Silicon fertiliser application increases the terrestrial ecosystem carbon pool at the global scale
Yifei Chen,
Dongmei He,
Hangsheng Wu,
Yuru Li,
Peiyao Li,
Haifeng Huang,
Xiaoli Liao,
Qingyan Qiu,
Jianliang Liu,
Yanjie Liu,
Yalin Hu,
Shuijing Zhai,
Xinhou Zhang,
Dexiang Zheng,
Shaofei Jin
Affiliations
Yifei Chen
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Dongmei He
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Hangsheng Wu
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Yuru Li
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Peiyao Li
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Haifeng Huang
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Xiaoli Liao
Department of Geography, Geography and Ocean College, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Qingyan Qiu
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Jianliang Liu
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
Yanjie Liu
Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
Yalin Hu
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Shuijing Zhai
School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
Xinhou Zhang
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Ecological Construction, School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
Dexiang Zheng
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Shaofei Jin
Department of Geography, Geography and Ocean College, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Geography, Geography and Ocean College, Minjiang University, No. 200 Xiyuangong Road, Minhou District, Fuzhou 350108, China.
Silicon fertilisers are widely utilised to achieve higher productivity in global terrestrial ecosystems, but their impact on the carbon cycle remains unclear. In this study, we used a meta-analysis approach to quantify the response of carbon pools and fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide to the application of silicon fertiliser while also investigating the factors influencing this response. The findings indicated that silicon fertiliser application led to significant increases in various carbon components: plant aboveground carbon increased by 22.9%, plant belowground carbon increased by 17.3%, litter carbon increased by 8.3%, and the SOC content increased by 8.6%. Furthermore, the net photosynthetic rate of plants was significantly enhanced by 28.1% through the application of silicon fertiliser, along with a notable increase of 36.9% in the net primary productivity of ecosystems, which exhibited a strong correlation with alterations in ecosystem carbon pools. A considerable reduction of 29.6% in soil CH4 emissions was observed, whereas the influence of silicon fertiliser on the litter decomposition rate and net soil CO2 emissions was not statistically significant. Moreover, fertilisation (such as vegetation and soil types), climatic conditions, and silicon fertiliser application techniques have been found to affect the responses of carbon pools and fluxes to silicon fertiliser application. Finally, a potential mechanism by which silicon fertilisation can affect plant growth, litterfall, soil organic carbon stability, and soil carbon emissions directly and indirectly by changing the available silicon and soil pH is proposed to explain the positive effects of silicon fertiliser application on terrestrial ecosystem carbon pools. This effect may change owing to the influence of fertilisation technology, fertilisation, climate, and other factors.
