CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108909
Andrey Smagin
{"title":"Disjoining pressure model for the entire soil water retention curve","authors":"Andrey Smagin","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most models of water retention in soils and other porous media of the lithosphere use concepts of capillary theory or an empirical relationship between the thermodynamic potential (pressure) of water and its content in a porous medium. The study presents an alternative methodological approach based on the equations of the fundamental theory of disjoining pressure of water films and their stability in a polydisperse porous medium with variable water content. Validation of the model using the author’s own and literature WRC data for soils with various texture from sands to clays confirmed its good approximation ability in the complete moisture range from saturation to oven drying with a scatter index 2–20 times lower than in the commonly used van Genuchten model with the same number of parameters. In addition to describing the WRC with calculating pore size distribution, the new model is capable of determining the generalized Hamaker constant for molecular interfacial interactions, the Debye thickness of the electric double layer, and the specific soil surface area alternatively to the standard BET method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108909"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vegetation cover as an important factor affecting the properties and evolution of Spolic Technosols: A case study from a dump of the abandoned iron ore mine in central Poland","authors":"Łukasz Uzarowicz , Wojciech Kwasowski , Jarosław Lasota , Ewa Błońska , Beata Górka-Kostrubiec , Magdalena Tarnawczyk , Damian Murach , Marta Gilewska , Weronika Gryczan , Edyta Pawłowicz , Piotr Jankowski","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study’s objective was to examine the transformation of properties of Technosols following the spontaneous development of forest vegetation on a dump of the former Fe ore mine in central Poland. A sequence of soils representing sites with an increasing degree of development of the vegetation cover was studied. The development of vegetation contributed to the soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation in the topsoil, manifested by an increase in total organic carbon content (up to 39 % and 7.2 % in O and A horizons, respectively). Transformation of SOM in soil caused acidification of the topsoil (down to a pH of 4.7), followed by the leaching of carbonates. The soil-forming processes stimulated by the development of vegetation led to the release of pedogenic Fe and Al in the A horizons of the Technosols. This is confirmed by an increase of Al<sub>ox</sub> + ½Fe<sub>ox</sub> from 0.2 % in soils with no vegetation to 0.3–0.4 % in soils of the best-developed forest communities. The highest magnetic susceptibility (up to 39.9 × 10<sup>–8</sup> m<sup>3</sup> kg<sup>−1</sup>) was found in the topsoil (the A horizons) from the sites with the best-developed forest vegetation cover. This suggests that the progress of pedogenesis on the studied dump caused the formation of mineral phases (mostly Fe oxides) with higher magnetic susceptibility. The development of vegetation on the dump enhanced the microbial activity of Technosols, which was manifested by an increase in the soil enzyme activity in the topsoil. The research showed that plants are drivers of soil-forming and biological processes in Technosols developing on surfaces of mine waste dumps. The first effects of pedogenesis are restricted to the topsoil of studied Technosols. Vegetation development followed by the SOM accumulation leads to the transformation of soil properties and determines the course of further evolution of Technosols on mine waste dumps.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108906"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108927
Yanchun Liu , Qinglin Li , Huimin Tian , Shirong Liu , Chuang Ma , Menghan Wang , Hui Wang , Angang Ming
{"title":"Nitrogen-fixing tree species enhance the positive effects of tree species richness on soil organic carbon sequestration by increasing fine root phosphorus loss","authors":"Yanchun Liu , Qinglin Li , Huimin Tian , Shirong Liu , Chuang Ma , Menghan Wang , Hui Wang , Angang Ming","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108927","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108927","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mixed planting of multiple tree species and introducing nitrogen (N)-fixing tree species have been regarded as the most effective methods to enhance the ecological function of planted forests. Although there is increasing concern about the effects of tree richness on litter decomposition, knowledge gap still exists about whether N-fixing tree species regulate the effect of tree richness on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration by changing fine root decomposition. A 9-year tree species richness experiment with four species gradients (1, 2, 4, and 6 species) interacted with N-fixing tree species was conducted in subtropical forests. Fine root decomposition rate and changes in SOC based on an <em>in situ</em> microcosm incubation were measured to determine the effects of tree species richness and N-fixing tree species on fine root decomposition and SOC storage. We found that tree species richness positively affected fine root C, N, and phosphorus (P) loss. Regardless of the effects of tree richness, the presence of N-fixing tree species enhanced P loss by 30.6%. The increased SOC induced by fine root decomposition showed a positive non-linear response to tree species richness. The presence of N-fixing trees amplified the promoting effects of tree species richness on the net accumulation of SOC by 54.6% probably attributed to the alleviated soil P limitation calculated by soil extracellular enzyme stoichiometry, due to the stimulated root P release and soil available P content. This study demonstrates that the presence of N-fixing tree species significantly enhances the positive effects of tree species richness on SOC storage in subtropical forests. This process is driven by the accelerated release of root P, which alleviates soil P limitation and promotes microbial activity. These findings underscore the critical role of N-fixing tree species in enhancing the ecological functionality of mixed plantations through improved nutrient cycling and C sequestration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108927"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108926
Yingjie Zhu , Liming Lai , Jihua Zhou , Qiaoe Chen , Yanpeng Yue , Ganggang Yang , Hui Du , Yuanrun Zheng
{"title":"Divergent responses and roles of soil bacterial and fungal communities in shrub encroachment: A meta-analysis","authors":"Yingjie Zhu , Liming Lai , Jihua Zhou , Qiaoe Chen , Yanpeng Yue , Ganggang Yang , Hui Du , Yuanrun Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108926","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108926","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aims</h3><div>Shrub encroachment, a global phenomenon, not only alters aboveground biodiversity but also affects belowground soil microbial community structure and composition. This study aims to investigate the effects of shrub encroachment on soil microbial communities and explore the underlying mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A meta-analysis of 180 sets of observational data from 69 published studies worldwide was conducted to assess the influence of shrub encroachment on soil microbial communities and their response mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Shrub encroachment significantly increased soil total PLFA (3.8 %), with no significant change in fungal biomass. Shrub encroachment increased both bacterial and fungal diversity, with a stronger influence on fungal diversity (7.2 %) than on bacterial diversity (4.3 %). Moreover, the effects of shrub encroachment on soil microorganisms differed across climate zones, seasons, and soil depths. Structural equation modeling suggested that bacterial diversity increased with soil organic carbon and decreased with soil water content under shrub encroachment, whereas decreasing pH significantly enhanced fungal diversity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrated that shrub encroachment significantly influenced soil microbial communities, leading to changes in microbial diversity and composition. Soil physical and chemical properties and climatic factors jointly regulate the effects of shrub encroachment on soil microbial communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108926"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of substrate quality, temperature, and water content on the decomposition of Sphagnum peat","authors":"Charuni Jayasekara , Catherine Leigh , Jeff Shimeta , Ewen Silvester , Samantha PP Grover","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peatlands, with their high water tables and anoxic conditions, have inherently low organic matter decomposition rates, making them vital carbon reservoirs. We designed a laboratory incubation experiment to investigate the interactive effects of substrate quality, temperature, and water content on the decomposition rate of <em>Sphagnum</em> peat. Fresh and degraded peat was collected from three different depths (0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm) of an Australian alpine peatland. The water contents of the peat samples were adjusted to four levels (field-moist or 50 %, 400 %, or 1500 %) and incubated at four temperatures (7, 14, 21, and 28 °C) for 70 days. Overall, fresh peat had ∼ 50 % higher decomposition rate than degraded peat. Both fresh and degraded peat incubated at 7 °C had higher or similar decomposition rates to peat at 14 °C, regardless of water content, likely due to the <em>Sphagnum</em> peat being dominated by psychrophilic microbes that have optimal metabolism at low temperatures. Further, the duration for which peat at 7 °C had a higher decomposition rate than at 14 °C declined as water content declined in the fresh peat and as peat depth increased in degraded peat. These findings indicate that the decomposition rate of fresh peat with a high percentage of labile carbon content is determined by the availability of liquid water required for microbial metabolism, while in degraded peat, substrate availability controls the decomposition rate. Our study provides critical insights into carbon release dynamics in southern hemisphere <em>Sphagnum</em> peatlands, which can inform strategies for managing and conserving these critical carbon reservoirs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108907"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108922
Tao Zhou , Zheng’an Su , Gangcai Liu , Jianhui Zhang , Xinbao Zhang , Xiaojian Xie , Ling Zhou
{"title":"137Cs and 210Pbex tracing of soil erosion and organic carbon dynamics in relation to the Grain-for-Green project in the Hilly area of the Central Sichuan Basin","authors":"Tao Zhou , Zheng’an Su , Gangcai Liu , Jianhui Zhang , Xinbao Zhang , Xiaojian Xie , Ling Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Grain-for-Green project (GFGP) is one of the world’s largest ecological restoration projects and has profoundly decreased soil erosion and increased soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation. No clear conclusion regarding changes in soil erosion and the impacts of soil erosion on carbon dynamics in the Sichuan Basin due to the GFGP has been reached. Four sample sites, reference land (RL), cultivated land (CL), and land where the GFGP was implemented in 1999 (GFGP99) and 1972 (GFGP72), were selected to investigate the impacts of the GFGP on soil erosion and SOC dynamics via combined application of <sup>137</sup>Cs and <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>ex</sub> in the Sichuan Basin, Southwest China. The different depth distributions and landscape positions of <sup>137</sup>Cs, <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>ex</sub> and SOC in CL, GFGP99 and GFGP72 indicate that the GFGP significantly reduced soil erosion and increased the SOC concentration. The eroded soil thickness decreased by 325 % and 255 % in GFGP99 and GFGP72, respectively, relative to CL. The soil redistribution rates estimated by the revised <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>ex</sub> mass balance model ranged from 65.33 to −25.18 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> and from 18.83 to −138.74 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> before and after GFGP implementation, respectively. The SOC densities of GFGP99 and GFGP72 were 14.83 % and 36.84 % greater than those of CL, respectively. Notably, relatively low correlations were found among the <sup>137</sup>Cs, <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>ex</sub> and SOC densities, which is possibly related to the coupled effects of SOC transport and input during soil erosion. More attention should be given to the limitations of estimating soil redistribution rates and SOC dynamics using fallout radionuclides, such as <sup>137</sup>Cs and <sup>210</sup>Pb<sub>ex</sub>, on slopes following reforestation due to land-use changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108922"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108881
Tianbo Xia, Ping Zhang, Yaling Hu, Juanli Ma, Juntian Lin, Yuan Liu, Lei Jin
{"title":"Freeze-thaw characteristics of seasonal frozen soil in Asian mid-latitude deserts: A case study of typical deserts in northern China","authors":"Tianbo Xia, Ping Zhang, Yaling Hu, Juanli Ma, Juntian Lin, Yuan Liu, Lei Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vast deserts and sandy lands in the mid-latitudes cover an area of 17.64 × 10⁶ km<sup>2</sup>, with 6.98 × 10⁶ km<sup>2</sup> experiencing seasonal frozen soil (SFG). Freeze-thaw cycles of SFG significantly influence local surface processes in deserts, impacting meteorological disasters such as infrastructure failures and sandstorms. This study investigates the freeze–thaw dynamics of SFG in crescent dunes from three deserts in northern China: the Tengger Desert, Mu Us Sandy Land, and Ulan Buh Desert, over the period from 2019 to 2024.Freezing occurs from November to January, followed by thawing from January to March. The thawing rate (2.72 cm/day) was 1.8 times higher than the freezing rate (1.48 cm/day). The maximum seasonal freezing depth (MSFD) exceeded 0.80 m at all dune slopes, with depths surpassing 1.10 m at the leeward slope and lower slope positions. Soil moisture content, ranging from 1 % to 1.6 %, is critical for freezing, and this threshold varies depending on the dune’s mechanical composition. The hardness of frozen desert soil is primarily controlled by moisture, along with temperature and particle size.Temperature initiates freezing, while moisture and particle size control the resulting hardness.These findings shed light on the seasonal freeze–thaw processes in desert soils and have practical implications for agricultural management, engineering design, and environmental hazard mitigation in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108881"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heterogeneous responses of soil nitrous oxide emissions to nitrogen addition: A global meta-analysis","authors":"Peng Guo, Jingwen Diao, Tian Zuo, Han Zhao, Dongyan Kong, Lingfang Yang, Mengyu Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108923","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108923","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many projects have demonstrated that nitrogen (N) addition accelerates the emission of nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) from soils. However, the response ratios of N<sub>2</sub>O emission to N (<em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub>) exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity across global sites. Here, a <em>meta</em>-analysis was performed to explain the heterogeneity of <em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub> through the characteristics of sample sites based on the data from 108 field experiments. Results showed that the Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) and Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) of sample sites exerted significantly positive effects on <em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub> on a global scale, particularly in regions with high MAP (> 1,100 mm) or MAT (> 15 °C). However, <em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub> was affected by soil pH only in the sites with acidic soils (pH < 5.5). In addition, <em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub> was significantly affected by soil properties in soils with high total organic carbon (> 50 g/kg), high carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio (> 15), or low total N (< 2.0 g/kg). Among all these factors, C:N ratio and pH, and ambient N deposition rate were the most important. Further analysis revealed that increased MAP led to a decrease in C:N ratio, while elevated ambient N deposition rate resulted in a serious decline in pH and C:N ratio, indicating that environmental conditions may indirectly affect <em>ΔE</em><sub>N2O</sub> through directly influencing soil properties. In sum, when comprehensively evaluating soil N<sub>2</sub>O emissions induced by atmospheric N deposition, the characteristics of sample sites (environmental conditions and soil properties), as well as their direct and/or indirect effects should be systematically considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108923"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108920
Li Wang , Fan Zhang , Yao Chen , Xiaonan Shi , Chen Zeng , Yuchun Wang , Cicheng Qiangba , Baimu Deji , Dunzhu Awang , Na Qiong
{"title":"Investigating climate change impacts on runoff and sediment transport processes in the midstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo river based on hydrological simulation","authors":"Li Wang , Fan Zhang , Yao Chen , Xiaonan Shi , Chen Zeng , Yuchun Wang , Cicheng Qiangba , Baimu Deji , Dunzhu Awang , Na Qiong","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Runoff and sediment transport are critical concerns for water resource management and ecological security in the Tibetan Plateau. The midstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, a central habitat and cultural epicenter, was selected as the study area. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), sensitivity analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) were employed to investigate these processes. Results indicate annual runoff depth is 388.8 mm, with surface runoff, lateral flow, and groundwater components accounting for 47.2 %, 24.4 %, and 28.4 %, respectively. Estimated annual soil erosion, outlet sediment flux, and river channel sediment deposition rates are 7.11 × 10<sup>8</sup> t, 0.19 × 10<sup>8</sup> t and 6.92 × 10<sup>8</sup> t, respectively. Despite increases in runoff and its components, as well as soil erosion, and sediment deposition rates during 1983 to 2017, outlet sediment flux increased initially and decreased after implementation of Zangmu Reservoir in 2010. Soil erosion and sediment deposition exhibited significant spatial variations, with both being obviously higher in downstream areas compared to upstream regions. RDA reveals that precipitation was the primary factor explaining the variabilities in both runoff and sediment transport. In addition, the unfrozen area ratio influenced these processes by enhancing soil permeability and evaporation, thereby reducing runoff and sediment-carrying capacity. In contrast, glacier melt enhanced both runoff and sediment transport, with runoff and sediment flux sensitivity to temperature shifting from negative to positive as glacier area ratio increases. These findings provide valuable insights into the hydrological and sediment transport mechanisms in high mountain areas, offering a scientific foundation for integrated soil and water conservation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108920"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CatenaPub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2025.108928
Ekaterina Filimonenko , Maria Uporova , Ekaterina Dimitryuk , Nataliya Samokhina , Tida Ge , Abeer S. Aloufi , Nikolai Prikhodko , Yakov Kuzyakov , Andrey Soromotin
{"title":"Effects of reindeer grazing on thermal stability of organic matter in topsoil in Arctic tundra","authors":"Ekaterina Filimonenko , Maria Uporova , Ekaterina Dimitryuk , Nataliya Samokhina , Tida Ge , Abeer S. Aloufi , Nikolai Prikhodko , Yakov Kuzyakov , Andrey Soromotin","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108928","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108928","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reindeer grazing is a geochemical factor of carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in high-latitude ecosystems. Reindeer consume and trample aboveground biomass, and return nutrients by urine and faces on soil surface. Degradation of vegetation cover due to overgrazing induces soil warming, decreases soil organic matter (SOM) content, and affects its stability. We investigated the effects of reindeer grazing on the thermal stability and temperature sensitivity (Q<sub>10</sub>) of SOM decomposition in the Gydan Arctic tundra. Thermogravimetric analysis of the topsoil (0–5 cm) from grazed and ungrazed tundra was used to divide SOM into three thermal pools – labile, stable, and persistent. The thermally labile pool contributed 62 % to SOM, reflecting large portion of partly decomposed plant litter. The thermal stability of SOM was evaluated by the temperature, at which the half of the organic matter was lost (T<sub>50</sub>), and by the activation energy of SOM combustion (E<sub>a TG</sub>). Reindeer grazing increased the thermal stability of SOM in tundra by decrease in the thermally labile SOM content, as well as increase in T<sub>50</sub> and E<sub>a TG</sub>. The decrease in the labile SOM content in grazed compared to ungrazed tundra explained the reduction of soil microbial respiration at sites under reindeer grazing. The CO<sub>2</sub> efflux from the ungrazed and grazed soils at increasing temperatures was used to investigate the Q<sub>10</sub> of SOM decomposition. A 10 °C increase in soil temperature accelerated microbial SOM decomposition by 3.1 and 2.9 times in ungrazed and grazed tundra soils, respectively. Concluding, reindeer grazing in the Arctic tundra decreased SOM content in topsoil and increased the thermal stability of the remaining organic matter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108928"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}