Relationships between soil carbon pool and vegetation carbon return through succession of evergreen broad-leaved forests in Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00084

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Increasing sequestration of soil organic carbon with forest succession plays a significant role in reducing global warming. However, the relationship between structure of soil carbon pools and vegetation carbon inputs is still uncertain. Our objective was to examine how structure of the soil carbon pool changes with vegetation carbon return through litterfall, forest floor and fine roots during secondary succession in evergreen broad-leaved forests.
Methods The study site is located in Tiantong National Forest Park (29°52′ N, 121°39′ E), Zhejiang Province, in Eastern China. Three successional stages (i.e., early, middle and late stages) were selected to examine contents and stocks for carbon pools for each of total soil organic carbon (TOC), mineralization carbon (MC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The amounts of vegetation carbon return through each of the litterfall, forest floor and fine roots were determined. Then relationships between carbon pool stocks and amount of vegetation carbon return were determined by using both Pearson correlation and stepwise regression approaches.
Important findings Along the forest successional series, contents of TOC, MC, DOC and MBC increased significantly (p < 0.05). Stocks of TOC also increased through forest succession ( p < 0.05), but the other three active organic carbon stocks were highest in middle-, intermediate in late- and lowest in early-successional stages. The amounts of annual biomass and carbon stocks increased for litterfall, but decreased for forest floor, and fine roots annual returned mass and carbon stocks were highest in middle-, intermediate in late- and lowest in early-successional stages ( p < 0.05). Among three active organic carbon pools, MC explained 34.01% variation in TOC ( R²= 0.388, p < 0.05). With respect to vegetation carbon return, returned biomass of fine roots explained 28.2%, 50.0%, 73.4% and 68.8% of total variation for TOC, MC, DOC and MBC, respectively. In conclusion, stocks of TOC and three active organic carbon pools elevate gradually with secondary forest succession in the study area. During this process, the accumulation of fine roots and the enhancement of mineralization carbon pool are mainly responsible for soil carbon sequestration.

Key words: active organic carbon, fine root, forest floor, litterfall, secondary succession, total organic carbon

SUN Bao-Wei, YANG Xiao-Dong, ZHANG Zhi-Hao, MA Wen-Ji, Ali ARSHAD, HUANG Hai-Xia, YAN En-Rong. Relationships between soil carbon pool and vegetation carbon return through succession of evergreen broad-leaved forests in Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province, Eastern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2013, 37(9): 803-810.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00084

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2013/V37/I9/803

Figures/Tables 6

References 33

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演替阶段 Success- ional stage	植被类型 Vegetation type	群落类型 Community type	年龄 Age (a)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	主要优势种 Dominant species	高度层数 Number of vertical layer	高度 Top height (m)	土壤容重 Soil bulk density (g·cm^-3)	土壤 pH Soil pH	土壤总氮 Soil total N (kg·hm^-2)	土壤总磷 Soil total P (kg·hm^-2)
I	次生针叶林Secondary coniferous forest	马尾松群落 Pinus massoniana community	30	115	15	马尾松 Pinus massoniana 枫香 Liquidambar formosana	2	12	1.34	4.18	5.98	0.39
II	常绿阔叶幼年林 Young evergreen broad-leaved forest	木荷群落 Schima superba community	60	163	20	木荷 Schima superba 柯 Lithocarpus glaber	3	20	1.30	4.18	25.07	1.04
III	成熟常绿阔叶林 Mature evergreen broad-leaved forest	栲群落 Castanopsis fargesiicommunity	120	196	26	栲 Castanopsis fargesii 木荷 Schima superba	3	25	1.07	3.81	40.62	2.12

演替阶段 Success- ional stage	植被类型 Vegetation type	群落类型 Community type	年龄 Age (a)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	主要优势种 Dominant species	高度层数 Number of vertical layer	高度 Top height (m)	土壤容重 Soil bulk density (g·cm^-3)	土壤 pH Soil pH	土壤总氮 Soil total N (kg·hm^-2)	土壤总磷 Soil total P (kg·hm^-2)
I	次生针叶林Secondary coniferous forest	马尾松群落 Pinus massoniana community	30	115	15	马尾松 Pinus massoniana 枫香 Liquidambar formosana	2	12	1.34	4.18	5.98	0.39
II	常绿阔叶幼年林 Young evergreen broad-leaved forest	木荷群落 Schima superba community	60	163	20	木荷 Schima superba 柯 Lithocarpus glaber	3	20	1.30	4.18	25.07	1.04
III	成熟常绿阔叶林 Mature evergreen broad-leaved forest	栲群落 Castanopsis fargesiicommunity	120	196	26	栲 Castanopsis fargesii 木荷 Schima superba	3	25	1.07	3.81	40.62	2.12

演替阶段 Successional stage	含量 Content				储量 Stock
演替阶段 Successional stage	TOC (g·kg^-1)	MC (g·kg^-1)	DOC (mg·kg^-1)	MBC (mg·kg^-1)	TOC (t·hm^-2)	MC (t·hm^-2)	DOC (t·hm^-2)	MBC (t·hm^-2)
I	34.20 ± 1.63 ^a	1.21 ± 0.04 ^a	27.24 ± 0.14 ^a	220.47 ± 5.28 ^a	91.53 ± 3.49 ^a	3.24 ± 0.13 ^a	0.073 ± 8.55×10 ^-4a	0.59 ± 0.019 ^a
II	44.60 ± 2.74 ^b	1.87 ± 0.06 ^b	34.03 ± 0.53 ^b	271.93 ± 6.87 ^b	116.25 ± 7.53 ^b	4.87 ± 0.16 ^b	0.089 ± 9.10×10 ^-4c	0.71 ± 0.020 ^b
III	55.58 ± 3.54 ^c	2.15 ± 0.19 ^b	38.15 ± 0.64 ^c	295.71 ± 8.36 ^c	118.90 ± 6.73 ^b	4.59 ± 0.36 ^b	0.082 ± 2.04×10 ^-3b	0.63 ± 0.026 ^a

演替阶段 Successional stage	含量 Content				储量 Stock
演替阶段 Successional stage	TOC (g·kg^-1)	MC (g·kg^-1)	DOC (mg·kg^-1)	MBC (mg·kg^-1)	TOC (t·hm^-2)	MC (t·hm^-2)	DOC (t·hm^-2)	MBC (t·hm^-2)
I	34.20 ± 1.63 ^a	1.21 ± 0.04 ^a	27.24 ± 0.14 ^a	220.47 ± 5.28 ^a	91.53 ± 3.49 ^a	3.24 ± 0.13 ^a	0.073 ± 8.55×10 ^-4a	0.59 ± 0.019 ^a
II	44.60 ± 2.74 ^b	1.87 ± 0.06 ^b	34.03 ± 0.53 ^b	271.93 ± 6.87 ^b	116.25 ± 7.53 ^b	4.87 ± 0.16 ^b	0.089 ± 9.10×10 ^-4c	0.71 ± 0.020 ^b
III	55.58 ± 3.54 ^c	2.15 ± 0.19 ^b	38.15 ± 0.64 ^c	295.71 ± 8.36 ^c	118.90 ± 6.73 ^b	4.59 ± 0.36 ^b	0.082 ± 2.04×10 ^-3b	0.63 ± 0.026 ^a

	TOC (t·hm^-2)	MC (t·hm^-2)	DOC (t·hm^-2)	MBC (t·hm^-2)
TOC (t·hm^-2)	1.000
MC (t·hm^-2)	0.632^*	1.000
DOC (t·hm^-2)	0.528^*	0.701^**	1.000
MBC (t·hm^-2)	0.439	0.442	0.865^**	1.000