Changes in soil carbon sequestration and soil respiration following afforestation on paddy fields in north subtropical China

Aims Although many studies have reported net gains of soil organic carbon (SOC) after afforestation on croplands, this is uncertain for Chinese paddy rice croplands. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of afforestation of paddy rice croplands on SOC sequestration and soil respiration (Rs). Such knowledge would improve our understanding of the effectiveness of various land use options on greenhouse gas mitigation in China. Methods