Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (3): 258-272.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2018.0299

Special Issue: 生态化学计量

• Research Articles • Previous Articles    

Characteristics of soil enzymes stoichiometry in rhizosphere of understory vegetation in subtropical forest plantations

GAO Yu-Qiu1,2,DAI Xiao-Qin1,2,3,*(),WANG Jian-Lei1,FU Xiao-Li1,2,3,KOU Liang1,2,3,WANG Hui-Min1,2,3,4   

  1. 1 Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    2 College of Resource and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
    3 Zhongke-Ji’an Institute of Eco-Environmental Sciences, Ji’an, Jiangxi 343000, China;
    4 Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Processes and Information, Taihe, Jiangxi 343725, China
  • Received:2018-11-30 Revised:2019-03-07 Online:2019-03-20 Published:2019-04-23
  • Contact: DAI Xiao-Qin
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31730014);The National Key R&D Program of China(2016YFD0600202)

Abstract:

Aims The objective was to explore the stoichiometry of rhizosphere soil enzymes under major understory vegetation and their responses to plantation types and seasons.


Methods Rhizosphere soils of understory shrubs (Loropetalum chinense, Adinandra millettii and Eurya muricata) and herbs (Woodwardia japonica and Dryopteris atrata) were sampled in the early growth stage (April) and the vigorous growth stage (July) in Cunninghamia lanceolata, Pinus massoniana and Pinus elliottii plantations at Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Taihe, Jiangxi. Potential activities of β-1,4-glucosidase (BG, carbon (C) acquiring enzyme), β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG, nitrogen (N) acquiring enzyme) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP, N-acquiring enzyme), acid phosphatase (AP, phosphorus (P) acquiring enzyme) and their stoichiometric ratios were measured. Soil physical and chemical properties were also analyzed.


Important findings The results found that (1) rhizosphere soil extracellular enzyme activities associated with C and N acquisition and BG:AP (enzyme C:P) were significantly different among understory species, but P acquisition were not. Both forest stand types and sampling seasons influenced BG:(NAG+LAP) (enzyme C:N). Interactions of understory species, forest stand types and seasons observably affected enzyme C:P. Principal component analysis showed that rhizosphere soil enzyme activities and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry differed significantly among different understory species (Loropetalum chinense was obviously different from Eurya muricata, and both of them were evidently different from other understory species), forest stand types (Cunninghamia lanceolata was different from Pinus massoniana and Pinus elliottii plantations) and sampling seasons. Soil NO3 --N, NH4 +-N, DOC content and C:N were the main edaphic abiotic factors influencing the rhizosphere soil enzyme activities and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry. (2) Standardized major axis analysis showed that there were significantly linear relationship among lg(BG), lg(NAG+LAP) and lg(AP) of rhizosphere soils of understory species. lgBG:lg(NAG+LAP):lgAP(enzyme C:N:P) was approximately 1:1:1.3. Rhizosphere soil enzyme C:P and (NAG+LAP):AP (enzyme N:P) of understory species were 0.14 and 0.15, respectively. The regression slopes of lg(BG), lg(NAG+LAP) and lg(AP) deviated significantly from 1 because AP activities were much higher than BG activities and NAG+LAP activities. This study found that rhizosphere soil enzyme activities and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry were affected by understory species, forest stand types and sampling seasons in which substrate availability played an important role. Compared with C- and N-acquiring enzymes, microorganisms allocated more resources to the production of P-acquiring enzymes, which implied that the growth and activity of soil microorganisms were much more limited by P in rhizosphere soil of understory vegetation in subtropical plantations.

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Key words: plantation, soil extracellular enzyme, ecological stoichiometry, red soils