Degradation of Black Soil Quality and Strategies of Prevention

Control in Northeast Plain, China

Chunwei Song, Weiyi Lu and Huishi Du

College of Tourism and Geographical Sciences, Jilin Normal University, Siping, Jilin, China

Keywords: Black soil in Northeast of China, Black soil layer, Soil organic matter, Quality deterioration

Abstract: The black soil of northeast China is one of the most fertile but short-cultivated soil types globally. Currently,

black soil-related research has attracted immense interest in soil geography research. This paper compares the

degradation characteristics of the black soil quality in northeast China, analyzes the formation mechanism,

and proposes a strategy to restore the black soil quality, an important scientific reference for national food

security. The black soils in northeast China mainly cover the Liaohe, Songnen, and Sanjiang Plains. The soils

have high fertility, but the natural environment and human activities have degraded them after reclamation.

The degraded soils have low organic matter, low nutrient contents, damaged soil structure and deteriorated

physical properties. The degradation of black soil quality in northeast China can be divided into natural and

human factors. The natural factors include climatic aspects, topographic, and soil conditions, while human

factors include over-cultivation, predatory management, poor farming systems and planting structure, and

urbanization. Strategies for preventing and controlling black soil quality degradation include improved

agricultural development planning, changing traditional management methods, and strengthening the

monitoring and research on black soil degradation.

1 INTRODUCTION

Black soils are soft with a deep humus layer and rich

organic matter content on the top layer (Han and Li,

2018). In this paper, black soil refers to dark soil in

the black soil area with various soil types, including

black soil, black calcareous soil, dark brown soil,

brown soil, white pulp soil, meadow soil, and rice soil

in the soil system classification. The northeastern

plains of China, the plains of Ukraine, the Great

Plains of the United States where the Mississippi

River Basin is located, and the Pampas of South

America constitute the "four major black soil

distribution areas in the world". The black soil of

northeast China covers the low mountains, hills, and

plains of several provinces, including Heilongjiang

(Hulunbeier, Xing'an, Tongliao, and Chifeng cities),

Jilin, Liaoning, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous

Region (Li et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2021). The black

soil area in China is a critical grain-producing zone

and a strategic food reserve (Liu and Ma, 2000; Yao

et al., 2020). The development of the black soil area

in northeast China started mid-16th century when the

Qing government set up post stations and station

troops in the Songnun Plain for military supplies and

later farming. For over 200 years, beginning early

19th century, large-scale reclamation involved

natural, semi-artificial, and artificial ecosystems

(Tao, 1983; Wang et al., 2002). However, human

intervention changed these ecosystems from fishing,

hunting, and nomadic agricultural to shifting

agriculture, deforestation, grassland reclamation, and

sedentary agricultural production. The recent

predatory management has decreased the black soil

resource quantity and quality, making soil

degradation a major constraint to sustainable socio-

economic development in the black soil region (Yang

and Han, 2009; Wang et al., 2021). The overuse of

black soil caused soil erosion, depleting organic

matter, promoting further degradation, and

exacerbating a vicious cycle of degradation (Li et al.,

2021).

Currently, black soils have restricted potential for

food production, endangering the "big granary"

construction in northeast China and threatening food

security in China. In order to improve the quality of

black land cultivated land in Northeast China and

protect the sustainable use of black land resources,

local governments have also built local black land

protection laws and regulations, such as the Outline

128

Song, C., Lu, W. and Du, H.

Degradation of Black Soil Quality and Strategies of Prevention Control in Northeast Plain, China.

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Water Resource and Environment (WRE 2021), pages 128-133

ISBN: 978-989-758-560-9; ISSN: 1755-1315

of the Northeast Black Land Protection Plan (2017-

2030). Therefore, there is an urgent need to evaluate

the causes and mechanisms of black soil quality

degradation in northeast China. This study can not

only provide theoretical basis for the formulation of

black soil protection policies, but also provide

scientific guidance for the sustainable use and

management of black soil.

2 DISTRIBUTION OF BLACK

SOIL IN NORTHEAST CHINA

The black soil of northeast China comprises the

Liaohe, Songnen and Sanjiang Plains (38°43′N to

53°33′N, 115°31′E to 135°05′E and 115°31′E ～

135°05′E), measuring 1,600 km from east to west and

1,400 km from north to south (Figure 1). The area has

an arc-shaped distribution from north to south,

dominated by plains, diffuse and low hills (Institute

of Forest soil, 1980). The climate is temperate

continental monsoon with wet summers and dry, cold

winters with 2.9°C, annual average temperature.

Precipitation occurs from June to September,

accounting for 60 to 70% of the total annual

precipitation. The natural vegetation is deciduous

broad-leaved forest, mixed deciduous broad-leaved

and coniferous forest, coniferous forest, and grassland

spanning southeast to northwest. The soil types are

mainly composed of black soil, chernozem and

meadow soil. The central and eastern regions are

mainly black soil, and the western regions are mainly

chernozem and meadow soil. The area of black soil is

about 1.03 million km². The administrative area

includes the four eastern leagues of Inner Mongolia

Autonomous Region (Chifeng, Tongliao, Hulunbeier,

and Xing'an), Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang

Provinces, with a land area of 1.244 million km² (Liu

and Zhang, 2006).

The Northeast black soil area is important for

commercial grain production in China, with 3.6×10

of arable land, accounting for a quarter of the

acreage and producing a quarter of the grains for the

country. Commercial grain accounts for a quarter of

the grain for the country. The Northeast region has a

cold climate with a short land reclamation period.

Black or dark black humus is prevalent on the surface

of the soil. Although the natural soil is relatively

fertile, the black soil has undergone rotational fallow,

low-intensity utilization (by humans and animals) and

high-intensity utilization (by mechanization after

reclamation), lowering the natural fertility of the

black soil yearly. The nutrient reduction and soil

erosion sharply decreased organic matter in the soil

layer, thinned the cultivation layer, and thickened the

plough bottom, deteriorating the physical and

biological properties of the black soil.

Figure 1: Distribution of black soil in Northeast China.

3 CURRENT STATUS OF BLACK

SOIL QUALITY

DEGRADATION IN

NORTHEAST CHINA

3.1 Declining Soil Organic Matter

Crop stubble is an energy source for many farmers

using the traditional tillage systems. For many years

now, <5% of the crop stubble is returned to the field.

In most black soil areas, root stubble is the only

source of organic matter. However, root stubble only

replenishes about 1000 kg/hm

of soil organic matter,

far below the mineralization rate of soil organic

matter. Therefore, conventional tillage accelerates

soil organic matter depletion. During the 3 to 5 years

after the reclamation of black soil, the organic matter

of cultivated soil decreased rapidly. Long-term

monitoring data of dark brown soil showed that

Degradation of Black Soil Quality and Strategies of Prevention Control in Northeast Plain, China

129

conventional cropping (fertilizer application only)

decreased the soil organic matter in the cultivated

layer by 8.00% (between 34 a and 0.23% a

-1

) (Kang

et al., 2016). The reduced soil organic matter content

and quality and long-term nutrient content deficit

caused a continuous decline in soil quality.

3.2 Soil Nutrient Loss

Soil erosion depletes cultivated land, reduces soil

nutrients, causing soil infertility. Soil erosion also

thins the black soil layer, decreasing the fertilizer

performance and water retention. In the sloping land

reclaimed for 60~70 years, the thickness of the black

soil layer was reduced by half. The black soil area

losses 2 x 108m

of soil annually. The lost nitrogen,

phosphorus, and potassium nutrients account for 5 x

10t of chemical fertilizer. Although soil is a

renewable resource, soil regeneration capacity is

limited (Whitbread et al., 2000). Therefore, human

predatory management and intense cropping with

little or no soil nutrients replenishment destabilize the

soil nutrient balance.

3.3 Damage to the Soil Structure

The deep humus layer of black soil guarantees good

structure and configuration, yet over 80% of the soil

structure and configuration in the black soil area are

destroyed (Zouet al., 2018). Unreasonable tillage

compacts the soil and forms a layer of plow-bottom

barrier that obstructs nutrient transport and water

supply. The humus layer of natural black soil is

generally 30 ~ 70cm thick and >100cm deep (Qiu et

al., 2020). And soil water erosion and wind erosion

keep stripping the humus layer of black soil.

However, years of cultivation, soil, and wind erosion

thinned the black soil layer into a shallow strip. Wind

erosion exposed the coarse soil texture leading to the

sanding of the black soil layer.

3.4 Deterioration of the Physical

Properties of the Soil

Thinning of the black soil humus layer decreases the

humus content and deteriorates the physical and

chemical properties of the soil. Deterioration of soil

physical properties causes compaction, which

weakens the water and fertilizer retention, reducing

resistance to droughts and floods in the black soil area

(Fan et al., 2018). The deterioration of physical

properties has weakened water and fertilizer

retention, reduced resistance to drought and flooding,

increased soil consolidation and deteriorated arable

properties. Such deteriorated soils have poor nutrient

adsorption and transformation, affecting nutrient

uptake by plant roots and ultimately affecting the

fertilizer utilization rate (Hesung and Li, 1978).

Consequently, the chemical nitrogen fertilizer

utilization rate in the northeast China black soil area

is a mere 30%. Yet, the Great Plains black soil area of

the United States has a 50~60% utilization rate of

nitrogen fertilizer.

4 DISCUSSION

4.1 Natural Factors of Black Soil

Quality Degradation

4.1.1 Climatic Factors

The black soil area belongs to the north temperate

semi-humid continental monsoon climate, with

500mm average annual precipitation. However,

70%~80% of the rainfall is concentrated in June

through September (Wang et al., 2010). Water

erosion mainly occurs in this season as the rains fall

with high intensity, easily producing surface runoff

and soil erosion. In spring, the black soil area receives

little rain and much wind (Fan et al., 2004). The thin

black soil cover in spring and wind erosion hazard

increases drought yearly.

4.1.2 Topographic Conditions

The topography of black soil areas is mainly high

plains and terraces that rise in the middle of the

neotectonics (Sun et al., 1997). They include

undulating mangoes with relatively open topography

and undulating terrain with 3 to 10° slopes 500 to

4,000m long and wide. The slope ridges have masses

that increase the catchment area so that the surface

runoff moves speedily and the scouring force on the

soil aggravates soil erosion (An et al., 2014).

4.1.3 Soil Conditions

Black soil comprises Quaternary loess-like clay

deposits with a loose surface layer, clayey and heavy

subsoil with low permeability and weak erosion

resistance, which easily causes soil erosion and

salinization (Zhang, 2010a). For example, the

Quaternary geological environment in western Jilin is

the soil-forming parent material, and young volcanic

rocks are widely distributed in the surrounding

Daxinganling, Xiaoxinganling, and Changbai

Mountains. The weathering of aluminous silicate

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igneous rocks form bicarbonates of calcium,

magnesium, potassium, and sodium, which dissolve

in the surface and underground runoff and

subsequently pool in the plains or low-lying areas

(Zhai and Xu, 2011). These bicarbonates transform

into carbonate precipitates, and the remaining

potassium and sodium bicarbonates become labile

carbonates (Gao et al., 2020).

4.2 Anthropogenic Factors of Black

Soil Quality Degradation

4.2.1 Over-cultivation and Predatory

Management

The degradation of black soil results from excessive

reclamation, predatory management, and overuse

rather than cultivation (Han and Zou, 2018). The

continued population growth and economic

development have dramatically increased food

demands and inspired the "food as the platform"

notion. The increased food demands are

inappropriately alleviated by deforestation, land

clearing, and single-mode food production methods

leading to blind arable land expansion and the vicious

circle of "population-arable land-grain"(Yu and

Zhang, 2004). These destructive production methods

of extensive planting, thin harvesting, farming

downhill, predatory management, heavy use than

nourishment, and monoculture have continuously

caused soil nutrient loss and decline in quality in the

black soil areas (Li et al., 2005).

4.2.2 Tillage Systems and Cropping

Structures

The decentralization of land management, which

happened 20 years ago, has led to land fragmentation,

reduced use of large agricultural machinery and

technology, and shallow land depth (Yu et al., 2004).

The plow bottom layer moved upwards, deteriorating

the soil physical properties and decreasing the water

storage capacity (Liang et al., 2016). The situation is

worsened by the poor planting structure, which solely

pursues food quantity and encourages planting

excessive proportions of specific crops, heavy

stubble, which further reduces the tilled area.

4.2.3 Urban Expansion

The rapid developmental reform in the Chinese

economy has profoundly impacted land use patterns.

The urbanization rate has developed the black soil

area of northeast China to the industrial and

agricultural area in northeast China (Han et al., 2005).

However, unreasonable land use patterns during the

expansion of cities and towns have encroached on

many black soils and aggravated the soil pollution

problem in the black soil area. The expansion of rural

construction has also illegally encroached on a large

amount of black land, further aggravating the

problem.

5 STRATEGIES FOR

PREVENTION AND

CONTROLLING THE

DEGRADATION OF BLACK

SOIL QUALITY

5.1 Improve Agricultural Development

Planning

The black land is divided into agricultural economic

protection zones, which are further divided into

quality classes (Lu, 2001). The policies of agricultural

economic protection zones strictly control the

occupation of agricultural land for commercial land

uses, prohibiting the illegal occupation of basic

farmland and guaranteeing the unchanged total

amount of basic farmland, quality, and nature.

Relevant departments lead the unified planning of

planting, animal husbandry, forestry, and water

conservancy constructions that vigorously develop

extension-type intensive and advanced technologies

to allow land rotation and cultivation(Zhang, et al.,

2005).

5.2 Changing the Traditional Way of

Management

Practical application of organic fertilizers and crop

straw return to the fields are methods used to curb the

irrational utilization of farming technology,

development, and farmland construction (Zhang,

2010b). The basic goal is to cultivate good seeds,

discover new varieties suitable for crop rotation, and

readjust regional crop rotation systems to prevent

pollutants and harmful chemicals from entering the

arable land.

5.3 Strengthening Monitoring Research

on Black Soil Degradation

The "3S" technology, satellite remote sensing, and

GIS positioning establish the geographic information

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131

database of soil erosion and its impact (Zou et al.,

2020). The GIS data, combined with field

observations and model calculations, monitor the

dynamic changes of arable land to establish a digital

model of soil degradation and soil fertility. The

purpose is to monitor the ecological environment,

spatial and temporal evolution laws and trends in the

black soil area. The data will be collected to establish

a digital model of soil degradation and soil fertility

(Zhang et al, 2009).

6 CONCLUSIONS

The main reason for the decline in the black soil

quality is traditional farming methods that emphasize

planting rather than nurturing. More planting lowers

the natural production capacity of the land, forcing

farmers to rely on large amounts of chemical

fertilizers to maintain food production. The capital

investment in chemical fertilizers accounts for over

50% of the overall production investment, but the

benefit of increased fertilizer application is declining

annually. Urban and rural construction and

development have taken up a large amount of high-

quality arable land. Low and medium-yielding land is

the main reserve arable land resource for agricultural

production to maintain arable land. However, the

arable land area remains unchanged, but the quality

has declined, and more investments are required,

increasing the production costs.

More efforts are needed to improve farmland

production conditions to reduce the input costs of

agricultural production materials, especially chemical

fertilizers, and improve the quality and efficiency of

agricultural products in the black soil area of northeast

China. To simultaneously solve the food security

problem, systems must advance from "store grain in

the treasury" to the concept of "store grain in the soil".

The strategic thinking of grain production requires

adjustment to focus on soil protection and the

construction of soil function, attention shift from the

production of grain reserves to the production

capacity of grain reserves to realize the sustainable

development of grain production in China.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by Natural Science

Foundation of Jilin Province (NO.20210101398JC).

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