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Comparison on soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics between urban impervious surfaces and vegetation
  • Xiaolin Dou,
  • Meng Lu,
  • Liding Chen
Xiaolin Dou
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Corresponding Author:xldou@rcees.ac.cn

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Meng Lu
Yunnan University
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Liding Chen
Research Center For Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Abstract

The soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamic was usually considered as a minor change based on a static process in the sealed soil under decades of impervious surface (IS). However, no systematic studies concerning the soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (SON) dynamic were conducted under IS in contrast with urban vegetation (i.e., forest, grass). Here we utilized fractional distillation of soils as well as stable isotopic analysis to examine soil C&N cycles after 20 and 30 years of vegetation planting and IS construction in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Pearl River Delta, China. Soil samples including bare soil (CK) and four land use treatments were split into different chemical fractions. Then we analyzed the C&N content, C/N ratio, δ13C, δ15N, C&N recalcitrant indices (RIC, RIN), and the mean residence time (MRT). We found that the soil C&N increased first (i.e., 20 years) because of enhanced C&N stocks in both labile (LP) and recalcitrant pool (RP), and then stabilized or decreased (i.e., 30 years) with the IS ages in both cities. IS had a lower SOC decomposition rate and thus resulted in the five to ten times longer MRT (about 259–465 years) than that in vegetated soils (about 39–55 years). Moreover, the SOC&SON always showed a decoupling relation in labile pools (i.e., LC and LN) in forests in both cities. The study showed the IS remarkably altered the soil C&N dynamics, showing a great difference in SOC&SON fractions composition and turnover compared with vegetation.
11 Feb 2021Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
12 Feb 2021Submission Checks Completed
12 Feb 2021Assigned to Editor
14 Feb 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Mar 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Mar 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Major
20 Apr 20211st Revision Received
22 Apr 2021Submission Checks Completed
22 Apr 2021Assigned to Editor
17 May 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
30 May 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
28 Jun 20212nd Revision Received
30 Jun 2021Submission Checks Completed
30 Jun 2021Assigned to Editor
07 Jul 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Aug 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
19 Aug 20213rd Revision Received
20 Aug 2021Submission Checks Completed
20 Aug 2021Assigned to Editor
11 Sep 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Sep 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Sep 20214th Revision Received
20 Sep 2021Submission Checks Completed
20 Sep 2021Assigned to Editor
26 Sep 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
03 Oct 2021Editorial Decision: Accept
25 Oct 2021Published in Land Degradation & Development. 10.1002/ldr.4121