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Layered structure significantly inhibits CO2 transfer through the depositional profile: as simulated by well-mixed vs. interlaid soil columns

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Abstract

Depositional profiles often feature sorted layers with stratified porosity and water retention, but the vertical partitioning of CO2 production and transfer remain unclear. In this study, fine soil and coarse sand were refilled to form three layering patterns: Layer-Mix (soil and sand well-mixed), Layer-Thin (8 thin layers interlaid), and Layer-Thick (4 thick layers interlaid). Three doses of 13C-labelled glucose were respectively added to the top, middle, and bottom. The results show that the Layer-Thin and Layer-Thick cumulatively released 62% and 67% less CO2 than the Layer-Mix. The 13C-CO2 contributed 14.1~60.3% to the total CO2 released from the Layer-Mix, but was only responsible for 7.3~48.8% of that from the Layer-Thin and 7.0~37.0% of that from the Layer-Thick. The peaks of δ13C-CO2 of the two interlaid columns were lowered and lagged by 1~2 days, but the δ13C residue remaining in the soil were on average 3~6‰ more negative than that of the Layer-Mix. The 13C-CO2 contributed more to the total CO2 when the glucose was added at the top, but the δ13C-soil was 3‰ more negative when added at the bottom. Overall, the lagged outgassing and lower share of 13C-CO2 from the two interlaid columns did not match with the more negative 13C residue remaining in the soil. Such inconsistency collectively highlights that the interlaid layers did not inhibit the decomposition of 13C-labelled glucose (i.e., potentially abundant CO2 produced), but the low diffusivity of the fine layers significantly impeded CO2 transfer through the heterogeneously structured soil profile.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available as co-authors did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XAB2020YN03) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42207408 and 52279049).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Lab of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming On the Loess Plateau, College of Soil & Water Conservation Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 26, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Yaxian Hu, Hui Zhang, Lanlan Du & Xiaorong Wei

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yaxian Hu & Hui Zhang

  3. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Xianwen Li

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  1. Yaxian Hu
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  2. Hui Zhang
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Correspondence to Yaxian Hu or Xiaorong Wei.

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Hu, Y., Zhang, H., Du, L. et al. Layered structure significantly inhibits CO2 transfer through the depositional profile: as simulated by well-mixed vs. interlaid soil columns. Biogeochemistry 166, 39–53 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-023-01086-z

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