[Characteristics of soil organic carbon mineralization at different temperatures in paddy soils under long-term...

Dynamics of soil organic carbon mineralization affected by long-term fertilizations and temperature in relation to different soil carbon fractions were investigated in paddy soils. Soil samples were collected from the plough layer of 3 long-term national experimental sites in Xinhua, Ningxiang and Taojiang counties of Hunan Province. Mineralization of soil organic C was estimated by 33-day aerobic incubation at different temperatures of 10, 20 and 30 degrees C. The results showed that the rates of CO2 production were higher during the earlier phase (0-13 d) in all treatments, and then decreased according to a logarithm function. Higher incubation temperature strengthened C mineralization in the different treatments. The quantities of cumulative CO2 production in NPK with manure or straw treatments were greater than in inorganic fertilizers treatments. The Q10 values in the different soil treatments ranged from 1.01-1.53. There were significantly positive correlations between the Q10 values and soil total organic carbon (TOC), easy oxidation organic carbon (EOOC), humic acid carbon (C(HA)), fulvic acid carbon (CFA). The cumulative amount of mineralized C was significantly positively correlated with microbial biomass carbon (MBC) at 10 and 20 degrees C, but not significantly at 30 degrees C. Significant correlations were found between the cumulative amount of mineralized C and different soil carbon fractions and C(HA)/C(FA). The correlations of differ- ent soil carbon fractions with the ratio of cumulative mineralized C to TOC were negatively correlated at 10 degrees C, but not significantly at 20 and 30 degrees C. These results suggested that the application of NPK with manure or straw would be helpful to increase the sequestration of C in paddy soils and reduce its contribution of CO2 release in the atmosphere.