C:N:P stoichiometry in forest floor litter of evergreen broad-leaved forests at different successional stages in Tiantong, Zhejiang, eastern China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00078

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The role that litter plays is essential for shaping C, N and P cycling in forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was to investigate how organic C, N and P in differently decomposed litter layers would vary with forest succession.
Methods The study site is located in Tiantong National Forest Park, Zhejiang Province, China. Stands of five successional stages were selected to measure forest floor litter mass and concentrations of C, N and P in litter samples for each of the un-decomposed layer (L), the semi-decomposed layer (F), and the decomposed layer (Y). The successional dynamics of forest floor litter mass and C, N and P were then analyzed.
Important findings Along the forest succession gradient, forest floor litter mass and C stock decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Across successional stages, litter C concentration was greatest in the L layer, intermediate in the F layer, and lowest in the Y layer. C stock was larger in the Y layer than in the F layer (p < 0.05). Both concentration and stock of N were significantly lower in the early successional stage than in the intermediate and late successional stages (p < 0.05). Amongst different layers, N concentration showed an increasing trend with succession, and a decreasing trend from the top to the bottom litter layers (Y > F > L). P concentration was lowest in the intermediate successional stage relative to other two stages, and ranked in the order of Y > F > L among the three litter layers of differential decompositions. There was no apparent successional trend in P stock for the whole litter horizon, but in the L layer, P stock decreased with forest succession. With the succession, litter C:N, C:P and N:P decreased (p < 0.05). Among the litter layers of different decompositions, C:N and C:P were in the order of Y < F < L, whereas N:P showed no apparent trend. Overall, during the secondary forest succession of evergreen broadleaved forests in Tiantong region, forest floor litter mass and stocks of C, N and P in litter horizon decreased, but concentrations of C, N and P increased. The patterns of C, N and P among differently decomposed layers demonstrate that C and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems is optimized with succession.

Key words: carbon pool, decomposed layer, forest floor litter, litter mass, nutrient pool, succession

MA Wen-Ji, ZHAO Yan-Tao, ZHANG Qing-Qing, Ali ARSHAD, SHI Qing-Ru, YAN En-Rong. C:N:P stoichiometry in forest floor litter of evergreen broad-leaved forests at different successional stages in Tiantong, Zhejiang, eastern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2014, 38(8): 833-842.

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Figures/Tables 7

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演替阶段和群落类型 Successional stage and community type	年龄 Age (a)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope	坡向 Aspect	高度 Height (m)	盖度 Coverage (%)	主要优势种 Dominant species
I: 柯+檵木灌丛 Lithocarpus glaber + Loropetalum chinense shrub	17	164	25°	SE 20°	5	100	柯 Lithocarpus glaber 檵木 Loropetalum chinense
II: 马尾松群落 Pinus massoniana community	60	135	15°	SE 10°	16	95	马尾松 Pinus massoniana
III: 马尾松+木荷群落 Pinus massoniana + Schima superba community	70	121	5°	SE 45°	15-20	95	马尾松 Pinus massoniana 木荷 Schima superba 栲 Castanopsis fargesii
IV: 木荷群落 Schima superba community	90	163	20°	SE 70°	20	95	木荷 Schima superba
V: 栲群落 Castanopsis fargesii community	150	196	26°	SE 45°	25	90	栲 Castanopsis fargesii

演替阶段和群落类型 Successional stage and community type	年龄 Age (a)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope	坡向 Aspect	高度 Height (m)	盖度 Coverage (%)	主要优势种 Dominant species
I: 柯+檵木灌丛 Lithocarpus glaber + Loropetalum chinense shrub	17	164	25°	SE 20°	5	100	柯 Lithocarpus glaber 檵木 Loropetalum chinense
II: 马尾松群落 Pinus massoniana community	60	135	15°	SE 10°	16	95	马尾松 Pinus massoniana
III: 马尾松+木荷群落 Pinus massoniana + Schima superba community	70	121	5°	SE 45°	15-20	95	马尾松 Pinus massoniana 木荷 Schima superba 栲 Castanopsis fargesii
IV: 木荷群落 Schima superba community	90	163	20°	SE 70°	20	95	木荷 Schima superba
V: 栲群落 Castanopsis fargesii community	150	196	26°	SE 45°	25	90	栲 Castanopsis fargesii

	I	II	III	IV	V
已分解层 Decomposed layer	4.75 ± 0.42^Ab(23.08)	3.10 ± 0.32^Aa(18.34)	2.83 ± 0.19^Aa(21.71)	4.55 ± 0.64^Ab(29.49)	3.48 ± 0.38^Aa(26.52)
半分解层 Semi-decomposed layer	7.88 ± 0.84^Bb(37.98)	7.03 ± 0.39^Bab(41.42)	5.85 ± 0.47^Ca(45.74)	6.80 ± 0.61^Bab(43.59)	5.90 ± 0.36^Ba(44.70)
未分解层 Un-decomposed layer	8.13 ± 0.65^Bc (38.94)	6.78 ± 0.45^Bb(40.24)	4.18 ± 0.39^Ba(32.56)	4.20 ± 0.38^Aa(26.92)	3.80 ± 0.28^Aa(28.79)
总计 Total	20.75 ± 1.81^c	16.90 ± 0.88^b	12.85 ± 0.72^a	15.55 ± 1.02^b	13.18 ± 0.61^a

	I	II	III	IV	V
已分解层 Decomposed layer	4.75 ± 0.42^Ab(23.08)	3.10 ± 0.32^Aa(18.34)	2.83 ± 0.19^Aa(21.71)	4.55 ± 0.64^Ab(29.49)	3.48 ± 0.38^Aa(26.52)
半分解层 Semi-decomposed layer	7.88 ± 0.84^Bb(37.98)	7.03 ± 0.39^Bab(41.42)	5.85 ± 0.47^Ca(45.74)	6.80 ± 0.61^Bab(43.59)	5.90 ± 0.36^Ba(44.70)
未分解层 Un-decomposed layer	8.13 ± 0.65^Bc (38.94)	6.78 ± 0.45^Bb(40.24)	4.18 ± 0.39^Ba(32.56)	4.20 ± 0.38^Aa(26.92)	3.80 ± 0.28^Aa(28.79)
总计 Total	20.75 ± 1.81^c	16.90 ± 0.88^b	12.85 ± 0.72^a	15.55 ± 1.02^b	13.18 ± 0.61^a

	I	II	III	IV	V
已分解层 Decomposed layer	0.96 ± 0.12^Aa(18.15)	0.69 ± 0.09^Aa(15.90)	0.50 ± 0.04^Aa(15.77)	1.09 ± 0.13^Ab(23.49)	0.84 ± 0.11^Aa(23.14)
半分解层 Semi-decomposed layer	2.15 ± 0.22^Bab(40.64)	1.89 ± 0.20^Ba(43.55)	1.52 ± 0.14^Ba(47.95)	2.11 ± 0.14^Bab(45.47)	1.66 ± 0.13^Ba(45.73)
未分解层 Un-decomposed layer	2.35 ± 0.30^Bb(44.42)	1.91 ± 0.13^Bab(44.01)	1.25 ± 0.09^Ba(39.43)	1.44 ± 0.15^Aa(31.03)	1.16 ± 0.08^Aa(31.96)
总计 Total	5.29 ± 0.61^b	4.34 ± 0.30^b	3.17 ± 0.20^a	4.64 ± 0.26^b	3.63 ± 0.22^a