title: Dynamics of maize carbon contribution to soil organic carbon in association with soil type and fertility level.
abstract: Soil type and fertility level influence straw carbon dynamics in the agroecosystems. However, there is a limited understanding of the dynamic processes of straw-derived and soil-derived carbon and the influence of the addition of straw carbon on soil-derived organic carbon in different soils associated with different fertility levels. In this study, we applied the in-situ carborundum tube method and 13C-labeled maize straw (with and without maize straw) at two cropland (Phaeozem and Luvisol soils) experimental sites in northeast China to quantify the dynamics of maize-derived and soil-derived carbon in soils associated with high and low fertility, and to examine how the addition of maize carbon influences soil-derived organic carbon and the interactions of soil type and fertility level with maize-derived and soil-derived carbon. We found that, on average, the contributions of maize-derived carbon to total organic carbon in maize-soil systems during the experimental period were differentiated among low fertility Luvisol (from 62.82% to 42.90), high fertility Luvisol (from 53.15% to 30.00%), low fertility Phaeozem (from 58.69% to 36.29%) and high fertility Phaeozem (from 41.06% to 16.60%). Furthermore, the addition of maize carbon significantly decreased the remaining soil-derived organic carbon in low and high fertility Luvisols and low fertility Phaeozem before two months. However, the increasing differences in soil-derived organic carbon between both soils with and without maize straw after two months suggested that maize-derived carbon was incorporated into soil-derived organic carbon, thereby potentially offsetting the loss of soil-derived organic carbon. These results suggested that Phaeozem and high fertility level soils would fix more maize carbon over time and thus were more beneficial for protecting soil-derived organic carbon from maize carbon decomposition.
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jiubo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Shuangyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Shifeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, the Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Northeast Cultivated Land Conservation, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jingkuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon