Ye Yuqian, Zhang Ruiyang, Tian Dashuan, Wang Jinsong, Yu Guirui, Niu Shuli
Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Glob Chang Biol. 2025 May;31(5):e70255. doi: 10.1111/gcb.70255.
Restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, through both natural and active approaches, is critical for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, the long-term effects of these restoration approaches on soil aggregate organic carbon remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a global meta-analysis to assess the temporal effects of natural and active restoration on SOC and aggregate organic carbon, including macroaggregate (MAC), microaggregate (MIC), and silt-clay fraction (SCC) organic carbon. The overall global results showed that natural regeneration outperformed active restoration in enhancing SOC and MAC, with increases of 21% and 24%, respectively, higher than those of active restoration. Notably, the benefits of natural regeneration on SOC and MAC intensified over time, surpassing active restoration after 40 years. In different terrestrial ecosystems, natural regeneration showed greater effectiveness in late-stage SOC and MAC accumulation, with 72% and 61% higher in forests (> 40 years) and 64% and 63% higher in grasslands (> 20 years) compared to active restoration. In shrublands, late-stage (> 15 years) MIC accumulation was 62% higher under natural regeneration than under active restoration. In addition, natural regeneration enhanced SOC storage in deeper soil layers and in carbon-poor areas. These findings highlight the long-term superiority of natural regeneration for soil carbon sequestration, positioning it as a key strategy for sustainable ecosystem restoration and climate change mitigation.
通过自然和主动方式恢复陆地生态系统对于增加土壤有机碳（SOC）储量至关重要。然而，这些恢复方式对土壤团聚体有机碳的长期影响仍知之甚少。在本研究中，我们进行了一项全球荟萃分析，以评估自然恢复和主动恢复对SOC以及团聚体有机碳（包括大团聚体（MAC）、微团聚体（MIC）和粉粘粒级分（SCC）有机碳）的时间效应。全球总体结果表明，在增加SOC和MAC方面，自然恢复优于主动恢复，分别增加了21%和24%，高于主动恢复。值得注意的是，自然恢复对SOC和MAC的益处随着时间的推移而增强，40年后超过了主动恢复。在不同的陆地生态系统中，自然恢复在后期SOC和MAC积累方面表现出更大的有效性，与主动恢复相比，在森林（>40年）中分别高出72%和61%，在草原（>20年）中分别高出64%和63%。在灌丛中，自然恢复下后期（>15年）的MIC积累比主动恢复高62%。此外，自然恢复增强了深层土壤和碳贫瘠地区的SOC储量。这些发现突出了自然恢复在土壤碳固存方面的长期优势，使其成为可持续生态系统恢复和缓解气候变化的关键策略。
