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Dryad

A meta-analysis reveals increases in soil organic carbon following the restoration and recovery of croplands in Southwest China

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Dec 04, 2023 version files 21.04 KB

Abstract

In China, the Grain for Green Program (GGP) is an ambitious project to convert croplands into natural vegetation, but exactly how changes in vegetation translate into changes in soil organic carbon remains less clear. Here we conducted a meta-analysis using 734 observations to explore the effects of land recovery on the soil organic carbon and nutrients in 4 provinces in Southwest China. Following GGP, the soil organic carbon content (SOCc) and soil organic carbon storage (SOCs) increased by 33.73% and 22.39%, respectively. Likewise, soil nitrogen increased, while phosphorus decreased. Outcomes were heterogeneous, however, depending on variation in soil and environmental characteristics. Both the regional land use and cover change indicated by landscape type transfer matrix and net primary production from 2000 to 2020 further confirmed that GGP promoted the forest area (2.95%) and regional mean net primary production (52.94%). Our findings suggest that GGP could enhance soil and vegetation carbon sequestration in Southwest China and help to develop carbon neutral strategy.