Main affecting factors of soil carbon mineralization in lake wetland

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of some main factors, temperature, moisture condition, and organic matter input on soil organic carbon mineralization based on the method of an incubation experiment carried out at Hongze Lake wetland in Jiangsu province of China. The result showed that mineralization rate dynamics of soil organic carbon conformed to the logarithmic equation. Temperature increase could accelerate mineralization rate and cumulative mineralization amount of soil organic carbon in the wetland soils, and improving flooded soils most sharply. Flooding could boost mineralization rate and the cumulative mineralization amount of soil organic carbon, but inhibit decomposition of organic matter. Organic matter input increased the mineralization rate and cumulative mineralization amount of soil organic carbon in the treated soils, which was mainly due to enhanced activity of soil microorganisms caused by organic matter input. Our results indicated that soil carbon mineralization was a relatively complicated process influenced by various environmental factors. Thus, it is necessary to conduct further studies on the mathod through which other environmental factors affect soil carbon mineralization in order to understand their role in soil carbon emissions of wetland ecosystems.