Abstract:
Objective The aims were to investigate the effects of different landuse types on soil aggregate structure and organic carbon distribution characteristics, in order to clarify the interaction mechanisms between soil aggregates and soil organic carbon (SOC) under various landuse patterns in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.
Methods The study was conducted in the southwest of Huxi Town, Shapingba District, Chongqing. Soil profile samples (0 - 60 cm) were collected from four landuse types: orchard, vegetable field, Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland and bamboo forest. The stability of soil aggregates and the vertical distribution characteristics of SOC were analyzed.
Results ① Under all four landuse types, mechanically stable aggregates were dominated by macro-aggregates (2 - 5 mm), while water-stable aggregates were primarily composed of medium (0.25 - 2 mm) and micro-aggregates (< 0.25 mm). The Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland exhibited the highest aggregate stability, whereas the aggregate stability of bamboo forest was the lowest. Significant differences were observed in the variation patterns of aggregate stability with soil depth across the different landuse types. ② The SOC content in the landuse type followed the order: orchard (9.06 g kg−1) > vegetable field (8.19 g kg−1) > Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland (7.57 g kg−1) > bamboo forest (7.18 g kg−1). In the Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland and bamboo forest, the organic carbon content within the > 5 mm aggregate was the highest in the 0 - 10 cm, but decreased significantly in the 10 - 20 cm. In the vegetable field, the 2 - 5 mm aggregate contained the highest organic carbon content in the 0 - 20 cm, significantly exceeding those in other aggregate size classes. There was no significant difference across all aggregate sizes in each soil depth in the orchard. In the 0 - 10 cm, the SOC stock (SOCR) was the highest in the Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland (40.67 t hm−2), significantly higher than that in the other three landuse types. In contrast, in the 10 - 20 cm, the vegetable field had the highest SOCR (21.80 t hm−2), exceeding that of the Cyclobalanopsis glauca woodland and orchard by 88.26% and 82.73%, respectively. ③ The SOC content and macro-aggregate content were the main factors controlling aggregate stability, and both showed significant positive correlations with MWD (P < 0.05).
Conclusion Macro-aggregates play a key role in regulating SOC changes under different landuse types in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, with the most pronounced effects observed in surface soils (0 - 20 cm). In subsurface soils (below 20 cm), compared to bamboo forest and vegetable land, orchard soil exhibits stronger macro-aggregate stability and greater carbon sequestration capacity. These findings provide a theoretical basis for land management and precise regulation of the soil carbon pool in the reservoir area.