Variation of δ13C in karst soil in Yaji Karst Experiment Site, Guilin

This study deals with δ₁₃ C variation in karst soil system of Yaji Karst Experiment Site, Guilin, a typical region of humid subtropical karst formations. Samples of near ground air, plant tissue, soil and water (soil solution and karst spring) were respectively collected on site in different seasons during 1996–1999. Considerable variation of δ₁₃ C values are not only found with different carbon pools of soil organic carbon, soil air CO₂ and soil water HCO₃⁻, but also with the soil depths and with different seasons during a year. The °₁₃ C values of CO₂ both of near ground air and soil air are lower in July than those in April by 1‰–4‰ PDB. Our results indicate that the δ₁₃ C values of carbon in the water and air are essentially dependent on interface carbon interaction of air-plant—soil-rock—water governed by soil organic carbon and soil CO₂ in the system.