ABSTRACT
Forest type and stand age are important biological factors affecting soil enzyme activities. However, the changes in soil enzyme activities across stand ages and underlying mechanisms under the two forest restoration strate-gies of plantations and natural secondary forests remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the variations of four soil enzyme activities including cello-biohydrolase (CBH), ß-1,4-glucosidase (ßG), acid phosphatase (AP) and ß-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), which were closely associated with soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling, across Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations and natural secondary forests (5, 8, 21, 27 and 40 years old). The results showed that soil enzyme activities showed different patterns across different forest types. The acti-vities of AP, ßG and CBH in the C. lanceolata plantations were significantly higher than those in the natural secon-dary forests, and there was no significant difference in the NAG activity. In the plantations, AP activity showed a decreasing tendency with the increasing stand ages, with the AP activity in the 5-year-old plantations significantly higher than other stand ages by more than 62.3%. The activities of NAG and CBH decreased first and then increased, and ßG enzyme activity fluctuated with the increasing stand age. In the natural secondary forests, NAG enzyme activity fluctuated with the increasing stand age, with that in the 8-year-old and 27-year-old stand ages being significantly higher than the other stand ages by more than 14.9%. ßG and CBH enzyme activities increased first and then decreased, and no significant difference was observed in the AP activity. Results of the stepwise regression analyses showed that soil predictors explained more than 34% of the variation in the best-fitting models predicting soil enzyme activities in the C. lanceolata plantations and natural secondary forests. In conclusion, there would be a risk of soil fertility degradation C. lanceolata plantations with the increasing stand age, while natural secondary forests were more conducive to maintaining soil fertility.
Subject(s)
Cunninghamia , Humans , Adult , Child, Preschool , Child , Soil , Forests , Nitrogen/analysis , Phosphorus/analysis , Carbon/analysis , Soil Microbiology , ChinaABSTRACT
We examined the relationship between tree functional traits and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies across 29 species in 3-year-old pure plantations in subtropical China. The results showed that the average nitrogen (NRE) and phosphorus (PRE) resorption efficiencies in 29 young plantations were 50.5% and 57.3%, respectively. The average NRE of 22 arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species was 52.7%, significantly higher than that of the seven ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species (45.1%). NRE was positively correlated with fine root tissue density across the 29 tree species. PRE was positively correlated with root diameter in the seven EM tree species. Functional traits of 22 AM tree species were not associated with NRE and PRE. Among all of the 29 tree species, mycorrhizal type, specific leaf area, fine root tissue density, leaf thickness, and the interaction effects of mycorrhizal type with leaf thickness explained 27% variation in NRE. Specific root length, fine root carbon content, fine root carbon to nitrogen ratio, mycorrhizal type, leaf carbon content, and the interaction effects of mycorrhizal type with leaf carbon content explained 35% variation in PRE. Root functional trait of subtropical species could predict nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies. The model with multiple functional traits could better reveal the relative importance of different biological factors on nutrient resorption efficiency.
Subject(s)
Mycorrhizae , Trees , Nitrogen , Phosphorus , Soil , CarbonABSTRACT
We investigated soil C:N:P stoichiometry and nutrient dynamics of Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations at different stand ages (5, 8, 21, 27 and 40 years old) in Fujian Baisha Fores-try Farm. We measured the concentrations of soil total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), total calcium (Ca), total magnesium (Mg), and soil C:N:P stoichiometry at 0-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm soil layers during different growth stages. The results showed that soil TC and TN concentrations and C:N remained unchanged during stand development. Soil TP content showed an increase-decrease-increase trend with increasing stand ages. Soil TP content was lowest, whereas C:P and N:P were highest at the mature stage of C. lanceolate plantation in the 0-10 and 10-20 cm soil layers. However, soil TP content showed no significant differences in all stand ages at the 20-40 cm soil layer. The contents of Ca and Mg were lowest at the mature stage of C. lanceolata stand. The TC was positively correlated with soil C:N, C:P and N:P. The TP was significantly and negatively correlated with soil C:P and N:P. Soil TP was a key factor regulating soil C:P and N:P stoichiometry. The development of mature plantation was mainly limited by soil P availability. To sustain the development of C. lanceolata plantations and improve nutrient cycling, phosphorus fertilizer could be applied during the rapid growth period of C. lanceolata. In addition, an appropriate extension of the rotation period of C. lanceolata plantation could facilitate soil nutrient restoration.
Subject(s)
Cunninghamia , Nitrogen/analysis , Nutrients , Phosphorus , SoilABSTRACT
Phosphorus (P) limitation is one of the major issues for the management of subtropical plantations. Understanding the effects of tree species transition from conifer to broadleaved trees on soil P fraction and availability in different soil layers are of great significance for the sustainable development of subtropical forests. We compared changes in soil chemical properties, P fraction and availability across 0-100 cm soil profile between Mytilaria laosensis and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations, which were initially reforested from C. lanceolata plantation in the spring of 1993. The results showed that soil organic P content in both plantations decreased significantly with soil depth. Compared with C. lanceolata, the M. laosensis plantation significantly increased soil available P content by 35.7% and 86.2% in the 0-10 and 10-20 cm, respectively. The contents of soil labile P and moderately labile P decreased significantly with soil depth in both plantations. The contents of labile P and moderately labile P were significantly higher in the surface soil (0-20 cm), while the non-labile P in the 80-100 cm was increased by 13.6%, and the free iron content in the 20-80 cm significantly decreased. Results of redundancy analysis showed that dissolved organic carbon and free iron were the most important factors influencing P fraction in those plantations. Tree species transition from C. lanceolata to M. laosensis could change the pattern of soil P fraction in soil profile, and greatly enhance soil P availability.
Subject(s)
Cunninghamia , Carbon , China , Forests , Nitrogen , Phosphorus , Soil , TreesABSTRACT
We studied water use efficiency (WUEi), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) status of leaves at different leaf ages (current year, 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old foliage) as well as their relationships in a subtropical chronosequence of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) forests (3-, 8-, 14-, 21- and 46-year-old). The results showed that foliar WUEi varied significantly with foliar age in the order of current year foliage > 1-year-old foliage > 2-year-old foliage > 3-year-old foliage, while stand age had no significant impact on foliar WUEi. Foliar N/P ranged from 11.4 to 19.6 and was higher in younger and older stands than in stands at the fast-growing stage. The foliar N and P concentrations tended to display similar trends with foliar ages in the order of current year foliage>1-year-old foliage>2-year-old foliage>3-year-old foliage. WUEi did not change significantly with stand ages, probably because the photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance decreased simultaneously with stand age. There was no relationship between WUEi and foliar N. WUEi had significant positive correlation with foliar P and significant negative correlation with foliar N/P. It is indicated that foliar P concentration would be a key factor affecting WUEi with increasing atmospheric N deposition in subtropical forests.