Indirect Regulation of SOC by Different Land Uses in Karst Areas Through the Modulation of Soil Microbiomes and Aggregate Stability

Haiyuan Shu, Xiaoling Liang, Lei Hou, Meiting Li, Long Zhang, Wei Zhang and Yali Song ()
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Haiyuan Shu: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Xiaoling Liang: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Lei Hou: College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Meiting Li: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Long Zhang: College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Wei Zhang: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Yali Song: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: Natural restoration of vegetation and plantation are effective land use measures to promote soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. How soil physicochemical properties, microorganisms, Glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSPs), and aggregates interact to regulate SOC accumulation and sequestration remains unclear. This study examined five land uses in the karst region of Southwest China: corn field (CF), corn intercropped with cabbage fields (CICF), orchard (OR), plantation (PL), and natural restoration of vegetation (NRV). The results revealed that SOC, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total GRSP (T-GRSP), and easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) contents were significantly higher under NRV and PL than in the CF, CICF, and OR, with increases ranging from 10.69% to 266.72%. Land use significantly influenced bacterial α-diversity, though fungal α-diversity remained unaffected. The stability of soil aggregates among the five land uses followed the order: PL > NRV > CF > OR > CICF. Partial least-squares path modeling (PLS-PM) identified land use as the most critical factor influencing SOC. SOC accumulation and stability were enhanced through improved soil properties, increased microbial diversity, and greater community abundance, promoting GRSP secretion and strengthening soil aggregate stability. In particular, soil microorganisms adhere to the aggregates of soil particles through the entanglement of fine roots and microbial hyphae and their secretions (GRSPs, etc.) to maintain the stability of the aggregates, thus protecting SOC from decomposition. Natural restoration of vegetation and plantation proved more effective for soil carbon sequestration in the karst region of Southwest China compared to sloping cropland and orchards.

Keywords: land use; soil microorganisms; GRSP; soil aggregates; SOC (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: 2025
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