Responses of soil labile organic carbon stocks and the carbon pool management index to different vegetation restoration types in the Danxia landform region of southwest China

Vegetation restoration significantly enhances soil organic carbon (SOC) and its labile fractions, with bamboo forest (BF) and evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF) showing the highest carbon sequestration potential in the Danxia landform region of southwest China. These vegetation types exhibited higher total SOC stocks (92.75 t ha⁻¹ for BF and 60.13 t ha⁻¹ for EBF) compared to other restoration types, along with elevated dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass organic carbon (MBC), and easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC). The study also found that the carbon pool management index (CPMI) increased by 49.7% in BF and 32.9% in EBF compared to shrub (SH), indicating superior carbon storage efficiency. SOC and its fractions were closely linked to soil physicochemical properties, with total nitrogen, phosphorus, and moisture playing a crucial role. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate vegetation types for ecological restoration to maximize carbon sequestration and improve soil quality.

Xiao, Y., Zhang, Y., Long, J., Luo, K., & Huang, Z. (2025). Responses of soil labile organic carbon stocks and the carbon pool management index to different vegetation restoration types in the Danxia landform region of southwest China. Plos One, 20(2), e0318195. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318195