Description: Purpose   Global climate change (GCC), especially global warming, has affected the material cycling (e.g., carbon, nutrients, and organic chemicals) and the energy flows of terrestrial ecosystems. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were regarded as anthropogenic organic carbon (OC) source, and be coupled with the natural carbon (C) and nutrient biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems. The objective of this work was to review the current literature and explore potential coupling processes and mechanisms between POPs and biogeochemical cycles of C and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems induced by global warming. Results and discussion   Global warming has caused many physical, chemical, and biological changes in terrestrial ecosystems. POPs environmental fate in these ecosystems is controlled mainly by temperature and biogeochemical processes. Global warming may accelerate the re-emissions and redistribution of POPs among environmental compartments via soil–air exchange. Soil–air exchange is a key process controlling the fate and transportation of POPs and terrestrial ecosystem C at regional and global scales. Soil respiration is one of the largest terrestrial C flux induced by microbe and plant metabolism, which can affect POPs biotransformation in terrestrial ecosystems. Carbon flow through food web structure also may have important consequences for the biomagnification of POPs in the ecosystems and further lead to biodiversity loss induced by climate change and POPs pollution stress. Moreover, the integrated techniques and biological adaptation strategy help to fully explore the coupling mechanisms, functioning and trends of POPs and C and nutrient biogeochemical cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Conclusions and perspectives   There is increasing evidence that the environmental fate of POPs has been linked with biogeochemical cycles of C and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems under GCC. However, the relationships between POPs and the biogeochemical cycles of C and nutrients are still not well understood. Further study is needed to explore the coupling mechanisms of POP environmental fate and C biogeochemical cycle by using the integrated techniques under GCC scenario and develop biological and ecological management strategies to mitigate GCC and environmental stressors. Content Type Journal Article Category SOILS, SEC 3 • REMEDIATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED OR DEGRADED LANDS • REVIEW ARTICLE Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s11368-011-0462-0 Authors Ying Teng, Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 People’s Republic of China Zhihong Xu, Environmental Futures Centre and School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia Yongming Luo, Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 People’s Republic of China Frédérique Reverchon, Environmental Futures Centre and School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia Journal Journal of Soils and Sediments Online ISSN 1614-7480 Print ISSN 1439-0108

Description: Purpose   Managing declining nutrient use efficiency in crop production has been a global priority to maintain high agricultural productivity with finite non-renewable nutrient resources, in particular phosphorus (P). Rapid spectroscopic methods increase measurement density of soil nutrients and improve the accuracy of rates of additional P inputs. Materials and methods   Soil P was measured by a multi-element energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopic (XRFS) method to estimate the spatial distribution of soil total (XRFS-P) and bioavailable P in a Fluvisol occurring on a 20-ha contiguous area comprised of seven elongated field strips under a wheat–maize rotation near the Quzhou Agricultural Experiment Station in the North China Plain. Results and discussion   Soil XRFS-P was highly variable along the length of the field strips and across the entire area after decades of continuous cultivation. A linear relationship existed between XRFS-P and bicarbonate-extractable P or Mehlich 3-extractable P, allowing a description of the spatial distribution of bioavailable P based on XRFS, in both directions of a two-dimensional grid covering the entire area ( p  〈 0.05). Distinct management zones were identified for more precise placement of additional P. Conclusions   Direct element-specific analysis and a high sample throughput make XRFS an indispensable component of a new approach to sustainably manage P, and other macronutrients of low atomic number Z such as K, Ca, or Cl in production fields, based on their site-specific variations in the soil. Concerning P, this rapid precision approach provides a promising avenue to manage soil P as a regionalized variable while preventing zones of deficiency or surplus P that can affect plant productivity or potential loss from a field, respectively. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s11368-011-0347-2 Authors Thanh H. Dao, USDA-ARS Environmental Management and ByProducts Utilization Laboratory, BARC-East Bldg. 306, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA Yuxin X. Miao, College of Resources and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Fusuo S. Zhang, College of Resources and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Journal Journal of Soils and Sediments Online ISSN 1614-7480 Print ISSN 1439-0108

Description: Purpose   The sensitivity of soil organic carbon to global change drivers, according to the depth profile, is receiving increasing attention because of its importance in the global carbon cycle and its potential feedback to climate change. A better knowledge of the vertical distribution of SOC and its controlling factors—the aim of this study—will help scientists predict the consequences of global change. Materials and methods   The study area was the Murcia Province (S.E. Spain) under semiarid Mediterranean conditions. The database used consists of 312 soil profiles collected in a systematic grid, each 12 km 2 covering a total area of 11,004 km 2 . Statistical analysis to study the relationships between SOC concentration and control factors in different soil use scenarios was conducted at fixed depths of 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–100 cm. Results and discussion   SOC concentration in the top 40 cm ranged between 6.1 and 31.5 g kg −1 , with significant differences according to land use, soil type and lithology, while below this depth, no differences were observed (SOC concentration 2.1–6.8 g kg −1 ). The ANOVA showed that land use was the most important factor controlling SOC concentration in the 0–40 cm depth. Significant differences were found in the relative importance of environmental and textural factors according to land use and soil depth. In forestland, mean annual precipitation and texture were the main predictors of SOC, while in cropland and shrubland, the main predictors were mean annual temperature and lithology. Total SOC stored in the top 1 m in the region was about 79 Tg with a low mean density of 7.18 kg Cm −3 . The vertical distribution of SOC was shallower in forestland and deeper in cropland. A reduction in rainfall would lead to SOC decrease in forestland and shrubland, and an increase of mean annual temperature would adversely affect SOC in croplands and shrubland. With increasing depth, the relative importance of climatic factors decreases and texture becomes more important in controlling SOC in all land uses. Conclusions   Due to climate change, impacts will be much greater in surface SOC, the strategies for C sequestration should be focused on subsoil sequestration, which was hindered in forestland due to bedrock limitations to soil depth. In these conditions, sequestration in cropland through appropriate management practices is recommended. Content Type Journal Article Category SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • RESEARCH ARTICLE Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s11368-012-0617-7 Authors Juan Albaladejo, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Roque Ortiz, Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Soil Science Department, Murcia University, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Noelia Garcia-Franco, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Antonio Ruiz Navarro, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Maria Almagro, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Javier Garcia Pintado, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Maria Martínez-Mena, Soil and Water Conservation Department, CEBAS-CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Journal Journal of Soils and Sediments Online ISSN 1614-7480 Print ISSN 1439-0108