{"title":"Spatial Variability of Soil Aggregate Size Fractions Driven by Precipitation and Nitrogen Fertilizer at the Regional Scale in Southwestern China","authors":"Wei-chun Zhang, Xin Zhang, Wei Wu, Hong-bin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s42729-024-01981-w","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Detailed information on the spatial variability of soil aggregate-size fractions (SASF) is crucial for soil erosion modelling and agricultural production. The effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on SASF have been widely studied at the grain to small-watershed scales, but rarely studied at the regional scale. This study aimed to investigate the influence of 19 environmental factors on the spatial variability of SASF in southwestern China, where similar tillage practices were used in local tobacco fields. A total of 2238 soil samples were randomly collected from the topsoil (0–20 cm) for analysis. The random forest model was used to identify the relationship between SASF and environmental factors. Random Forest explained 43–54% of SASF variability. Total precipitation during the non-growing period (NGP) was the main factor influencing the variation of SASF, which was 2 to 3 times more important than total precipitation during the growing season (GP) and nitrogen fertilizer application, which ranked second or third, respectively. After NGP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate formation slowed down, while after GP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate fragmentation accelerated. Additionally, excessive nitrogen fertilization not only negatively affected soil aggregate formation, but also weakened the promotional effects of NGP. Overall, our regional-scale study identified the effects of precipitation and nitrogen fertilization on SASF, which might be useful for regional soil erosion modelling and climate-adapted agricultural policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17042,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01981-w","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Detailed information on the spatial variability of soil aggregate-size fractions (SASF) is crucial for soil erosion modelling and agricultural production. The effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on SASF have been widely studied at the grain to small-watershed scales, but rarely studied at the regional scale. This study aimed to investigate the influence of 19 environmental factors on the spatial variability of SASF in southwestern China, where similar tillage practices were used in local tobacco fields. A total of 2238 soil samples were randomly collected from the topsoil (0–20 cm) for analysis. The random forest model was used to identify the relationship between SASF and environmental factors. Random Forest explained 43–54% of SASF variability. Total precipitation during the non-growing period (NGP) was the main factor influencing the variation of SASF, which was 2 to 3 times more important than total precipitation during the growing season (GP) and nitrogen fertilizer application, which ranked second or third, respectively. After NGP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate formation slowed down, while after GP exceeded the threshold values, aggregate fragmentation accelerated. Additionally, excessive nitrogen fertilization not only negatively affected soil aggregate formation, but also weakened the promotional effects of NGP. Overall, our regional-scale study identified the effects of precipitation and nitrogen fertilization on SASF, which might be useful for regional soil erosion modelling and climate-adapted agricultural policies.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is an international, peer reviewed journal devoted to publishing original research findings in the areas of soil science, plant nutrition, agriculture and environmental science.
Soil sciences submissions may cover physics, chemistry, biology, microbiology, mineralogy, ecology, pedology, soil classification and amelioration.
Plant nutrition and agriculture submissions may include plant production, physiology and metabolism of plants, plant ecology, diversity and sustainability of agricultural systems, organic and inorganic fertilization in relation to their impact on yields, quality of plants and ecological systems, and agroecosystems studies.
Submissions covering soil degradation, environmental pollution, nature conservation, and environmental protection are also welcome.
The journal considers for publication original research articles, technical notes, short communication, and reviews (both voluntary and by invitation), and letters to the editor.