Effect of Reclaiming Duration and Land Usage on Organic Carbon and Phosphorus in Coastal Saline Soils in Eastern Zhejiang Province

【Objective】 Reclaiming the saline coastal soils in eastern China is crucial for ensuring food security. Given the significance of soil carbon in soil quality, this paper investigates the change in soil organic carbon and phosphorus in the soil following initiation of reclamation. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in the northern regions of Hangzhou Bay and Yueqing Bay in eastern Zhejiang province. Soil samples were collected from vegetable fields, orchards, and paddy fields to measure their organic carbon, phosphorus, and other soil properties, from which we analyzed the relationship between soil organic carbon, phosphorus composition, reclamation duration, and land usage. A non-reclaimed soil was taken as the control. 【Result】 As reclamation time elapsed, soil pH decreased while total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (TOP), and available phosphorus increased. Fifty years of reclamation led to a reduction in soil pH in Hangzhou Bay and Yueqing Bay by 1.72 to 2.36 and 1.14 to 2.24, respectively. This