Dynamic Replacement of Soil Inorganic Carbon under Water Erosion

Chen Zhang, Can Xu (), Tianbao Huang, Liankai Zhang, Jinjiang Yang, Guiren Chen, Xiongwei Xu, Fuyan Zou, Zihao Liu and Zhenhui Wang
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Chen Zhang: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Can Xu: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Tianbao Huang: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Liankai Zhang: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Jinjiang Yang: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Guiren Chen: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Xiongwei Xu: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Fuyan Zou: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Zihao Liu: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China
Zhenhui Wang: Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center China Geological Survey, Kunming 650100, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: The dynamic replacement of soil organic carbon represents a pivotal mechanism through which water erosion modulates soil–atmosphere CO 2 fluxes. However, the extent of this dynamic replacement of soil inorganic carbon within this process remains unclear. In our study, we focused on Yuanmou County, China, a prototypical region afflicted by water erosion, as our study area. We leveraged the WaTEM/SEDEM model to quantify the dynamic replacement of soil carbon, accounted for the average annual net change in soil carbon pools, and used isotope tracer techniques to track and measure the process of the coupled carbon–water cycling. This comprehensive approach enabled us to scrutinize the dynamic replacement of soil carbon under water erosion and delineate its ramifications for the carbon cycle. Our findings unveiled that the surface soil carbon reservoir in the Yuanmou area receives an annual replacement of 47,600 ± 12,600 tons following water erosion events. A substantial portion, amounting to 39,700 ± 10,500 tons, stems from the dynamic replacement of soil inorganic carbon facilitated by atmospheric carbon. These results underscore the critical role of the dynamic replacement of soil inorganic carbon in altering the soil–atmosphere CO 2 fluxes under water erosion, thereby influencing the carbon cycle dynamics. Consequently, we advocate for the integration of water erosion processes into regional carbon sink assessments to attain a more comprehensive understanding of regional carbon dynamics.

Keywords: water erosion; soil inorganic carbon; dynamic replacement; carbon and water cycle; carbon isotopes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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