A study of soil organic carbon distribution and storage in the Northeast Plain of China

Employing the Unit Soil Carbon Amount (USCA) approach, soil carbon storage was calculated across the Northeast Plain of China based on the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey conducted in 2004-2006 (MRGS). The results indicated that the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in topsoil (0-0.2 m), subsoil (0-1 m) and deep soil (0-1.8 m) was 768.1 Mt, 2978.4 Mt and 3729.2 Mt with densities of 3327.8 t/km2, 12,904.7 t/km2 and 16,157.5 t/km2, respectively. These values were consistent with national averages, whereas the soil carbon densities showed a clear increasing trend from the southern area of the Northeast Plain (Liaoning), to the middle (Jilin) and the northern Plain (Heilongjiang) particularly in terms of topsoil carbon density, which increased from 2284.2, to 3436.7 and 3861.5 t/km2, respectively. In comparison to carbon data obtained from the Second National Soil Survey in 1984-1986 (SNSS), the topsoil SOC storage values from the MRGS were found to have decreased by 320.59 Mt (29.4%), with an average annual decline of 16.0 Mt (1.73%) over the 20 years. In the southern, middle and northern areas of the plain, soil carbon densities decreased by 1060.6 t/km2, 1646.4 t/km2 and 1300.2 t/km2, respectively, with an average value of 1389.0 t/km2 for the whole plain. These findings indicate that the decrease in soil carbon density varied according to the different ecosystems and land-use types. Therefore, ratios of soil carbon density were calculated in order to study the carbon dynamic balance between ecosystems, and to further explore distribution characteristics, as well as the sequestration potential of SOC.