Aggregate binding agents improve soil aggregate stability in Robinia pseudoacacia forests along a climatic gradient on the Loess Plateau, China

The distribution of binding agents (i.e., soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related protein (GRSP)) in aggregates was influenced by many factors, such as plant characteristics properties. However, how these factors affect aggregate stability along a climatic gradient remained unclear. We selected the Robinia pseudoacacia L. forests from semi-arid to semi-humid Loess Plateau, China analyze biomass, physical-chemical properties, SOC GRSP different sized aggregates. found that forests: (1) proportion macro-aggregates (>0.250 mm) significantly increased (P<0.05), whereas those micro-aggregates (0.250–0.053 fine materials (<0.053 decreased increased; (2) contents increased, decreased; (3) contribution greater than total easily extractable GRSP; (4) properties had influence on biomass; (5) enhanced increasing property important part during this process. Climate change is factor for structure formation because its positive effect