Effects of Soil Mulching on Soil Organic Carbon and Enzyme Activities

doi:10.11923/j.issn.2095-4050.cjas2025-0025

Abstract

Abstract:

As an important agricultural measure for soil warming and moisture retention, the long-term application of plastic film mulching has drawn much attention for its impact on soil quality. This study took the uncovered area, open-field mulched area and greenhouse mulched area in Xi’an as research objects, and systematically analyzed the regulatory effects of different mulching patterns on soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic matter (DOM) and enzyme activities. The results showed that (1) mulching significantly increased the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents in the surface soil (0-20 cm), with the greatest increase observed in the mulched greenhouse plots. (2) All mulching treatments significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) content, especially in the topsoil layer (0-10 cm). (3) The distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed spatial differences. In the 0-10 cm soil layer, the DOC content in the open-field mulched plots was lower than that in the non-mulched plots, while in the greenhouse mulched plots, the DOC content was higher than that in the non-mulched plots. In the soil layer of 10 to 30 cm, the DOC content in both mulched soils was higher than that in the non-mulched treatment. (4) Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that mulching enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the humification component (V region) in DOM, especially in the soil layer of 10 to 20 cm, which had a positive effect on soil humification. (5) Enzyme activity analysis showed that both mulching treatments stimulated the activity of soil β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and greenhouse mulching also increased the activity of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG). The results of this study reveal the effects of the film mulching technology on SOC, DOM and enzyme activity, providing a theoretical basis for the rational use of plastic films and offering technological support for a deeper understanding of the migration and transformation of SOC, DOM and enzyme activity under the influence of film mulching.

Key words: soil mulching, organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic matter, enzyme activity

CLC Number:

X171生态系统与污染生态学

XUE Runyu, ZHAO Kegang, SUN Shengxue, ZHANG Qingwen, LI Mengni, LIU Guocheng. Effects of Soil Mulching on Soil Organic Carbon and Enzyme Activities[J]. Journal of Agriculture, 2026, 16(5): 61-70.

Figures/Tables 9

References 30

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