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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 ArticleDOI

Above- and belowground biomass allocation in Tibetan grasslands.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated allocation between above-and belowground biomass in alpine grasslands and its relationship with environmental factors using data collected from 141 sites across the plateau during 2001-2005.
Journal ArticleDOI

Storage, patterns and environmental controls of soil organic carbon in China

TL;DR: Based on the data from China's second national soil survey and field observations in northwest China, Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper estimated soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in China and investigated its spatial and vertical distribution.
Journal ArticleDOI

Carbon storage in the grasslands of China based on field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass

TL;DR: The above and below ground biomass values for 17 types of grassland communities in China as classified by the Chinese Grasslands Resources Survey were obtained from systematic replicated sampling at 78 sites and from published records from 146 sites.
Journal ArticleDOI

Large-scale pattern of biomass partitioning across China's grasslands

TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors investigated above-ground and below-ground biomass in China's grasslands by conducting five consecutive sampling campaigns across the northern part of the country during 2001-05.
Journal ArticleDOI

Distribution and storage of soil organic carbon in China

TL;DR: The average organic carbon density in China varies from 0.73 to 70.79 kg C/m 2 with the majority ranging between 4.00 and 11.00 kg CO 2, mainly due to the extended arid and semi-arid regions as discussed by the authors.
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