Effects of Severe Wind Erosion on SOC Pools Under Different Long‐Term Land Use Types on Arid Sandy Soil

Land use type is the key factor affecting wind erosion and organic carbon level. However, the independent contribution of wind erosion to soil organic carbon (SOC) change and the combined effects of land use and wind erosion on SOC are still unclear. In this study, the relationship between land use and wind erosion, as well as their effects on organic carbon, was studied by using radionuclide tracer and spectral techniques in grassland, woodland and farmland in the western Songnen Plain. The results showed that the land use type had a significant influence on the wind erosion rate, and the wind erosion rates of grassland, woodland and farmland were 74.06, 124.98, 226.98 t·ha −1 ·yr. −1 , respectively. The SOC in 0–10 cm was the highest in grassland (26.63 g·kg −1 ), followed by woodland (17.73 g·kg −1 ), and the lowest in farmland (7.46 g·kg −1 ). Wind erosion significantly reduces the stability of SOC. Variance partitioning analysis (VPA) showed that 0–10 cm surface SOC was mainly influenced by the independent contribution of wind erosion (10.39%) and the combined effect of wind erosion, land use and soil properties (60.56%). SOC content in the 10–40 cm deep layer was mainly affected by land use (41.58%) and soil properties (53.48%). According to the partial least squares path model (PLS–PM), the effect of wind erosion on SOC is direct (−0.24*), while the effect of land use type on SOC is indirect. These results indicated that maintaining grassland cover and implementing windbreaks in agricultural areas could effectively mitigate SOC loss. The quantified wind erosion–SOC relationships provide concrete targets for land management policies in arid regions, particularly for carbon sequestration initiatives and wind erosion prevention and control.