Assessment of organic carbon stock and labile carbon in soils of the Gataaya Oasis, Tunisia

doi:10.1007/s40333-025-0031-9

Journal of Arid Land

2025, Vol. 17

Issue (11): 1576-1589 DOI: 10.1007/s40333-025-0031-9

Research article

Assessment of organic carbon stock and labile carbon in soils of the Gataaya Oasis, Tunisia

Noura BCHATNIA¹, Manel ALLANI¹^,^*(

), Hatem IBRAHIM², Ines BOUZRIBA¹, Mohamed Amine MAAOUI¹, Nadhem BRAHIM¹

¹University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Department of Geology, Plants Soils and Environment Laboratory, El Manar II 2092, Tunisia
²Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Department of Earth Sciences, Plants Soils and Environment Laboratory, Jarzouna 7021, Tunisia

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Abstract

Oasis soils in Tunisia are characterized by low soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, primarily due to their coarse texture and intensive irrigation practices. In the Gataaya Oasis, soils receive 3.000 to 4.000 L/m² annually through submersion irrigation, leading to a rapid decline in SOC stocks. Despite their sandy texture, which promotes good water infiltration, these soils are enriched with clay, dissolved materials, and fertilizers in deeper horizons. This study aimed to assess SOC content in the Gataaya Oasis soils, investigate the transport of labile carbon in drainage water, and clarify the destiny of this transported carbon. Soil samples were collected systematically at three depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm), focusing on the top 30 cm depth, which is most affected by amendments. Two sampling points (P1 and P2) were selected, i.e., P1 profile near the trunk of date palms (with manure input) and P2 profile between two adjacent date palms (without manure input). Water samples were collected from drainage systems within the oasis (W1, W2, and W3) and outside the oasis (W4). A laboratory experiment simulating manure application and irrigation was conducted to complement field observations. Physical-chemical analyses revealed a significant decrease in SOC stocks with soil depths. In P1 profile, SOC stocks declined from 17.71 t/hm² at the 0-10 cm depth to 7.80 t/hm² at the 20-30 cm depth. In P2 profile, SOC stocks were lower, decreasing from 6.73 t/hm² at the 0-10 cm depth to 3.57 t/hm² at the 20-30 cm depth. Labile carbon content in drainage water increased outside the oasis, with chemical oxygen demand (COD) values rising from 73 mg/L in W1 water sample to 290 mg/L in W4 water sample, indicating cumulative leaching effects from surrounding oases. The laboratory experiment confirmed field observations, showing a decline in soil organic matter (SOM) content from 3.27% to 2.62% after 12 irrigations, highlighting the vulnerability of SOC stocks to intensive irrigation. This study underscores the low SOC stocks in the Gataaya Oasis soils and their rapid depletion under successive irrigations. The findings provide insights into the dynamics of labile carbon transport and its contribution to regional carbon cycling, offering valuable information for sustainable soil management and ecological protection in arid ecosystems.

Key words： arid soil carbon cycling irrigation leaching soil physical-chemical characteristics

Received: 24 March 2025 Published: 30 November 2025

Corresponding Authors: ^*Manel ALLANI (E-mail: manel.allani@fst.utm.tn)

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	Noura BCHATNIA
	Manel ALLANI
	Hatem IBRAHIM
	Ines BOUZRIBA
	Mohamed Amine MAAOUI
	Nadhem BRAHIM

Cite this article:

Noura BCHATNIA, Manel ALLANI, Hatem IBRAHIM, Ines BOUZRIBA, Mohamed Amine MAAOUI, Nadhem BRAHIM. Assessment of organic carbon stock and labile carbon in soils of the Gataaya Oasis, Tunisia. Journal of Arid Land, 2025, 17(11): 1576-1589.

URL:

http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-025-0031-9 OR http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2025/V17/I11/1576

Fig. 1 Location of the study area and sampling sites. P1, profile near the trunk of date palms (with manure inputs); P2, profile between two adjacent date palms (without manure input); W1, W2, and W3 are water sample sites within the oasis; W4 is water sample site (a drainage station) outside the oasis.

Table 1 Physical-chemical properties of fresh goat and sheep manure

Fig. 2 Experimental design of this study

Table 2 Soil physical-chemical characteristics

Table 3 Variations of BD, soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), and SOC stock

Fig. 3 Correlation between BD and SOC

Table 4 Chemical analysis of drainage water

Table 5 Chemical analysis of soil solution with the times of irrigation

Fig. 4 Correlations between chemical parameters and irrigation times

Fig. 5 Dynamics of dissolved nutrients and soluble minerals from the Gataaya Oasis to the Chott El Jerid Basin


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