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Changes in Soil Carbon Fractions and Enzyme Activities Under Different Vegetation Types of the Northern Loess Plateau
  • jiangqi wu,
  • Haiyan Wang,
  • Lijuan Yan
jiangqi wu

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Haiyan Wang
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Lijuan Yan
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Abstract

Vegetation restoration can not only preserve soil and water and reduce soil erosion, but also improve soil properties and quality significantly. However, different vegetation types have different effects on soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities. In this study, we examined the response of soil organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities to different types of vegetation (i.e., Xanthoceras sorbifolia (XS), Hippophae rhamnoides (HR), Caragana korshinskii (CK), Grassland (GL)) on the northern Loess Plateau. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), easily oxidized carbon (EOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) and the enzyme activities (i.e., amylase, catalase, urease and surase) were investigated at the end of plant growth. We found that the content of soil SOC fractions and enzyme activities upper > lower layer in each vegetation types except for MBC and catalase activity. There was no significant difference in MBC content and catalase activity between soil layers. The EOC and amylase of GL vegetation were significantly higher than other vegetation types. POC, SOC, urease and sucrase were significantly higher in SX vegetation than other vegetation types. The maximum soil MBC content was found in HR vegetation, and among the four vegetation types, the MBC content showed significant differences in lower layer, but no significant difference in the surface soil. Correlation analysis showed that the MBC significant influenced on the catalase activities; POC significant affected urease and sucrase activities; SOC extremely significant influenced on the urease and sucrase activities. Therefore, vegetation type was an important factor affecting the change of soil enzyme activities and carbon fractions on the Loess Plateau.