CHARACTERISTICS OF LITTERFALL IN RELATION TO SOIL NUTRIENTS IN MATURE AND DEGRADED EVERGREEN BROAD-LEAVED FORESTS OF TIANTONG, EAST CHINA

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.01.001

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Litterfall plays an important role in linking aboveground and belowground processes in forest ecosystems. Nutrients absorbed by plants can be released to the soil and re-utilized by plants via litter decomposition. Although litterfall composition and dynamics have been widely studied in the past two decades, the relationship among litterfall, nutrient cycling and vegetation types is poorly understood. Therefore, we studied litterfall in evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLF) to enrich our knowledge of the relationship.
Methods The research was conducted in Tiantong National Forest Park (29°52'N, 121°39'E, 200 m a.s.l), Zhejiang, East China. We chose secondary and young EBLF (Schima superba community), coniferous and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forest (Pinus massoniana+Schima superba community), coniferous forest (Pinus massoniana community) and shrubland (Lithocarpus glaber + Loropetalum chinense community) to represent forests at different degradation stages and mature EBLF (Castanopsis fargesii community) to represent reference climax forest. Productivity, composition, nutrient concentration and total nutrient amount of the litterfall were measured each month from November 2003 to October 2004. Litterfall traits were correlated with soil total N, total P, total inorganic N, N mineralization and nitrification rates.
Important findings Degradation of EBLF significantly reduced litterfall productivity from 13.03 Mg·hm^-2 in mature EBLF to 6.38 Mg·hm^-2 in shrubland, and significantly reduced N concentration in litterfall. In contrast, P concentration showed no consistent pattern. Total N and total P amounts returned via litterfall decreased significantly with degradation. Soil total N was positively correlated with annual litterfall productivity but not litter N concentration. Soil total P was positively correlated with both annual litterfall productivity and litter P concentration. Soil inorganic N was not correlated with either productivity or litter nutrient concentration. Soil N nitrification rate was positively correlated with annual litterfall productivity and total amounts of nutrients returned, but was not correlated with litter N concentration. Soil N was not correlated with any litterfall traits. These results suggested that, during degradation of EBLF, shifting of plant functional types and simplifying of community structure reduced the quality and quantity of litterfall to a low level and consequently reduced soil nutrient pools.

Key words: litterfall, soil nutrients, evergreen broad-leaved forest, Tiantong

YAN En-Rong, WANG Xi-Hua, ZHOU Wu. CHARACTERISTICS OF LITTERFALL IN RELATION TO SOIL NUTRIENTS IN MATURE AND DEGRADED EVERGREEN BROAD-LEAVED FORESTS OF TIANTONG, EAST CHINA[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2008, 32(1): 1-12.

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Figures/Tables 5

Table 1 Degraded type of evergreen broad-leaved forests and characteristics of selected plots in Tiantong National Forest Park, East China

植被类型 Vegetation types	群落类型 Community types	年龄 Age (a)	海拔 Altitude (m)	坡度 Slope	坡向 Aspect	群落高度 Height (m)	总盖度 Coverage (%)	主要优势种类 Dominant tree species	干扰历史 Disturbance history
成熟常绿阔叶林 Mature evergreen broad-leaved forest	栲树群落 Castanopsis fargesii community	150	196	26°	SE 45°	25	90	栲树Castanopsis fargesii 木荷Schima superba 枫香Liquidambar formosana	受保护 Protected from disturbance
次生常绿阔叶幼年林 Secondary and young evergreen broad-leaved forest	木荷群落 Schima superba community	90	163	20°	SE 70°	20	95	木荷Schima superba 石栎Lithocarpus glabra 马尾松Pinus massoniana	废弃前有皆伐历史,废弃后自然更新 Clear-cut prior to abandonment, and then protected for natural regeneration
针阔混交林 Coniferous and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forest	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 栲树Castanopsis fargesii
针叶林 Coniferous forest	马尾松群落 Pinus massoniana community	60	135	15°	SE 10°	16	95	马尾松Pinus massoniana 木荷Schima superba 枫香Liquidambar formosana
灌丛 Shrub	石栎+ 木群落 Lithocarpus glaber+ Loropetalum chinense community	17	164	25°	SE 20°	5	100	马尾松Pinus massoniana 木荷Schima superba 石栎Lithocarpus glabra	薪炭林Fuel forest

Table 2 Composition, dynamics and annual amounts of litterfall in mature and degraded evergreen broad-leaved forests, Tiantong National Forest Park, East China (means±SD (n=3))

Fig.1 Mean nutrient concentration and return amount via litterfall in mature and degraded evergreen broad-leaved forests Data are means (SD)

Table 3 Seasonal dynamics of nutrients content and return amount via litterfall in mature and degraded evergreen broad-leaved forests, Tiantong National Forest Park, East China(data are nutrients content (nutrient return amount))

Table 4 Pearson correlations between soil nutrients dynamics and litterfall in mature and degraded evergreen broad-leaved forests(r and p values, sample sizes n=15)

	凋落物量 Litterfall biomass	凋落物氮含量 N concentration in litterfall	凋落物氮归还量 N amounts via litterfall	凋落物磷含量 P concentration in litterfall	凋落物磷归还量 P amounts via litterfall
土壤氮含量 Soil N concentration	0.725, <0.01	0.071,0.801(ns)	0.549, <0.05	-	-
土壤磷含量 Soil P concentration	0.796, <0.001	-	-	0.706, <0.01	0.87, <0.000 1
土壤氨态氮含量 Soil N $H 4 +$ -N concentration	-0.249,0.369(ns)	-0.443,0.098(ns)	-0.332,0.227(ns)	-	-
土壤硝态氮含量 Soil NO₃-N concentration	-0.147,0.601(ns)	-0.018,0.948(ns)	-0.146,0.603(ns)	-	-
土壤有机氮硝化速率 Soil N nitrification rate	0.671, <0.01	0.488,0.065(ns)	0.630, <0.05	-	-
土壤有机氮矿化速率 Soil N mineralization rate	0.489, 0.065(ns)	-0.171,0.542(ns)	0.313, 0.256(ns)	-	-

Table 4 Pearson correlations between soil nutrients dynamics and litterfall in mature and degraded evergreen broad-leaved forests(r and p values, sample sizes n=15)

	凋落物量 Litterfall biomass	凋落物氮含量 N concentration in litterfall	凋落物氮归还量 N amounts via litterfall	凋落物磷含量 P concentration in litterfall	凋落物磷归还量 P amounts via litterfall
土壤氮含量 Soil N concentration	0.725, <0.01	0.071,0.801(ns)	0.549, <0.05	-	-
土壤磷含量 Soil P concentration	0.796, <0.001	-	-	0.706, <0.01	0.87, <0.000 1
土壤氨态氮含量 Soil N $H 4 +$ -N concentration	-0.249,0.369(ns)	-0.443,0.098(ns)	-0.332,0.227(ns)	-	-
土壤硝态氮含量 Soil NO₃-N concentration	-0.147,0.601(ns)	-0.018,0.948(ns)	-0.146,0.603(ns)	-	-
土壤有机氮硝化速率 Soil N nitrification rate	0.671, <0.01	0.488,0.065(ns)	0.630, <0.05	-	-
土壤有机氮矿化速率 Soil N mineralization rate	0.489, 0.065(ns)	-0.171,0.542(ns)	0.313, 0.256(ns)	-	-

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