Variation in Soil Aggregate Stability Due to Land Use Changes from Alpine Grassland in a High-Altitude Watershed

Ying Li, Zhanming Ma, Yutao Liu, Zilong Cui, Qiuyu Mo, Can Zhang, Haiyan Sheng, Wen Wang and Yongkun Zhang ()
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Ying Li: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Zhanming Ma: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Yutao Liu: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Zilong Cui: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Qiuyu Mo: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Can Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Haiyan Sheng: College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Wen Wang: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Yongkun Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Land use change affects soil aggregate composition and stability, which impacts soil structure and health. To reveal how land use change impacted soil aggregates of alpine grassland in a high-altitude watershed, soil samples from 161 sites including alpine grassland, cropland and abandoned land were selected to measure and analyze the distribution of aggregate fractions (macro-aggregates, micro-aggregates, silt+clay), soil aggregate stability (mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, fractal dimension, etc.) and related soil properties (soil organic carbon content, soil particle composition, etc.) in the Huangshui River watershed of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The results showed: (1) As alpine grasslands were converted to croplands and croplands to abandoned lands, the proportion of macro-aggregates and the aggregate stability index showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing ( p < 0.05), indicating that tillage and abandonment have significant influences on soil aggregate structure. (2) Compared with temperate grassland, alpine grassland had richer soil organic carbon, and a higher ratio of macro-aggregates and aggregate stability. (3) Soil organic carbon and sand content had distinct influences on the fractions and stability of aggregates during land use change. These results suggested that cultivation can substantially reduce the soil aggregate stability in alpine grassland, whereas abandonment can effectively improve soil aggregate structure.

Keywords: cropland; abandoned land; soil particle composition; soil structure; soil organic carbon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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