Soil functions and ecosystem services research in the Chinese karst Critical Zone

Sophie M. Green, Jennifer A.J. Dungait, Chenglong Tu, Heather Buss, Nicole Sanderson, Simon J Hawkes, Kaixiong Xing, Fujun Yue, Victoria Hussey, Jian Peng, Penny Johnes, Timothy Barrows, Iain P. Hartley, Xianwei Song, Zihan Jiang, Jeroen Meersmans, Xinyu Zhang, Jing Tian, Xiuchen Wu, Hongyan LiuZhaoliang Song, Richard Evershed, Yang Gao, Timothy Quine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

121 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Covering extensive parts of China, karst is a critically important landscape that has experienced rapid and intensive land use change and associated ecosystem degradation within only the last 50 years. In the natural state, key ecosystem services delivered by these landscapes include regulation of the hydrological cycle, nutrient cycling and supply, carbon storage in soils and biomass, nutrient cycling, biodiversity and food production. Intensification of agriculture since the late-20th century has led to a rapid deterioration in Critical Zone (CZ) state, evidenced by reduced crop production and rapid loss of soil. In many areas, an ecological ‘tipping point’ appears to have been passed as basement rock is exposed and ‘rocky desertification’ dominates. This paper reviews contemporary research of soil processes and ecosystems service delivery in Chinese karst ecosystems, with an emphasis on soil degradation and the potential for ecosystem recovery through sustainable management. It is clear that currently there is limited understanding of the geological, hydrological and ecological processes that control soil functions in these landscapes, which is critical for developing management strategies to optimise ecosystem service delivery. This knowledge gap presents a classic CZ scientific challenge because an integrated multidisciplinary approach is essential to quantify the responses of soils in the Chinese karst CZ to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, to develop a mechanistic understanding of their resilience to environmental stressors, and thereby to inform strategies to recover and maintain sustainable soil function.

Keywords: karst, critical zone, China, soil processes, soil degradation, ecosystem services
Original languageEnglish
Article number119107
Number of pages55
JournalChemical Geology
Volume527
Early online date21 Mar 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2019

Keywords

  • karst
  • critical zone
  • China
  • soil processes
  • soil degradation
  • ecosystem services

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