Soil aggregates indirectly influence litter carbon storage and release through soil pH in the highly alkaline soils of north China

摘要

BackgroundSoil aggregate-size classes, structural units of soil, are the important factors regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover. However, the processes of litter C mineralization and storage in different aggregates-size classes are poorly understood, especially in the highly alkaline soils of north China. Here, we ask how four different aggregate sizes influence rates of C release (Cr) and SOC storage (Cs) in response to three types of plant litter added to an un-grazed natural grassland.