Background  Soil carbon (C) pool is regulated by water erosion on slope or watershed scale. Water erosion is a major driver to C redistribution over terrestrial landscapes and export into aquatic systems. Due to the vital function of soil organic carbon (SOC) in sustainable social and environmental development, SOC migration and its loss accompanied by soil erosion (especially water erosion) have attracted continuous and global attentions. At present, the study of soil C dynamics under water erosion mainly focused on the migration driven by surface runoff and sediment. However, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) migration driven by interflow remains largely unknown. For some well-developed interflow soils, DOC migration is not only an important way of soil C loss, but also can affect the water environment and human health.

Methods  In this study, the research progresses of DOC migration and its main driving forces driven by interflow in typical ecosystems were reviewed, based on a brief summary of the overall dynamics of SOC under water erosion.

Results  1) DOC migration fluxes have been well documented in the world. Foreign studies focused on the loss of DOC in forest ecosystems and grassland ecosystems. The DOC migration fluxes in some agricultural ecosystems were bigger than that in natural ecosystems, which needs more attention. 2) Recently, the study of DOC migration driven by interflow has gradually increased in China, including some agricultural ecosystems in different erosion type areas, such as northeast black soil area, Sichuan purple soil area, Southwest karst area and southern red soil area. Especially the DOC migration driven by interflow in slope land in purple soil area has attracted more attentions. Many studies showed that the vertical migration of DOC accounted for a large proportion in the total SOC loss in sloping land of purple soil. 3) Rainfall was the main natural factor for DOC migration, including rainfall and rainfall intensity. Rainfall was the decisive factor for DOC migration flux; however DOC migration concentration was closely related to rainfall intensity. 4) For agricultural ecosystems, the effects of fertilization and cultivation on DOC migration have also attracted many attentions. Generally, the application of fertilizer, especially the organic fertilizer could increase DOC migration flux.

Conclusions  The main research directions in this field in the future are suggested, including research contents (DOC redistribution and its influencing factors in soil profile and synchronous monitoring of DOC and dissolved organic nitrogen), research objects (sloping cropland in red soil regions) and research methods (in-situ observation under natural rainfall).