Different Land-Use Effects on Soil Aggregates and Aggregate-Associated Organic Carbon in Eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Land use changes modify soil properties, including aggregate structure, and thus, profoundly affect soil quality and health. However, the effects of land use changes originating from alpine grassland on soil aggregates and aggregate-associated organic carbon have received little attention. Soil aggregate fraction, aggregate-associated organic carbon and relevant influencing factors were determined at 0–20, 20–40 cm soil layers for alpine grassland, cropland and abandoned land in the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), and their relationships were analyzed by partial least square regression (PLSR). Results showed the following: (1) conversion from alpine grassland to cropland resulted in a significant decline macroaggregate fraction (R0.25), mean weight diameter (MWD), mean weight diameter (GMD), soil organic carbon (SOC), and microaggregate-associated SOC; (2) almost all aggregate stability indexes, SOC, and aggregate-associated SOCs were significantly positively correlated with silt and glomalin, suggesting that the binding of fine particles (silt) with the organic cementing agent (glomalin) was probably a key mechanism of SOC formation and aggregate stability in the studied region; (3) compared with biotic factors such as SOC, glomalin and root biomass, abiotic factors including silt and sand can better predict aggregate stability and SOC fraction using the PLSR model. The above results indicated that the conversion of alpine grassland to other land use types in high altitude areas would destroy soil structure and decrease soil organic carbon content, and then reduce soil quality.