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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2021, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (11): 13-23.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20211102

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Content and Spectral Properties of Water Dissolved Organic Matters in Surface Soil of Various Cropland-Converted Forest in the Loess Hilly Region

Chen Lu1,Xiaodong Jiang2,Guanyu Wu3,Shuangjing Hao1,Hongbo Ding1,Xiaogang Tong1,*   

  1. 1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University Yangling 712100
    2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University Yangling 712100
    3. Shaanxi Provincial Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Consulting Center Xi'an 710000
  • Received:2020-06-11 Online:2021-11-25 Published:2022-01-12
  • Contact: Xiaogang Tong

Abstract:

Objective: The effects of restoration of farmland to forests with different vegetation was analyzed in the Loess Hilly Region by assessing the soil carbon and nitrogen, dissolved organic matter contentand organic composition, fluorescence characteristics of the surface soil. This study was aimed to reveal the effect and mechanism of accumulation of water dissolved carbon and nitrogen in the soil of the farmland-converted forest, it will provide a scientific basis for the selection of types of returning farmland to forest and ecological function evaluation. Method: Armeniaca sibirica, Hippophae rhamnoides, Pinus tabulaeformis, Populus simonii, Robinia pseudoacacia, and R. pseudoacacia×Amygdalus davidiana mixed forest converted from cropland for 19 years and abandoned land as control were investigated by comparing the differences in the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), water dissolved organic carbon (WDOC), and water dissolved organic nitrogen (WDON) in the surface soil (0-20 cm). Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy technology and the parallel factor method was used to estimate the organic components, fluorescence index (FI), autotrophic productivity index (API), freshness index (β:α) and humification index (HI) of different soil water dissolved organic matters (WDOM). Result: Except for A. sibirica, the differences in SOC and TN contents of other forest types increased on average by 131.1% and 106.0%, respectively, over those of the abandoned land. Among the WDOC, the A. sibirica forest alone failed to increase the WDOC content, and the R. pseudoacacia×A. davidiana mixed mixed increased the most, reaching 108.9%. The WDON increased by 173.5% and 105.8% for R. pseudoacacia and the mixed forest land, respectively. The WDOC/SOC ratio of all forest soils was maintained at 0.30%-0.37%, and the WDON/TN percentage was 0.29%-0.64%. Both ratios were less than those of the abandoned land. The soil SOC: TN ratio of each forest type was 14.1-20.2, which was significantly higher than that of WDOC: WDON (9.0-16.5). The SOC: TN and WDOC: WDON of P. tabulaeformis forest are the highest, 44.1% and 98.9% higher than those of abandoned land. Three-dimensional fluorescence analysis showed that the WDOC of forest land reclaimed from farmland was mainly composed of stable macromolecular aromatic humus(C2), fulvic acid with a smaller molecular weight, humus acid(C2), and tryptophan-like(C3) compounds. Except for the H. rhamnoides forest macromolecular humus accounted for the largest proportion of all forest lands with an average increase of 45.1% when compared with abandoned land. There were no significant differences in FI, API and β:α indexes of the soil dissolved organic matters of different forest types, which ranged between 1.60-1.69, 0.57-0.62, and 0.56-0.61, respectively. The HI index of P. simonii and A. sibirica was significantly higher than that of the other forest types. Further correlation analysis showed that WDOC and WDON are extremely significantly positively correlated and significantly positively correlated with SOC and TN, respectively. C2 component is significantly negatively correlated with WDOC and WDON. WDOC: WDON is significantly positively correlated with SOC: TN, but is significantly negatively correlated with WDON/TN (P < 0.05). Conclusion: When compared with naturally restored abandoned land, farmland conversion to forests show the cumulative effect of total organic carbon and total nitrogen and it can significantly increase the WDOC content, especially for R. pseudoacacia mixed and single species that can simultaneously increase the dissolved carbon and nitrogen contents. At the same time, the soil WDOM of P. simonii and A. sibirica forests showed a relatively high degree of humification. This is because the farmland conversion to forests resulted in more stable and complex composition at the same time, the soil WDOM of P. simonii and A. sibirica forests showed a relatively high degree of humification, organic matters which increases the resistance to decomposition and is conducive to accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen.

Key words: cropland conversion to forest, soil water dissolved organic matter, three-dimensional fluorescence properties, vegetation restoration, Loess Hilly Region

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