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Journal ArticleDOI

Ecosystem carbon stocks and their changes in China’s grasslands

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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Journal ArticleDOI

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 Position Monitoring of Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Grassland Biomass in Northern China.

Seying Ba
- 01 Jan 2003 - 
TL;DR: In this article, three to eleven years data was analyzed in 19 grassland monitoring sites (15 sites in Inner Monglia, 1 site in Ninxia,Shannxi,Shanxi,and Helongjiang,respectively).
Journal Article

Surveying biomass of degraded grassland for forbidden grazing and enclosing after three years

Sang Yong-yan
- 01 Jan 2006 - 
TL;DR: In this paper, a comparison of the biomass of grass aboveground and underground was carried out in slightly degraded grassland, medium degraded grass land and severely degraded grasslands before forbidden grazing and after forbidden grazing in alpine meadow grassland in Qinghai.
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