Significance Soil organic carbon (C) stock in Chinese croplands increased by about 140 kg C ha −1 year −1 from 1980 to 2011. This soil organic C sequestration was largely due to drastic changes in management practices, such as fertilization, tillage, and residue treatments, induced by economic and policy incentives. Our analysis also indicates that excessive N inputs and inability to incorporate residue C into deeper soils will likely constrain the future C sequestration in Chinese croplands. These findings provide new insights into the causes and limitations of economics- and policy-driven soil C sequestration in China and offer some guidance for soil C management in many developing countries that are going through the similar economic and social transformations.

Economics- and policy-driven organic carbon input enhancement dominates soil organic carbon accumulation in Chinese croplands