Dear Dr Lee and Co-authors,
Two reviewers have evaluated the manuscript very carefully and in detail and suggested several points to improve the manuscript. Thank you for taking up most of these points in your reply and a revised version. Please not that a revised version is generally only due after the paper discussion period and the editorial board decision on the paper.
Two major aspects (raised also by the reviewers) need some further attention in order to make this paper consistent and sound:
1.) The classification into agriculture and non-agriculture requires better justification. The main management driver for mineral N in soils is fertilisation. Agricultural land that does to receive fertilisation, e.g. some grazed land, may therefore behave more like non-agricultural land than like agricultural land.
2.) I agree with reviewer 2 that climate and geology are important drivers for continental scale variability in soil properties. If this study ignores these large scale drivers (primary drivers) but focusses on “proximal drivers” such as TOC and pH, the manuscript has to be revised to clarify and explain this to the reader. This refers to the whole manuscript and particular on the title and the objectives.

Please also provide more details on the actual analysis and extraction method of nitrate and ammonia that was used.

We are looking forward to a revised version of your manuscript.

Yours sincerely
Axel Don

Dear Dr Lee and Co-athors,

Thank you for uploading the revised version of your paper. It improved and is becoming almost ready to be published in SOIL.

Please clarify one issue on the non-agricultural land:
On page 4, l. 13 please add if there was (light) grazing by sheep or cattle also possible at sampling sites classified as "non-agricultural land". This might be important for the reader to follow the classification scheme.

Best regards,
Axel Don

Dear Dr Lee and co-authors,
Thank you for the last revision. The paper is now suitable for publication in SOIL.
Best regards,
Axel Don

The paper is now suitable for publication. Thank you for submitting your work to SOIL.

Kind regards,

Kristof Van Oost