Tracking the Deposition and Sources of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in Highly Eroded Hilly-Gully Watershed in Northeastern China

Na Li, Yanqing Zhang, Zhanxiang Sun, John Yang, Enke Liu, Chunqian Li and Fengming Li
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Na Li: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Yanqing Zhang: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Zhanxiang Sun: Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110866, China
John Yang: Department of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences & Cooperative Research, Lincoln University of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO 65102, USA
Enke Liu: Key Laboratory of Dryland Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 110120, China
Chunqian Li: Liaoning Dry Land Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute, Chaoyang 122000, China
Fengming Li: Liaoning Dry Land Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute, Chaoyang 122000, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Understanding the deposition and tracking the source of soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) within agricultural watersheds are critical for assessing soil C and N budgets and developing watershed-specific best management practices. Few studies have been conducted and reported on highly eroded hilly-gully watersheds. In this field study, a constructed dam-controlled hilly-gully watershed in northeastern China was selected to identify the sources of soil C and N losses. Soils at various land uses and landscape positions, and sediments near the constructed dam, were collected and analyzed for selected physiochemical properties, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and stable isotopes ( 13 C and 15 N). Soil C and N loss and deposition in the watershed were assessed and the relative contributions of each source quantified by a stable isotope mixing model (SIAR). Results indicated that soil C loss was primarily from cropland, accounting for 58.75%, followed by gully (25.49%), forest (9.2%), and grassland (6.49%). Soil N loss was similar to soil C, with cropland contribution of 80.58%, gully of 10.30%, grassland of 7.54%, and forest of 1.59%. The C and N deposition gradually decreased along the direction of the runoff pathway near the constructed dam, and the deposited C and N from cropland and gullies showed an order: middle-dam > bottom-dam > upper-dam and upper-dam > bottom-dam > middle-dam, respectively. A high correlation between soil TOC or TN and the sediment properties suggested that the deposition conditions could be the major factors affecting the C and N pools in the sedimentary zones. This study would provide a scientific insight to develop effective management practices for soil erosion and nutrient loss control in highly eroded agriculture watersheds.

Keywords: soil carbon; soil nitrogen; soil erosion; hilly-gully watershed; source tracking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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