozem region. The results revealed that significant ( p < 0.05) differences were seen after grassland conversion for concentrations and stocks of SOC, STN, and STP. The transformation from grassland to shelterbelt and cropland plantations caused soil carbon and soil nitrogen losses but caused soil phosphorus accumulations. Moreover, conversion of grassland made SOC, STN, and STP all drop below the B k -horizon. Changes in the SOC and STP on an area basis were the greatest after conversion of grassland to cropland, for concentrations of −16% and 26% and for stocks of −15% and 32%, respectively. Land use change and soil pedogenic horizon primarily influenced the distribution patterns of nutrients concentrations and stocks. However, grassland conversion effects on nutrients were mainly at surface horizons. Soil properties, such as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) and soil texture, affected the nutrients from the B k -horizon to the C-horizon. This study indicates that land use management policies should protect natural grasslands to minimize losses of SOC, STN, and STP.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunli Li & Guotao Dong & Biao Sui & Hongbin Wang & Lanpo Zhao, 2021. "Effects of Grassland Conversion in the Chinese Chernozem Region on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2554-:d:506663
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2554/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2554/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhiwei Cao & Xi Fang & Wenhua Xiang & Pifeng Lei & Changhui Peng, 2020. "The Vertical Differences in the Change Rates and Controlling Factors of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen along Vegetation Restoration in a Subtropical Area of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Howard Epstein, 2012. "Soil mediation in grasslands," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(10), pages 711-712, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2554-:d:506663. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.