An investigation on the effect of altitude on soil organic carbon storage and some other soil properties in Arasbaran forests

Document Type : Complete scientific research article

Authors

1 university of zanjan

2 Professor, Dept. of Soil Science, University of Zanjan

3 Zanjan

Abstract

Background and objectives: Investigation of soil attributes is one of the ways to evaluate and manage forest ecosystems. Altitude is considered as one of the effective factors on the soil quality, especially soil organic carbon (OC). However, variation of the soil OC stocks at different altitudes of Arasbaran forests is still unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the spatial distribution of OC values, and some other chemical properties in different soil depths affected by altitude in Arasbaran forests.

Materials and methods: In this study, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design in three replications. Overall, 60 soil samples were collected on a north slope of the region at four different altitude ranges, including 0–600, 600–1200, 1200–1800, and 1800–2400 m, and from five soil depths of 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm. Then, the amounts of OC, cation exchange capacity (CEC), dilute-acid-soluble and hot-water-soluble carbohydrates, calcium carbonate, available phosphorus and potassium as well as soil acidity (pH) were determined in the soil samples.

Results: The results showed the significant effect of soil depth, altitude and their interaction on most of the studeid soil properties. In fact, with increasing elevation and soil depth, the amount of OC, CEC, and dilute-acid-soluble carbohydrates increased and decreased, respectively, and a very strong correlation was found between them. Additionally, on average more than 50% of the OC was allocated to the top 20 cm of the soils at all four elevations that reduced averagely about 79% with increasing soil depth to the depth of 80–100 cm. Moreover, the highest increase rate of OC contents with altitude of about 9% was observed between the elevation ranges of 600–1200 and 1200–1800 m. Furthermore, with increasing altitude and soil depth, other soil properties such as pH, calcium carbonate, and available potaium showed a decraese of about 2%, 16%, and 16%, and an increase of around 4%, 16%, and 18%, respectively. In addition, with increasing soil depth, the amount of soil available phosphorus increased; meanwhile, the effect of altitude on this parameter was not significant.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, soil OC stocks and overall the quality of Arasbaran forest soils are significantly affected by the factors of altitude and soil depth so that surface soils of higher elevations in the study area are of higher quality in terms of OC content, CEC, and dilute-acid-soluble carbohydrates, which should be given more attention. In fact, considering the significant role of these soils in carbon sequestration, these areas should be preserved intact and undisturbed through proper management as well as various protection practices.

Keywords


 1.Karamian, M., and Hosseini, V. 2016. Effect of trees canopy and topography on some chemical properties of forest soil (Case Study: The forest of Ilam province, Dalab). Journal of Natural Ecosystems of Iran. 7: 1. 81-97. (In Persian)
2.Notaro, K.A., Medeiros, E.V.D., Duda, G.P., Moreira, K.A., Barros, J.A.D., Santos, U.J.D., Lima, J.R.D.S., and Moraes, W.D.S. 2018. Enzymatic activity, microbial biomass, and organic carbon of Entisols from Brazilian tropical dry forest and annual and perennial crops. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research. 78: 1. 68-77.
3.Beheshti, A., Raiesi, F., and Golchin, A. 2012. Soil properties, C fractions and their dynamics inland use conversion from native forests to croplands in northern Iran. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 148: 121-133.
4.Karmakar, R., Das, I., Dutta, D., and Rakshit, A. 2016. Potential effects of climate change on soilproperties, a review. Science International. 4: 51-73.
5.Shekofteh, H., Masoudi, A., and Shafiei, S. 2018. The effect of different land uses on some indicators of physical, chemical and biological quality of soil. Journal of Soil and Water Sciences. 22: 3. 425-436. (In Persian)
6.Weil, R.R., Islam, K.R., Stine, M.A., Gruver, J.B., and Samson-Liebig, S.E. 2003. Estimating active carbon for
soil quality assessment: A simplified method for laboratory and field use. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture. 18: 1. 3-17.
7.Blanco, J.A. 2018. Managing Forest soils for carbon sequestration: insights from modeling forests around the globe.
P 237-252. In: Muñoz, M.Á., Zornoza, R. (ed), Soil Management and Climate Change. Elsevier Inc, New York. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/B978-0-12- 812128-3.00016-1.
8.Bünemann, E.K., Bongiorno, G., Bai, Z., Creamer, R.E., De Deyn, G., de Goede, R., Fleskens, L., Geissen, V., Kuyper, T.W., Mäder, P., Pulleman, M., Sukkel, W., van Groenigen, J.W., and Brussaard, L. 2018. Soil quality – A critical
review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 120: 105-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.soilbio.2018.01.030.
9.Dai, L., Ge, J., Wang, L., Zhang, Q., Liang, T., Bolan, N., Lischeid, G., and Rinklebe, J. 2022. Influence of soil properties, topography, and land cover on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentration: A case study in Qinghai-Tibet plateau based on random forest regression and structural equation modeling. Science of the Total Environment,
821: 153440. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.scitotenv.2022.153440.
10.Singh, G., Mishra, D., Singh, K., Shukla, S., and Choudhary, G.R. 2022. Geographical settings and tree diversity influenced soil carbon storage in different forest types in Rajasthan, India. Catena 209: 105856. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.catena.2021.105856.
11.Gebeyehu, G., Soromessa, T., Bekele, T., and Teketay, D. 2019. Carbon stocks and factors affecting their storage in dry Afromontane forests of Awi Zone, northwestern Ethiopia. Journal of Ecology and Environment. 43: 1. 1-18.
12.Vieira, S.A., Alves, L.F., Duarte‐Neto, P.J., Martins, S.C., Veiga, L.G., Scaranello, M.A., Picollo, M.C., Camargo, P.B., do Carmo, J.B., Neto, E.S., and Santos, F.A. 2011. Stocks of carbon and nitrogen and partitioning between above‐and belowground pools in the Brazilian coastal Atlantic Forest elevation range. Ecology and Evolution. 1: 3. 421-434.
13.Dieleman, W.I., Venter, M., Ramachandra, A., Krockenberger, A.K., and Bird, M.I. 2013. Soil carbon stocks vary predictably with altitude in tropical forests: Implications for soil carbon storage. Geoderma. 204: 59-67. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma. 2013. 04. 005.
14.Dinakaran, J., Chandra, A., Chamoli, K.P., Deka, J., and Rao, K.S. 2018. Soil organic carbon stabilization changes with an altitude gradient of land cover types in central Himalaya, India. Catena. 170: 374-385. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.catena.2018.06.039.
15.Banday, M., Bhardwaj, D.R., and Pala, N.A. 2019. Influence of forest type, altitude and NDVI on soil properties in forests of North Western Himalaya, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica. 39: 1. 50-55.
16.Zhang, Y., Ai, J., Sun, Q., Li, Z., Hou, L., Song, L., Tang, G., Li, L., and Shao, G. 2021. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks as affected by vegetation types and altitude across the mountainous regions in the Yunnan Province, south-western China. Catena. 196: 104872. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.catena.2020.104872.
17.Gessler, P.E., Chadwick, O.A., Chamran, F., Althouse, L., and Holmes, K. 2000. Modelisoil-landscape and ecosystemproperties using terrain attributes. Soil Science Society America Journal. 64: 2046-2056.
18.Pachepsky, Y.A., Timlin, D.J., and Rawls, W.J. 2001. Soil water retention as related to topographic variables. Soil Science  Society America Journal. 65: 1787-1795.
19.Praeg, N., Seeber, J., Leitinger, G., Tasser, E., Newesely, C., Tappeiner, U., and Illmer, P. 2020. The role of land management and elevation in shaping soil microbial communities: Insights from the Central European Alps. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 150: 107951. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.soilbio. 2020. 107951.
20.Wildung, R.E., and Garland, T.R. 1988. Soils/carbon and mineral cycling processes. P 23-59, In: Rickard, W.H., Rogers, L.E., Vaughan, B.E., Liebetrau, S.F. (ed.). Shrub-Steppe Balance and Change in a Semi-Arid Terrestrial Ecosystem, Developments in Agricultural and Managed Forest Ecology. Elsevier, New York.
21.Simon, A., Dhendup, K., Rai, P.B., and Gratzer, G. 2018. Soil carbon stocks along elevational gradients in Eastern Himalayan mountain forests. Geoderma Regional. 12: 28-38.
22.Song, X.D., Liu, F., Wu, H.Y., Cao, Q., Zhong, C., Yang, J.L., Li, D.C., Zhao, Y.G., and Zhang, G.L. 2020. Effects of long-term K fertilization on soil available potassium in East China. Catena. 188: 104412. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.catena.2019.104412.
23.McDowell, R.W., Worth, W., and Carrick, S. 2021. Evidence for the leaching of dissolved organic phosphorus to depth. Science of the Total Environment, 755: 142392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142392.
24.Hattar, B.I., Taimeh, A.Y., and Ziadat, F.M. 2010. Variation in soil chemical properties along toposequences in
an arid region of the Levant. Catena, 83: 1. 34-45.
25.Rezaei, H., Jafarzadeh, A., Alijanpour, A., Shahbazi, F., and Valizadeh Kamran, K. 2020. Soil Organic Matter Condition in Forest Stands of Arasbaran. Water and Soil. 34: 1. 115-127. (In Persian)
26.Ebrahimi, T., Kasebi, N., Ghahramani, M.A., and Imani, Y. 2006. The determination of phytoclimates based on biodiversity and biological forms in arasbaran. Plant and Ecosystem. 2: 7. 105-118. (In Persian)
27.Walkley, A., and Black, I.A. 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil science. 37: 1. 29-38.
28.Carter, M.R., and Gregorich, E.G. 2008. Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. P 823-1224, In: Carter, M.R., Gregorich, E.G., (ed.). CRC Press: Boca Raton, FLorida, USA.
29.Goh, T.B., Arnaud, R.J., and Mermut, A.R. 1993. Aggregate stability to water. P 177-180, In: Carter, M.R. (ed.). Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Canadian Society of Soil Science. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.
30.Bower, C.A., Reitemeier, F., and Fireman, M. 1952. Exchangeable cation analysis of saline and alkali. Soil Science. 73: 4. 251-262.
31.Olsen, S.R., and Sommmers, L.E. 1982. Phosphorus. P 403-430, In: Miller, A.L. (ed.). Methods of soil analysis, part 2. Chemical and mineralogical properties. Agronomy series, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
32.Philip, A.H., and Sparks, D.L. 1996. Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium and Cesium. P 551-574, In: Sparks, D.L. (ed.). Methods of soil analysis. part 3, chemical methods, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
33.Adesodun, J.K., Mbagwu, J.S.C., and Oti, N. 2001. Structural stability and carbohydrate contents of an ultisol under different management systems. Soil and Tillage Research. 60: 135-142.
34.Gee, G.W., and Or, D. 2002. Particle size analysis. P 255-293, In: Dane, J.H. and G.C. Topp. (ed.). Methods
of Soil Analysis. Part 4. Physical Methods. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
35.Blake, G.R., and Hartge, K.H. 1986. Bulk density. P 363-375, In: Klute, A. (ed.). Methods of soil analysis. Part 1, Physical and mineralogical methods. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
36.Smith, J.L., Halvorson, J.J., and Bolton Jr, H. 2002. Soil properties and microbial activity across a 500 m elevation gradient in a semi-arid environment. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 34: 11. 1749-1757.
37.Yang, Y., Mohammat, A., Feng, J., Zhou, R., and Fang, J. 2007. Storage, patterns and environmental controls of soil organic carbon in China. Biogeochemistry. 84: 2. 131-141.
38.Deng, L., Liu, G.B., and Shangguan, Z.P. 2014. Land‐use conversion and changing soil carbon stocks in China's ‘Grain‐for‐Green’Program: a synthesis. Global Change Biology. 20: 11. 3544-3556.
39.Li, P., Wang, Q., Endo, T., Zhao, X., and Kakubari, Y. 2010. Soil organic carbon stock is closely related to aboveground vegetation properties in cold-temperate mountainous forests. Geoderma. 154: 3-4. 407-415.
40.Njeru, C.M., Ekesi, S., Mohamed, S.A., Kinyamario, J.I., Kiboi, S., and Maeda, E.E. 2017. Assessing stock and thresholds detection of soil organic carbon and nitrogen along an altitude gradient in an east Africa mountain ecosystem. Geoderma Regional. 10: 29-38.
41.Heckman, K., Welty-Bernard, A., Rasmussen, C., and Schwartz, E. 2009. Geologic controls of soil carbon cycling and microbial dynamics in temperate conifer forests. Chemical Geology. 267: 1-2. 12-23.
42.Rowlings, D.W., Grace, P.R., Kiese, R., and Weier, K.L. 2012. Environmental factors controlling temporal and spatial variability in the soil‐atmosphere exchange of CO2, CH4 and N2O from an Australian subtropical rainforest. Global Change Biology. 18: 2. 726-738.
43.Qin, Y., Feng, Q., Holden, N.M., and Cao, J. 2016. Variation in soil organic carbon by slope aspect in the middle of the Qilian Mountains in the upper Heihe River Basin, China. Catena. 147: 308-314.
44.Dinakaran, J., and Krishnayya, N.S.R. 2010. Variations in soil organic carbon and litter decomposition across different tropical vegetal covers. Current Science. 99: 8. 1051-1060.
45.Liu, J., Wang, Z., Hu, F., Xu, C., Ma, R., and Zhao, S. 2020. Soil organic matter and silt contents determine soil particle surface electrochemical properties across a long-term natural restoration grassland. Catena. 190: 104526. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104526.
46.Zhao, Z., Chang, E., Lai, P., Dong, Y., Xu, R., Fang, D., and Jiang, J. 2019. Evolution of soil surface charge in a chronosequence of paddy soil derived from Alfisol. Soil and Tillage Research. 192: 144-150.
47.Bolan, N.S., Naidu, R., Syers, J.K., and Tillman, R.W. 1999. Surface charge and solute interactions in soils. Advances in agronomy 67: 87-140.
48.Alijanpour, A., Fatullahi, A., Eshaghi Rad, J., and Mohamed, A.R. 2018. Effect of aspect and soil on quantitative and qualitative characteristic of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) in Arasbaran forest (case study: Ilginehchay and Kaleibarchay Watersheds). Journal of Plant Research (Iranian Journal of Biology). 30: 4. 887-898. (In Persian)
49.Sharma, V., and Sharma, K.N. 2013. Influence of accompanying anions on potassium retention and leaching in potato growing alluvial soils. Pedosphere, 23: 4. 464-471.
50.Mirzaei Varoei, M., Fekri, M., and Mahmoudabadi, M. 2016. Effects of moisture regime, sodium and calcium on the deep distribution of potassium in a gypsum soil. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Research. 23: 4. 81-65. (In Persian)
51.Spohn, M., and Giani, L. 2010. Water-stable aggregates, glomalin-related soil protein, and carbohydrates in a chronosequence of sandy hydromorphic soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 42: 9. 1505-1511.
52.Bongiovanni, M.D., and Lobartini, J.C. 2006. Particulate organic matter, carbohydrate, humic acid contents in soil macro-and microaggregates as affected by cultivation. Geoderma. 136: 3-4. 660-665.