- 1The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- 2Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Abstract:
Revegetation is vital for enhancing soil carbon sequestration. However, the impacts of revegetation and terracing measures on soil organic carbon (SOC) and SOC sequestration (SOCS), and the differences in the effects of revegetation on SOC and SOCS when implemented on sloped fields versus terraced fields, are still unclear. Thus, we conducted a field survey on cropland (CL), grassland (GL), and forestland (FL) on both sloped fields and terraced fields in Wuqi county, China’s Loess Plateau. The results showed that SOC content in FL at 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm depths were 1.70, 1.28, 1.28, and 1.19 times respectively higher than in CL. Similarly, SOC content in GL at the same depths were 1.30, 1.13, 1.18, and 1.20 times higher than in CL. In terraced, SOC content at 40–60 cm, 60–80 cm, 80–100 cm depths were 1.22, 1.28, and 1.20 times respectively higher than on sloped fields. Revegetation primarily significantly affected SOC at 0–10 cm depth on sloped fields (GL: p = 0.04; FL: p < 0.01), and more deeply (0–100 cm) on terraced fields (GL at 40–80 cm: p < 0.05; FL: p < 0.01). Furthermore, revegetation on sloped fields generated the highest SOCS at 0–40 cm depth, with a subsequent decrease as depth increased to 40–100 cm depth. Conversely, on terraced, SOCS increased with soil depth within the 0–100 cm depth. These results indicated that revegetation primarily enhanced SOCS in the surface soil (0–40 cm), and terracing measures stabilized the SOCS in the surface soil and further enhanced them in deeper soil horizons (0–100 cm). Therefore, in the context of soil erosion control and ecological restoration, the combined implementation of vegetation restoration and engineering measures can effectively stabilize and enhance SOCS, thereby fully leveraging the role of soil in mitigation climate change.
Keywords: Soil and water conservation measures; Carbon sequestration; Land use change；Vegetation restoration; Engineering measures; Deep soil organic carbon
How to cite: Cheng, H., Feng, H., Zhang, X., Yu, K., Wang, H., Geng, W., Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, M., and Sun, W.: Terracing Measures Stabilize and Enhance Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Benefits of Revegetation on the Loess Plateau, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7631, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7631, 2025.
