Authors : Yong Jiang , Yuge Zhang and Wenju Liang
Abstract: This study was aimed to investigate the dynamics of Soil Total Sulfur (STS), Available Sulfur (SAS) concentration, sulfur storage and Carbon/Sulfur (C/S) ratio in 0-150 cm depth of an aquic brown soil at the Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences under 14 years of four land use patterns, i.e., Paddy Field (PF), Maize Field (MF), Fallow Field (FF) and Woodland (WL). The results showed that the profile distribution of STS and SAS was different under different land uses, indicating the effect of land use on the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur. The STS concentration throughout the 150 cm depth was numerically greater of WL than of PF, MF and FF. Soil available S extracted with 0.01 mol L-1 Ca(H2PO4)2 in profiles was not significantly correlated with that of the STS, indicating a different distribution mechanism of SAS from that of the STS. Although PF had the lower STS in profile than MF, it`s SAS in layers above 60 cm was significantly greater than that in MF. The SAS in the deep layers was significantly greater in WL than in the other three land uses. The sequence of STS storage in 100 and 150 cm thickness was WL>MF>FF>PF, suggesting the effects of different root biomass and biological S cycling under various land uses. Soil total S was significantly related with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and the correlation was slightly closer in nature ecosystems than in agroecosystems (with R2 =0.974 and 0.996 for FF, 0.953 and 0.931 for WL, 0.894 and 0.865 for PF, 0.833 and 0.851 for MF, respectively, p<0.001, n=30). Although the profile distribution of STS concentration was different among different land uses, the soil C/S ratio was comparatively constant in 0-80 cm layers, while it was tended to be lower in layers below 80 cm owing to the comparatively constant total S concentration and the decreasing total soil organic C with depth. It is suggested that woodland have the potential to make a significant contribution to STS storage.
Yong Jiang , Yuge Zhang and Wenju Liang , 2007. Land Use Effect on the Profile Distribution of Sulfur in an Aquic Brown Soil. Agricultural Journal, 2: 49-54.