IMPACT4SOIL OpenAire Datacite UnpayWall DOAJ Crossref Microsoft Academic Graph Environmental Research Letters Open Access 2019-05-30 Abstract <p>With continuous nitrogen (N) enrichment and sulfur (S) deposition, soil acidification has accelerated and become a global environmental issue. However, a full understanding of the general pattern of ecosystem belowground processes in response to soil acidification due to the impacting factors remains elusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of soil acidification impacts on belowground functions using 304 observations from 49 independent studies, mainly including soil cations, soil nutrient, respiration, root and microbial biomass. Our results show that acid addition significantly reduced soil pH by 0.24 on average, with less pH decrease in forest than non-forest ecosystems. The response ratio of soil pH was positively correlated with site precipitation and temperature, but negatively with initial soil pH. Soil base cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+) decreased while non-base cations (Al3+, Fe3+) increased with soil acidification. Soil respiration, fine root biomass, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were significantly reduced by 14.7%, 19.1%, 9.6% and 12.1%, respectively, under acid addition. These indicate that soil carbon processes are sensitive to soil acidification. Overall, our meta-analysis suggests a strong negative impact of soil acidification on belowground functions, with the potential to suppress soil carbon emission. It also arouses our attention to the toxic effects of soil ions on terrestrial ecosystems.</p> Biomass (ecology) Organic chemistry Soil pH soil respiration Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering Agricultural and Biological Sciences Engineering Terrestrial ecosystem Soil water Climate change GE1-350 TD1-1066 Ecology Physics Soil Water Retention Ocean acidification Q Life Sciences Soil respiration 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Soil carbon 6. Clean water Chemistry Physical Sciences Environmental chemistry soil cations microbes Mechanics and Transport in Unsaturated Soils Nitrogen Science QC1-999 Materials Science Soil Science Thermal Effects on Soil Environmental science Biomaterials soil pH acid deposition Soil Carbon Sequestration Biology Soil acidification Ecosystem Civil and Structural Engineering Applications of Clay Nanotubes in Various Fields Soil science Soil organic matter Soil Fertility 15. Life on land Soil biodiversity Agronomy meta-analysis Environmental sciences Soil Hydraulic Properties 13. Climate action FOS: Biological sciences Bulk soil 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries Soil Carbon Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems Nutrient Hui Zeng, Shuli Niu, Zhaolei Li, Dashuan Tian, Chuixiang Yi, Cheng Meng, Cheng Meng, 2019-07-01 journalpaper Abstract <p>With continuous nitrogen (N) enrichment and sulfur (S) deposition, soil acidification has accelerated and become a global environmental issue. However, a full understanding of the general pattern of ecosystem belowground processes in response to soil acidification due to the impacting factors remains elusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of soil acidification impacts on belowground functions using 304 observations from 49 independent studies, mainly including soil cations, soil nutrient, respiration, root and microbial biomass. Our results show that acid addition significantly reduced soil pH by 0.24 on average, with less pH decrease in forest than non-forest ecosystems. The response ratio of soil pH was positively correlated with site precipitation and temperature, but negatively with initial soil pH. Soil base cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+) decreased while non-base cations (Al3+, Fe3+) increased with soil acidification. Soil respiration, fine root biomass, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were significantly reduced by 14.7%, 19.1%, 9.6% and 12.1%, respectively, under acid addition. These indicate that soil carbon processes are sensitive to soil acidification. Overall, our meta-analysis suggests a strong negative impact of soil acidification on belowground functions, with the potential to suppress soil carbon emission. It also arouses our attention to the toxic effects of soil ions on terrestrial ecosystems.</p> Global soil acidification impacts on belowground processes 10.1088/1748-9326/ab239c https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab239c