Differences in fertilization impacts on organic carbon content and stability in a paddy and an upland soil in subtropical China

Aims The stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) is of great importance in controlling long-term carbon (C) sequestration and feedbacks of soil C pools to climate change. It has been well documented that rice cropping and organic amendments could enhance SOC stocks, while the stability of the sequestered C has not been well understood yet. The objective of this study was to examine the difference in SOC content and stability between a paddy and an upland field under long-term fertilization and to explore the potential link between SOC chemical and biological stability.