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Purpose <p>To evaluate whether plant litter addition improves saline-alkali soils in the Yellow River Delta, we examined how <i>Medicago sativa</i> (L-M) and <i>Sorghum dochna</i> (L-S) litter regulate soil carbon components and enzyme activities. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (i) Do soil carbon pools and enzyme activities respond synergistically? (ii) Are these effects sustained long-term?</p> Materials and methods <p>Saline soils (low/medium/high salt) with 2% litter addition (w/w) and parallel control without litter (CK) were incubated for 30 and 80 days at 25°C and 60% water-holding capacity. We measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), and four enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase). Soil composite scores (SCSs) were derived via principal component analysis. Pearson correlations linked carbon components with enzyme activities. Two-way ANOVA assessed soil type × litter interactions.</p> Results and discussion <p>At 30 days, L-M/L-S boosted DOC (149–433%), MBC (220–530%), POC (82–100%), and enzyme activities (82–100%) compared to CK, with most pronounced in low-salt soil. Positive correlations existed between DOC/MBC/POC and β-glucosidase/urease/phosphatase (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). At 80 days, labile carbon and enzymes declined 20–81%, whereas MAOC remained unchanged. SCSs rose 162–185% with litter initially but converged with CK over time. Labile carbon fueled short-term microbial activity, but effects attenuated as decomposable substrates depleted.</p> Conclusion <p>Litter addition transiently improved saline-alkali soils via stimulated enzyme activity and labile carbon accumulation. Sustained improvements require continuous organic inputs due to the effect attenuation beyond 30 days. Long-term strategies should integrate sustaining litter application with microbial management to maintain soil fertility in salt-affected ecosystems.</p>

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Plant litter addition promotes short-term improvement of saline-alkali soils through labile carbon and enzyme activities

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月7日

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  • Lirong Zhao,
  • Yuyang Kou,
  • Mengqi Zhang,
  • Ni Gao,
  • Ermao Ding,
  • Shichen Wang,
  • Kaiyang Han,
  • Yixuan Liu,
  • Minmin Qiang,
  • Huan Ma,
  • Liping Hu,
  • Jun Meng,
  • Yingge Xie,
  • Weibo Shen

摘要

Purpose

To evaluate whether plant litter addition improves saline-alkali soils in the Yellow River Delta, we examined how Medicago sativa (L-M) and Sorghum dochna (L-S) litter regulate soil carbon components and enzyme activities. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (i) Do soil carbon pools and enzyme activities respond synergistically? (ii) Are these effects sustained long-term?

Materials and methods

Saline soils (low/medium/high salt) with 2% litter addition (w/w) and parallel control without litter (CK) were incubated for 30 and 80 days at 25°C and 60% water-holding capacity. We measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), and four enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase). Soil composite scores (SCSs) were derived via principal component analysis. Pearson correlations linked carbon components with enzyme activities. Two-way ANOVA assessed soil type × litter interactions.

Results and discussion

At 30 days, L-M/L-S boosted DOC (149–433%), MBC (220–530%), POC (82–100%), and enzyme activities (82–100%) compared to CK, with most pronounced in low-salt soil. Positive correlations existed between DOC/MBC/POC and β-glucosidase/urease/phosphatase (P < 0.05). At 80 days, labile carbon and enzymes declined 20–81%, whereas MAOC remained unchanged. SCSs rose 162–185% with litter initially but converged with CK over time. Labile carbon fueled short-term microbial activity, but effects attenuated as decomposable substrates depleted.

Conclusion

Litter addition transiently improved saline-alkali soils via stimulated enzyme activity and labile carbon accumulation. Sustained improvements require continuous organic inputs due to the effect attenuation beyond 30 days. Long-term strategies should integrate sustaining litter application with microbial management to maintain soil fertility in salt-affected ecosystems.