Soil Organic Carbon Redistribution and Delivery by Soil Erosion in a Small Catchment of the Yellow River Basin
Yi Zeng, Nufang Fang, Zhihua Shi, Xixi Lu, Zhengang Wang
Abstract
Abstract Soil erosion modulates the atmospheric CO 2 level by affecting the redistribution of young biospheric organic carbon (OC bio ) and ancient petrogenic organic carbon (OC petro ) in different order streams. However, the fate of soil organic carbon (SOC) in low‐order stream systems is still uncertain due to the complex influences of terrain, land uses, and anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we used the geochemical properties fingerprinting method and a radiocarbon‐based two‐member mixing model to clarify the source, budgets, and composition of SOC in a low‐order stream catchment in the Yellow River basin. The results showed that the primary source of SOC in the catchment was agricultural activity area, which accounted for 68.5%. After vegetation restoration, the SOC delivery rate and loss rate decreased from 0.38 ± 0.06 to 0.26 ± 0.04 and 0.19 ± 0.06 to 0.14 ± 0.04 t·ha −1 ·yr −1 , respectively. The SOC mobilized by soil erosion in the source area was 1,085.8 ± 170.5 t from 1969 to 2015, and the SOC lost during the transport process was 552.9 ± 170.1 t. The lost carbon was dominated by OC bio , whereas the loss of OC petro was minimal. Soil erosion can mobilize the OC petro sequestered in terrestrial ecosystems and deliver it to a river system if it is not intercepted. The oxidation of OC petro during long‐distance fluvial transport may represent a significant carbon source for atmospheric CO 2 on a geological timescale. This study contributes to our understanding of the carbon sink/source issue and quantifies the SOC budgets in stream systems.