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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 ArticleDOI

Increased cuticular carbon sequestration and lignin oxidation in response to soil warming

TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the impact of soil warming in a mixed temperate forest on the molecular make-up of soil organic matter and found that the abundance of leaf-cuticle-derived compounds is increased following 14 months of soil heating.
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Increasing net primary production in China from 1982 to 1999

TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors used a simple process model and satellite data to explore trends in China's terrestrial net primary production (NPP) and found that the country's terrestrial NPP increased by 18.7% from 1982 to 1999, and much of it appeared to be the result of a lengthening of the growing season.
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Aboveground biomass in Tibetan grasslands

TL;DR: In this paper, spatial patterns and environmental controls of aboveground biomass (AGB) in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau were investigated by integrating AGB data collected from 135 sites during 2001-2004 and concurrent enhanced vegetation index derived from MODIS data sets.
Journal ArticleDOI

Increasing terrestrial vegetation activity in China, 1982–1999

TL;DR: NDVI changes in China exhibited relatively large spatial heterogeneity; the eastern coastal regions experienced declining or indiscernibly rising trends, while agricultural regions and western China experienced marked increases.
Journal ArticleDOI

Soil carbon stock and its changes in northern China's grasslands from 1980s to 2000s

TL;DR: In this article, the magnitude of soil organic carbon (SOC) in northern China's grasslands using 981 soil profiles surveyed from 327 sites across the northern part of the country during 2001-2005 was estimated.
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