Manganese reduction regulates soil organic carbon loss from an acidified Cambisol

Soil acidification has occurred and accelerated in Jiaodong Peninsula, China, causing serious problems, such as manganese (Mn) toxicity and soil organic carbon (SOC) losses. However, the relationships between SOC and soil Mn are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the changes of Mn fractions and SOC under soaking conditions and the acidification‐induced positive coupled relationship between them. A sequential extraction for Mn species after acid soaking of a Cambisol was conducted, and the soil (pre‐ and post‐soaking) was characterised by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that acidification of a Cambisol (from pH 6.48 to pH 2.79) induced SOC losses (15.8% of initial SOC). Meanwhile, lower mobile or immobile Mn (especially oxide‐Mn) significantly decreased, accompanied by an increase in readily soluble Mn. It was further shown that the amount of decrease in free Mn reached 268.7 mg kg−1, accounting for 93.8% of the total loss of soil Mn, indicating that the reductive dissolution of amorphous Mn (III/IV) oxides is the dominant reaction in acidified Cambisols. This result was also supported by XRD and SEM. Correlation analysis showed that under soil acidification, the reductive dissolution of amorphous Mn (III/IV) oxides drove losses of both SOC and soil Mn. Therefore, a possible reaction mechanism was proposed: at neutral and alkaline pH, immobile complexes of Mn (III/IV) and particulate organic carbon (POC) formed; and, at acidic pH, readily mobile complexes of Mn (II) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) formed. Our research suggested that Mn‐organic carbon complexes regulated the transport, transformation, and leaching of soil Mn and SOC, and future research should focus on the soil acidification‐driven Mn reduction‐carbon oxidation processes.