Please wait a minute...
Journal of Arid Land  2015, Vol. 7 Issue (3): 361-369    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-015-0004-5
Research Articles     
Sheep manure application increases soil exchangeable base cations in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia
YuGe ZHANG1,2, Shan YANG1,2, MingMing FU1,3, JiangPing CAI1,3, YongYong ZHANG1,3,
RuZhen WANG1,3, ZhuWen XU1, YongFei BAI4, Yong JIANG1*
1 State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China;
2 Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Eco-remediation, College of Environment, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China;
3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
4 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
Download:   PDF(731KB)
Export: BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      

Abstract  The long-term productivity of a soil is greatly influenced by cation exchange capacity (CEC). Moreover, interactions between dominant base cations and other nutrients are important for the health and stability of grassland ecosystems. Soil exchangeable base cations and cation ratios were examined in a 11-year experiment with sheep manure application rates 0–1,500 g/(m2•a) in a semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia of China, aiming to clarify the relationships of base cations with soil pH, buffer capacity and fertility. Results showed that CEC and contents of exchangeable calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) were significantly increased, and Ca2+ saturation tended to decrease, while K+ saturation tended to increase with the increases of sheep manure application rates. The Ca2+ /Mg2+ and Ca2+/K+ ratios decreased, while Mg2+, K+ and Na+ saturations increased with increasing manure application rates. Both base cations and CEC were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil pH. The increases of SOC and soil pH would be the dominant factors that con-tribute to the increase of cations in soil. On a comparison with the initial soil pH before the experiment, we deduced that sheep manure application could partly buffer soil pH decrease potentially induced by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur. Our results indicate that sheep manure application is beneficial to the maintenance of base cations and the buffering of soil acidification, and therefore can improve soil fertility in the semi-arid steppes of northeastern China.

Received: 28 June 2014      Published: 05 February 2015
Fund:  

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41371251, 31370009) and the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB403204).

Cite this article:

YuGe ZHANG, Shan YANG, MingMing FU, JiangPing CAI, YongYong ZHANG, . Sheep manure application increases soil exchangeable base cations in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia. Journal of Arid Land, 2015, 7(3): 361-369.

URL:

http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-015-0004-5     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2015/V7/I3/361

Beldin S I, Caldwell B A, Sollins P, et al. 2007. Cation exchange capacity of density fractions from paired conifer/grassland soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 43(6): 837–841.

Bortoluzzi E C, Tessier D, Rheinheimer D S, et al. 2006. The cation exchange capacity of a sandy soil in southern Brazil: an estimation of permanent and pH-dependent charges. European Journal of Soil Science, 57(3): 356–364.

Bowman W D, Cleveland C C, Halada L, et al. 2008. Negative impact of nitrogen deposition on soil buffering capacity. Nature Geoscience, 1(11): 767–770.

Brady N C, Weil R R. 2007. The Nature and Properties of Soils. New York: Prentice Hall.

Chapin F S, Matson P A, Mooney H A. 2002. Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. New York: Springer-Verlag.

Chen D M, Lan Z C, Bai X, et al. 2013. Evidence that acidification-induced declines in plant diversity and productivity are mediated by changes in below-ground communities and soil properties in a semi-arid steppe. Journal of Ecology, 101(5): 1322–1334.

Chen Y L, Xu Z W, Hu H W, et al. 2013. Responses of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea to nitrogen fertilization and precipitation increment in a typical temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia. Applied Soil Ecology, 68(1): 36–45.

Diacono M, Montemurro F. 2010. Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 30(2): 401–422.

Edmeades D C. 2003. The long-term effects of manures and fertilisers on soil productivity and quality: a review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 66(2): 165–180.

FAO. 1988. FAO-UNESCO Soil Maps of the World, Revised Legend. World Soil Resources Reports 60, FAO, Rome.

Foth H D. 1990. Soil chemistry. In Foth H D. Fundamentals of Soil Science. 8th ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 164–185.

Fu M M, Jiang Y, Bai Y F, et al. 2012. Variation in soil Mn fractions as affected by long-term manure amendment using atomic absorption spectrophotometer in a typical grassland of Inner Mongolia. Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis, 32(8): 2238–2241.

García-Gil J C, Ceppi S B, Velasco M I, et al. 2004. Long-term effects of amendment with municipal solid waste compost on the elemental and acidic functional group composition and pH-buffer capacity of soil humic acids. Geoderma, 121(1–2): 135–142.

Guo J H, Liu X J, Zhang Y, et al. 2010. Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands. Science, 327(5968): 1008–1010.

Han X G, Owens K, Wu X B, et al. 2009. The grasslands of Inner Mongolia: a special feature. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 62(4): 303–304.

Havlin J H, Tisdale S L, Nelson W L, et al. 2004. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: an Introduction to Nutrient Management. 7th eds. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Jiang D M, Li Q, Liu F M, et al. 2007. Vertical distribution of soil nematodes in an age sequence of Caragana microphylla plantations in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China. Ecological Research, 22(1): 49–56.

Jiang Y, Zhang Y G, Liang W J, et al. 2005a. Pedogenic and anthropogenic influence on calcium and magnesium behaviors in Stagnic Anthrosols. Pedosphere, 15(3): 341–346.

Jiang Y, Liang W J, Wen D Z, et al. 2005b. Spatial heterogeneity of DTPA-extractable zinc in cultivated soils induced by city pollution and land use. Science in China: Series C, 48(Suppl. I): 82–91.

Jiang Y, Zhang Y G, Zhou D, et al. 2009. Profile distribution of micronutrients in an aquic brown soil as affected by land use. Plant Soil and Environment, 55(11): 468–476.

Lax A. 1991. Cation-exchange capacity, induced in calcareous soils by fertilization with manure. Soil Science, 151(2): 174–178.

Lieb A M, Darrouzet-Nardi A, Bowman W D. 2011. Nitrogen deposition decreases acid buffering capacity of alpine soils in the southern

Rocky Mountains. Geoderma, 164(3–4): 220–224.

Lucas R W, Klaminder J, Futter M N, et al. 2011. A meta-analysis of the effects of nitrogen additions on base cations: Implications for plants, soils, and streams. Forest Ecology and Management, 262(1): 95–104.

Marschner P, Rengel Z. 2007. Nutrient Cycling in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

Oorts K, Vanlauwe B, Merckx R. 2003. Cation exchange capacities of soil organic matter fractions in a Ferric Lixisol with different organic matter inputs. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 100(2–3): 161–171.

Renault P, Cazevieille P, Verdier J, et al. 2009. Variations in the cation exchange capacity of a ferralsol supplied with vinasse, under changing aeration conditions: Comparison between CEC measuring methods. Geoderma, 154(1–2): 101–110.

Rodella A A, Fischer K R, Alcarde J C. 1995. Cation-exchange capacity of an acid soil as influenced by different sources of organic letter. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 26(17–18): 2961–2967.

van Erp P J. Houba V J G, van Beusichem M L. 2001. Actual cation exchange capacity of agricultural soils and its relationship with pH and content of organic carbon and clay. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 32(1–2): 19–31.

Wang R Z, Dorodnikov M, Yang S, et al. 2015. Responses of enzymatic activities within soil aggregates to 9-year nitrogen and water addition in a semi-arid grassland. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 81(2): 159–167.

Xu J M, Tang C, Chen Z L. 2006. The role of plant residues in pH change of acid soils differing in initial pH. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 38(4): 709–719.

Xu Z W, Ren H Y, Cai J P, et al. 2014. Effects of experimentally-enhanced precipitation and nitrogen on resistance, recovery and resilience of a semi-arid grassland after drought. Oecologia, 176: 1187–1197.

Yang Y H, Ji C J, Ma W H, et al. 2012. Significant soil acidification across northern China’s grasslands during 1980s–2000s. Global Change Biology, 18(11): 2292–2300.

Zhang Y G, Xu Z W, Jiang D M, et al. 2013. Soil exchangeable base cations along a chronosequence of Caragana microphylla plantation in a semi-arid sandy land, China. Journal of Arid Land, 5(1): 42–50.
No related articles found!