1.College of Geography and Environmental Science,Northwest Normal University,Lanzhou 730070,China
2.Faculty of Geographical Science,Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875,China
CHEN Lei
ZHANG Zhuodong. Effects of 70-year conversion from forest and grassland to cropland on soil properties and erodibility in black soil region of northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2026,40(2):103-113
Objective To reveal the long-term impacts of human activities on black soil quality. Methods In the Hebei small watershed, soil samples were collected at 5 cm intervals from the 0-40 cm soil layer to examine changes in soil properties after 70 years of converting forest and grassland to cropland. Basic soil physicochemical properties were measured. Results 1) After forestland was converted to cropland, the soil gravimetric water content in the 0-10 cm soil layer decreased by 44.2%, while that in the 15-40 cm layer increased by 34.4%. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, soil porosity decreased and field capacity declined by 58.4%, whereas in the 20-40 cm soil layer, soil porosity increased and field capacity rose by 23.0%. After grassland was converted to cropland, the soil gravimetric water content in the 0-40 cm soil layer showed a declining trend, with an overall reduction of 38.4%. In the 20-30 cm layer, total soil porosity increased by 8.1%, and field capacity improved by 5.5%. 2) The mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) in the 0-40 cm soil layer increased by an average of 0.76 mm and 0.48 mm, respectively. The soil structural stability index in the 0-20 cm layer decreased by an average of 6.2%, indicating a high risk of structural degradation, and increased by an average of 1.2% in the 20-40 cm soil layer. When grassland was converted to cropland, the MWD and GMD in the 15-30 cm layer increased by an average of 0.28 mm and 0.23 mm, respectively, and the risk of soil structure degradation increased in the 0-40 cm soil layer. 3) After forestland was converted to cropland, the soil organic matter (SOM) mass fraction in the 0-20 cm soil layer decreased by an average of 3.21 g/kg, while the soil erodibility increased by 0.000 9 (t·hm2·h)/(MJ·mm) on average. In contrast, the 20-40 cm soil layer exhibited an average increase in SOM mass fraction of 0.94 g/kg, accompanied by an average reduction in soil erodibility of 0.000 3 (t·hm2·h)/(MJ·mm). After grassland was converted to cropland, the SOM mass fraction in the 0-40 cm soil layer decreased by 1.28 g/kg on average, leading to an average increase in soil erodibility of 0.000 8 (t·hm2·h)/(MJ·mm). 4) Following the conversion of forest and grassland to cropland, the correlations among soil texture, structural stability index, SOM, and soil erodibility K-factor were enhanced. Overall, the correlations between soil properties and soil erodibility indicators weakened. Conclusion This study provides a scientific basis for research on farmland soil degradation and soil erosion in the black soil region.
ZHANG Zhuodong. Effects of 70-year conversion from forest and grassland to cropland on soil properties and erodibility in black soil region of northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2026,40(2):103-113
"}, bioImg=null, bioContent=
ZHANG Zhuodong. Effects of 70-year conversion from forest and grassland to cropland on soil properties and erodibility in black soil region of northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2026,40(2):103-113
CHENL, ZHANGK L, LIY T. Spatial variability of soil physicochemical properties under different land uses impacted by erosion on karst hillslopes in Southwest China[J].Earth Surface Processes and Landforms,2024,49(7):2245-2259.
GUOM M, WANGW L, KANGH L, et al. Effect of natural vegetation restoration age on slope soil anti-scourability in gully region of Loess Plateau[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2018,34(22):138-146.
ZHAOW, HUANGL M. Stoichiometric characteristics and influencing factors of soil nutrients under different land use types in an alpine mountain region[J].Acta Ecologica Sinica,2022,42(11):4415-4427.
[6]
JIANGW, SHUZ G, LVY H, et al. Quantifying impacts of climate and land use changes on ecosystem services from statistic perspective[J].Ecological Indicators,2025,172:e113285.
JIAP L, FENGH Y, LIM. Soil microbial diversity of black soil under different land use patterns in northeast China[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2020,36(20):171-178.
[9]
HAGHIGHIF, GORJIM, SHORAFAM. A study of the effects of land use changes on soil physical properties and organic matter[J].Land Degradation and Development,2010,21(5):496-502.
[10]
LIT C, SHAOM A, JIAY H. Application of X-ray tomography to quantify macropore characteristics of loess soil under two perennial plants[J].European Journal of Soil Science,2016,67(3):266-275.
[11]
MURTYD, KIRSCHBAUMM U F, MCMURTRIER E, et al. Does conversion of forest to agricultural land change soil carbon and nitrogen? A review of the literature[J].Global Change Biology,2002,8(2):105-123.
[12]
WILLSS A, WILLIAMSC O, DUNIWAYM C, et al. Human land-use and soil change[M]// The Soils of the USA. Cham.: Springer International Publishing,2017:351-371.
[13]
HAMZAM A, ANDERSONW K. Soil compaction in cropping systems A review of the nature, causes and possible solutions[J].Soil and Tillage Research,2005,82(2):121-145.
[14]
HORNR, MORDHORSTA, FLEIGEH, et al. Soil type and land use effects on tensorial properties of saturated hydraulic conductivity in northern Germany[J].European Journal of Soil Science,2020,71(2):179-189.
GUOM J, LIJ Y, LIJ Y, et al. Changes of soil structure and function after 16-year conservation tillage in black soil[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2021,37(22):108-118.
WANGJ K, WANGT Y, ZHANGX D, et al. An approach to the changes of black soil quality (I): Changes of the indices of black soil with the year(s) of reclamation[J].Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University,2002,33(1):43-47.
LIP, LANGM. Effect of cultivation on gross and net N transformation rates in black soil relative to duration[J].Acta Pedologica Sinica,2020,57(1):165-173.
ZHANGG H, YANGY, LIUY N, et al. Advances and prospects of soil erosion research in the black soil region of northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2022,36(2):1-12.
[23]
LIUH H, ZHANGT Y, LIUB Y, et al. Effects of gully erosion and gully filling on soil depth and crop production in the black soil region, northeast China[J].Environmental Earth Sciences,2013,68(6):1723-1732.
FANH M, CAIQ G, CHENG, et al. Comparative study of the soil erosion and control in the three major black soil regions in the world[J].Journal of Natural Resources,2005,20(3):387-393.
YUW T, SHENS M, ZHANGL, et al. Relationships between water-stable aggregates and nutrient status in black soil after reclamation[J].Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology,2004,15(12):2287-2291.
LIUK Y, YANGJ, JIANGS N, et al. Evaluation of differences in soil quality of Populus simonii of different stand ages in typical black soil areas based on a minimum data set[J].Acta Ecologica Sinica,2024,44(9):3623-3635.
[30]
WANGG P, KEQ H, ZHANGK L, et al. Responses of freeze-thaw process and hydrothermal variations within soil profiles to the cultivation of forest and grassland in northeast China[J].Soil and Tillage Research,2023,228:e105653.
[31]
MAQ H, ZHANGK L, JABROJ D, et al. Freeze–thaw cycles effects on soil physical properties under different degraded conditions in northeast China[J].Environmental Earth Sciences,2019,78(10):e321.
[32]
LIG Y, FANH M. Effect of freeze-thaw on water stability of aggregates in a black soil of northeast China[J].Pedosphere,2014,24(2):285-290.
[33]
WILLIAMSJ R, ARNOLDJ G. A system of erosion: Sediment yield models[J].Soil Technology,1997,11(1):43-55.
[34]
ZHANGK L, SHUA P, XUX L, et al. Soil erodibility and its estimation for agricultural soils in China[J].Journal of Arid Environments,2008,72(6):1002-1011.
[35]
PIEREC J M G. Fertility of soils. A future for farming in the west African savannah[M].Berlin: Springer,1992:348.
[36]
CHENL, LIY T, ZHANGZ D. Impact of land use type and slope position on the erodibility of karst hillslopes in southwest China[J].Catena,2023,233:e107498.
[37]
WANGX, QIJ Y, ZHANGX Z, et al. Effects of tillage and residue management on soil aggregates and associated carbon storage in a double paddy cropping system[J].Soil and Tillage Research,2019,194:e104339.
[38]
TEJADAM, GONZALEZJ L. Influence of two organic amendments on the soil physical properties, soil losses, sediments and runoff water quality[J].Geoderma,2008,145(3/4):325-334.
[39]
LIH Q, YAOY F, ZHANGX J, et al. Changes in soil physical and hydraulic properties following the conversion of forest to cropland in the black soil region of northeast China[J].Catena,2021,198:e104986.
[40]
NOELLEMEYERE, FRANKF, ALVAREZC, et al. Carbon contents and aggregation related to soil physical and biological properties under a land-use sequence in the semiarid region of central Argentina[J].Soil and Tillage Research,2008,99(2):179-190.
[41]
POSTW M, KWONK C. Soil carbon sequestration and land-use change: Processes and potential[J].Global Change Biology,2000,6(3):317-327.
LIH Q. Study on spatial variation of soil quality and its influencing factors in small eroded watershed in mollisols region of northeast China[D].Yangling, Shaanxi: Northwest A&F University,2021.
[44]
ZHAOB H, LIZ B, LIP, et al. Spatial distribution of soil organic carbon and its influencing factors under the condition of ecological construction in a hilly-gully watershed of the Loess Plateau, China[J].Geoderma,2017,296:10-17.
[45]
LIH Q, LIAOX L, ZHUH S, et al. Soil physical and hydraulic properties under different land uses in the black soil region of northeast China[J].Canadian Journal of Soil Science,2019,99(4):406-419.
YUJ B, LIUJ S, WANGJ D, et al. Organic carbon variation law of black soil during different tillage period[J].Journal of Soil Water Conservation,2004,18(1):27-30.