Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Divergent responses of soil particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon to climate gradients in managed croplands of Northeast China

Wenhao Feng, Antonio Rafael Sánchez-Rodríguez, Jie Zhou, Liang Gong, Chunrong Qian, Jia Wang, Xiaolong Bai, Pengzhi Deng, Jing Wang, Yuzhou Jiang, Hongyuan Zhang, Yuyi Li

Environmental Research · 2026

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Summary

This field-based study examines how two functionally distinct soil organic carbon pools—particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon—respond differentially to climatic gradients across managed croplands in Northeast China. The findings suggest that POC and MAOC exhibit contrasting sensitivities to temperature and precipitation changes, implying variable carbon persistence and turnover rates by fraction type. The work may support development of regionally tailored soil carbon conservation and management strategies in cool temperate arable systems experiencing climatic shifts.

UK applicability

While conducted in Northeast China's cool temperate climate, the mechanistic insights into POC and MAOC responses to temperature and precipitation may have relevance for UK arable systems, particularly in characterising soil carbon dynamics under changing UK climatic conditions. However, direct applicability would require validation in UK soil types and management contexts.

Key measures

Particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration; mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentration; temperature and precipitation gradients; soil carbon persistence and turnover rates by fraction type

Outcomes reported

The study measured particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentrations and their responses to temperature and precipitation gradients across managed croplands. It characterised how these two functionally distinct soil carbon pools exhibit differential sensitivity to climatic variation.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Soil carbon & organic matter
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
China
System type
Arable cereals
DOI
10.1016/j.envres.2026.123756
Catalogue ID
SNmov0fsyd-syae9k

Topic tags

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