Temporal and Spatial Variations in Soil Elemental Stoichiometry Coupled with Alterations in Agricultural Land Use Types in the Taihu Lake Basin

Chonggang Liu, Jiangye Li, Wei Sun, Yan Gao (), Zhuyun Yu, Yue Dong and Pingxing Li ()
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Chonggang Liu: Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Jiangye Li: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Wei Sun: Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Yan Gao: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Zhuyun Yu: Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Conservation, Hengshui University, Hengshui 053000, China
Yue Dong: Scientific Research Base Administration Office, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Pingxing Li: Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Soil elemental stoichiometry, expressed as the ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), regulates the biogeochemical processes of elements in terrestrial ecosystems. Generally, the soil C:N:P stoichiometry characteristics of agricultural ecosystems may be different from those of natural ecosystems, with distinct temporal and spatial variations along with the alterations of agricultural land use types (LUTs). The balance of soil C, N, and P reflected by their stoichiometry is primarily important to microbial activity and sustainable agricultural development. However, information on soil stoichiometric changes after long-term alterations in land use is still lacking. We characterized the temporal and spatial changes in soil elemental stoichiometry coupled with alterations in agricultural LUTs in the Taihu Lake basin. By using the ArcGIS method and meta-data analysis, our results showed that the C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios of agricultural soil in the Taihu Lake basin were much lower than the well-constrained values based on samples from forest, shrubland, and grassland at a global scale. Generally, these elemental ratios in soils increased from the 1980s to the 2000s, after experiencing changes from agricultural to other land use. The soil C:N:P stoichiometry may have maintained the increasing trend according to the meta-data analysis from the 341 peer-reviewed publications since 2010. Nevertheless, different regions showed inconsistent change patterns, with the Tianmu Mountain area surrounding the downstream of the Taihu Lake basin experiencing a reduction in those ratios. The changes in LUTs and their corresponding management practices were the major drivers shaping the spatial and temporal distributions of soil C:N, C:P, and N:P. Paddy soil generally achieved higher C sequestration potential due to more straw input and a more rapid transfer of straw C into soil C in the upstream of the Taihu Lake basin than other land use types. These results provide valuable information for the agricultural system of intensive cultivation on how their soil elemental stoichiometry characteristics vary temporally and spatially due to the alteration of agricultural land use types.

Keywords: temporal-spatial distributions; C:N:P stoichiometry characteristics; land use type changes; sustainable agricultural development; C sequestration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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