Association of Soil Aggregation with the Distribution and Quality of Organic Carbon in Soil along an Elevation Gradient on Wuyi Mountain in China

Soil aggregation, not temperature or moisture, is the critical factor influencing carbon sequestration on Mount Wuyi. Researchers found that soil aggregation rate increased with elevation and strongly correlated with organic carbon (OC) content in bulk soil. While OC was predominantly stored in macroaggregates, particularly the coarse particulate organic matter fraction (250-2000 μm), these aggregates are highly unstable and may release SOC under warmer conditions. The study highlights the importance of soil structure in carbon storage but underscores the need for further research to assess its stability under climate change scenarios.

Li, L., Vogel, J., He, Z., Zou, X., Ruan, H., Huang, W., Wang, J., & Bianchi, T. S. (2016). Association of Soil Aggregation with the Distribution and Quality of Organic Carbon in Soil along an Elevation Gradient on Wuyi Mountain in China. Plos One, 11(3), e0150898. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150898