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Journal ArticleDOI

Ecosystem carbon stocks and their changes in China’s grasslands

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TLDR
Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of grassland biomass were closely correlated with precipitation, while changes in soil C stocks exhibited close associations with soil moisture and soil texture, indicating that grassland ecosystems are C neutral.
Abstract
The knowledge of carbon (C) stock and its dynamics is crucial for understanding the role of grassland ecosystems in China’s terrestrial C cycle. To date, a comprehensive assessment on C balance in China’s grasslands is still lacking. By reviewing pub-lished literature, this study aims to evaluate ecosystem C stocks (both vegetation biomass and soil organic C) and their changes in China’s grasslands. Our results are summarized as follows: (1) biomass C density (C stock per area) of China’s grasslands differed greatly among previous studies, ranging from 215.8 to 348.1 g C m −2 with an average of 300.2 g C m −2 . Likewise, soil C density also varied greatly between 8.5 and 15.1 kg C m −2 . In total, ecosystem C stock in China’s grasslands was estimated at 29.1 Pg C. (2) Both the magnitude and direction of ecosystem C changes in China’s grasslands differed greatly among previous studies. According to recent reports, neither biomass nor soil C stock in China’s grasslands showed a significant change during the past 20 years, indicating that grassland ecosystems are C neutral. (3) Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of grassland biomass were closely correlated with precipitation, while changes in soil C stocks exhibited close associations with soil moisture and soil texture. Human activities, such as livestock grazing and fencing could also affect ecosystem C dynamics in China’s grasslands.

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Vegetation and soil responses to livestock grazing in Central Asian grasslands: a review of Chinese literature

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a comprehensive, internationally accessible review on the impact of livestock grazing on vegetation and soils in northern China and the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
Journal ArticleDOI

Biomass carbon stocks and their changes in northern China’s grasslands during 1982–2006

TL;DR: The results suggest that different grassland ecosystems in China may show diverse responses to future climate changes, as the responses of grassland biomass to climate variables differed among various grassland types.
Journal ArticleDOI

Carbon management in dryland agricultural systems. A review

TL;DR: In dryland agriculture, any removal of crop residues implies a loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) as discussed by the authors, which in many of them entailed several land degradation processes such as soil erosion, reduction in crop productivity, lower soil water holding capacity, a decline in soil biodiversity, and, ultimately, desertification, hunger and poverty in developing countries.
References
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Journal Article

The vegetation carbon reserve and its spatial distribution configuration of grassland ecosystem in Tibet

Wang Jian
TL;DR: Vertical distribution was different according to regions, but alpine meadow or Alpine desert had the lowest carbon density and was characterized by "reach the same goal by different routes".

Influence of Precipitation and Air Temperature on Primary Productivity of Stipa klemenzii Plant Community,NeiMongol

Han Guo-dong
TL;DR: The relationship between the long-term dynamic of aboveground net annual primary production, aboveground average growth season production and precipitation, and air temperature was analyzed in Stipa klemenzii plant community in NeiMongol Plateau as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI

Distribution characteristics and influencing factors of soil organic carbon in alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau transect, China

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the relationship between the influencing factors and distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) content in undisturbed regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway crossing the natural zones of montane desert, alpine meadow-steppe, and montane shrub-coniferous forest.

Grassland Aboveground Biomass in Xinjiang

TL;DR: In this article, the authors estimated aboveground biomass in 6 grasslands of Xinjiang according to data composed of 460 plots from 92 sites in Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region.
Journal Article

Organic Carbon Density and Storage in Topsoil of Jiangsu and Spatial Analysis

TL;DR: Based on soil map of Jiangsu Province (1,500000) combined with a soil database from the soil survey, topsoil organic carbon storage was estimated for Jiangsu using geographical information system as discussed by the authors.
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