Biophysical properties as determinants for soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in grassland salinization

Grassland salinization causes considerable changes to soil and vegetation, which can lead to changes in soil organic carbon (C) and total nitrogen (N). These changes have complex causal relationships. A significant correlation between soil organic C and total N and any soil or vegetation property does not necessarily imply a significant direct effect of the property on soil organic C and total N. In this study, a field survey was conducted to investigate the changes in soil organic C and total N in grassland along a salinity gradient in Hexi corridor, China, and the direct and indirect effects of soil and vegetation properties on both stocks were quantified using a path analysis approach. Significant decrease in soil organic C and total N contents were observed with increasing salinity. Both had significant positive correlations with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), soil water, and fine particles (silt+clay) content (p