Effects of restoration approaches on forest soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry in eastern Northeast China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2023.0234

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Soil ecological stoichiometry is an important indicator of soil fertility and plant nutrient status. Investigating impacts of restoration approaches on forest soil ecological stoichiometry characteristics provides a theoretical foundation and data support for accurately assessing responses of the ecosystem material cycling processes to disturbance and restoration efforts.
Methods This study compared the forest soil stoichiometry from two forest restoration approaches, i.e., artificial (RG) and natural regenerations (TR) that included three coniferous or broadleaf mixed stands and four deciduous broadleaf stands, respectively, in eastern Northeast China. The carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of both soil by horizons, litterfall and litter were determined, as well as the soil properties such as pH and bulk density.
Important findings The results showed that soil C, N, and P contents decreased with the soil depth in the RG and TR. The soil C, N and P contents of the O (organic) horizon varied from 53.78 to 90.59 g·kg^-1, 5.02 to 7.83 g·kg^-1, and 0.75 to 0.91 g·kg^-1in all the stands, respectively. The soil C and N contents of the RG were significantly lower than those of the TR in the O horizon, while the soil C, N and P contents of the RG were higher than those of the TR in the A (humus) and B (illuvial) horizons. The soil C density of the O horizon in the RG was significantly lower than that in the TR. The C:N, C:P, and N:P varied from 10.08 to 12.53, 43.97 to 135.52, and 4.56 to 11.64 in all the stands, respectively. The C:N of the O horizon had no significant difference between RG and TR, but the C:P and N:P of the O and A horizons in the RG were significantly lower than those in the TR. There was a significant positive correlation between C and N contents in all soil horizons (R² ranged from 0.40 to 0.76). Except for C:N, restoration approaches, soil horizons and their interaction had significant effects on the content, density and stoichiometry of C, N and P in soil. Soil bulk density and litterfall C content significantly affected soil C, N and P contents. These findings suggest that increasing the proportion of coniferous species by reforestation reduced the content of C and N in the topsoil, which decreased the carbon sequestration accordingly. However, restoration approaches had no significant effect on the C:N, featuring a relatively stable carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry.

Key words: C:N:P, ecological stoichiometry, forest restoration, nutrient cycling, soil carbon sequestration

WANG Yan, ZHANG Quan-Zhi, WANG Chuan-Kuan, GUO Wan-Gui, LIN Jia-Wei. Effects of restoration approaches on forest soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry in eastern Northeast China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2024, 48(7): 943-954.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2023.0234

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2024/V48/I7/943

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 Site conditions and stand characteristics of forest types under different restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China (mean ± SE, n = 3)

恢复方式 Restoration approach	林分类型 Forest stand	坡位 Location	坡度 Slope (°)	林龄 Stand age (a)	林分密度 Stand density (trees·hm^-2)	胸高断面积 Basal area at breast height (m²·hm^-2)	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	树种组成 Overstory composition
人工恢复 Artificial restoration	红松林 Pinus koraiensis plantation	中坡位 Mid-slope	12	56	1 989 ± 123	47.34 ± 0.32	16.22 ± 0.32	7PK 3BP
	落叶松林 Larix gmelinii plantation	下坡位 Toe-slope	3	64	739 ± 224	32.93 ± 4.09	20.30 ± 1.28	9LG 1UP
	水曲柳-落叶松混交林 Fraxinus mandshurica - Larix gmelinii mixed plantation	中坡位 Mid-slope	12	57	1 711 ± 58	38.08 ± 2.74	14.00 ± 0.54	6LG 3FM 1UP
天然恢复 Natural restoration	硬阔叶林 Hardwood stand	下坡位 Toe-slope	7	67	1 300 ± 562	35.12 ± 1.58	13.62 ± 0.82	6FM 2JM 1QM 1UP + AM + PA
	杨桦林 Aspen-birch stand	中坡位 Mid-slope	16	72	1 478 ± 42	32.16 ± 3.81	13.47 ± 0.63	5PD 1FM 1TA 1AM 1QM 1BP + JM + PA
	杂木林 Mixed deciduous stand	中坡位 Mid-slope	14	72	1 722 ± 302	35.61 ± 1.45	12.76 ± 0.60	2JM 2PD 1PA 1TA 1AM 1QM 1UP 1BP
	蒙古栎林 Quercus mongolica stand	上坡位 Upper slope	23	73	1 678 ± 82	37.43 ± 1.13	13.83 ± 0.72	10QM + TA + UP

Table 2 Basic properties of the forest soil under two restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China

土壤发生层 Soil horizon	恢复方式 Restoration approach	土壤厚度 Soil thickness (cm)	土壤密度 Soil bulk density (g·cm^-3)
O	RG	7.49 ± 0.33	0.73 ± 0.02^***
O	TR	7.83 ± 0.32	0.59 ± 0.02^***
A	RG	20.70 ± 0.58	0.95 ± 0.02
A	TR	21.17 ± 0.43	0.96 ± 0.02
B	RG	25.86 ± 0.96	1.14 ± 0.03^***
B	TR	25.58 ± 0.51	1.31 ± 0.02^***

Fig. 1 Comparisons of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in forest soil between the two restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China. RG, artificial restoration; TR, natural restoration. A, humus horizon; B, illuvial horizon; O, organic horizon. The scatter plot shows the distribution of C, N and P contents in different soil depths. Different lowercase letters stand for significant difference among the soil horizon of the same restoration approaches (p < 0.05). **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; ns, p > 0.05.

Fig. 2 Differences in forest soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) density between the two restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China. RG, artificial restoration; TR, natural restoration. A, humus horizon; B, illuvial horizon; O, organic horizon. Different lowercase letters stand for significant difference among the soil horizon of the same restoration approaches (p < 0.05). **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; ns, p > 0.05.

Fig. 3 Differences in soil carbon (C):nitrogen (N), C:phosphorus (P) and N:P between the two restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China. RG, artificial restoration; TR, natural restoration. A, humus horizon; B, illuvial horizon; O, organic horizon. Different lowercase letters stand for significant difference among the soil horizon of the same restoration approaches (p < 0.05). *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; ns, p > 0.05.

Fig. 4 Correlation analysis of carbon (C)-nitrogen (N), C-phosphorus (P), and N-P contents by soil horizon between the two restoration approaches in eastern Northeast China. RG, artificial restoration; TR, natural restoration. A-C, soil O (organic) horizon. D-F, soil A (humus) horizon. G-I, soil B (illuvial) horizon.

Table 3 ANOVA of the effects of restoration approaches and soil horizon on forest soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in eastern Northeast China

指标 Indicator	处理方式 Treatment	自由度 df	均方误差 MSE	F	p
碳含量 C content	FT	1	977	12.95	***
	SL	2	27 282	316.38	***
	FT × SL	2	3 151	41.74	***
氮含量 N content	FT	1	2.73	6.18	*
	SL	2	197.78	448.03	***
	FT × SL	2	21.94	49.70	***
磷含量 P content	FT	1	0.67	36.25	***
	SL	2	1.75	94.28	***
	FT × SL	2	0.06	3.14	*
碳密度 C density	FT	1	619	5.06	*
	SL	2	3 261	26.69	***
	FT × SL	2	1 385	11.34	***
氮密度 N density	FT	1	12.74	16.67	***
	SL	2	45.31	59.26	***
	FT × SL	2	8.05	10.53	***
磷密度 P density	FT	1	2.74	40.57	***
	SL	2	4.41	65.35	***
	FT × SL	2	0.24	3.58	*
C:N	FT	1	12.48	2.81	ns
	SL	2	5.58	1.26	ns
	FT × SL	2	7.60	1.71	ns
C:P	FT	1	20 436	30.17	***
	SL	2	13 560	20.02	***
	FT × SL	2	7 522	11.10	***
N:P	FT	1	165.66	24.34	***
	SL	2	59.72	8.77	***
	FT × SL	2	27.33	4.02	*

Fig. 5 Redundancy analysis (RDA) of the influencing factors of the soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content. DC, litterfall C content; DN, litterfall N content; DP, litterfall P content; KC, litter C content; KN, litter N content; KP, litter P content; pH, soil pH; RZ, soil bulk density; SW, soil moisture; TC, soil C content; TN, soil N content; TP, soil P content.

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