Elemental Stoichiometry (C, N, P) of Soil in the Wetland Critical Zone of Dongting Lake, China: Understanding Soil C, N and P Status at Greater Depth

Yanhao Wu, Zijun Wu, Simin Jiang, Shuaishuai Lu and Nianqing Zhou
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Yanhao Wu: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Zijun Wu: State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Simin Jiang: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Shuaishuai Lu: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Nianqing Zhou: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: Earth’s critical zone is defined as a plant–soil–water system, which covers a wide area and has a large vertical thickness, but the soil elemental stoichiometry characteristics of the critical zone at different depths are still unclear. In this study, the spatial distribution of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the critical zone of a typical wetland in Dongting Lake, China, and their ecological chemometric characteristics were analyzed. The results indicated that: (1) the average C, N and P contents were 18.05, 0.86 and 0.52 g/kg, respectively, with a decreasing trend from the surface to the deeper layers. The soil is relatively rich in C and P, while N is the main element limiting plant growth and development. (2) The mean values of soil C/N, N/P and C/P were 21.1, 1.7 and 35.4 respectively, with the C/N ratio and C/P ratio showing a trend of increasing and then decreasing in the vertical direction and reaching a maximum at a depth of 2–5 m below ground. (3) According to the correlation results, C, N and P in soils are coupled and influenced by each other ( p < 0.001), and pH, infiltration coefficient and human activities are closely related to the spatial distribution of C, N and P. (4) Stable Redfield ratios (1:1.6:35.4) may exist in lake wetland soils, and future studies should be conducted for complete systems of the same type of wetlands. The results of the study will provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development and scientific management of lake wetlands.

Keywords: soil; lake wetlands; carbon; nitrogen; phosphorus; ecological stoichiometry; Redfield ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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