LITTER FALL PRODUCTION IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN NORTHEAST CHINA’S FORESTS

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.05.008

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Litter fall acts as a connection between plants and soil and is the key in nutrient and energy cycling of forest ecosystems. Northeast (NE) China possesses one of the largest forest carbon stocks in the country; however, large scale litter fall patterns along environmental gradients in this region remain unclear. Our objective was to determine the relationship between litter production and climate indices, forest type and community structure for this region.

Methods Using data from 27 plots across NE China (recorded between 2004 and 2006 in Mt. Changbai, Mt. Mao’er, Liangshui and Genhe), we measured the litter fall for all major forest types in the region and statistically analyzed relationships between litter production and environmental factors.

Important findings Annual litter fall production averaged 2 337, 2 472, 3 130 and 4 146 kg·hm^-2for deciduous needleleaf forest, evergreen needleleaf forest, deciduous broadleaf forest and deciduous broadleaf and needleleaf mixed forest, respectively. Forest types differed greatly in composition of litter components. Mean proportions of leaf, branch and fruit for all forest types were 71%, 22% and 6%, respectively. Annual litter fall production was positively related to mean annual temperature (MAT; r=0.75, p<0.001), but was not significantly related to mean annual precipitation (MAP), forest type or community structure (p>0.05). Different litter fall components were controlled by different factors. Production of leaf litter was influenced by both MAT and forest type, and broadleaf forests showed a significantly higher leaf litter production than needleleaf forests with a similar climate. Branch litter production was mainly controlled by MAP and stand volume, while fruit litter production was affected by both forest type and MAP. Percentages of different litter components were mainly associated with MAP. Percentage of leaf litter was negatively correlated with MAP (r = -0.75, p<0.001), while percentage of branch litter showed a reverse pattern (r=0.68, p<0.001).

Key words: litter production, climate, forest ecosystem, Northeast China

ZHANG Xin-Ping, WANG Xiang-Ping, ZHU Biao, ZONG Zhan-Jiang, PENG Chang-Hui, FANG Jing-Yun. LITTER FALL PRODUCTION IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN NORTHEAST CHINA’S FORESTS[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2008, 32(5): 1031-1040.

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.05.008

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2008/V32/I5/1031

Figures/Tables 11

References 32

[1]	Bray JR, Gorham E (1964). Litter production in forests of the world. Advances in Ecological Research, 2,101-157.
[2]	Cheng BR (程伯容), Xu GS (许广山), Ding GF (丁桂芳) (1992). Litterfall and biological cycling intensity in coniferous forest and Korean pine-broad-leaved forest on the northern slope of Changbai Mountain. Research of Forest Ecological System (森林生态系统研究), 6,200-203. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[3]	China Climate Change Country Study Group (中国气候变化国别研究组) (2000). China Climate Change Country Study (中国气候变化国别研究). Tsinghua University Press,Beijing. (in Chinese)
[4]	Clark DA, Brown S, Kichlighter WK, Charmbers JQ, Thomlinson JR, Ni J, Holland EA (2001). Net primary production in tropical forests: an evaluation and synthesis of existing field data. Ecological Applications, 11,371-384.
[5]	Deborah L (2005). Regional-scale variation in litter production and seasonality in tropical dry forests of southern Mexico. Biotropica, 37,561-570.
[6]	Ding YH (丁一汇), Dai XS (戴晓苏) (1994). Temperature variation in China during the last 100 years. Meteorological Monthly (气象), 20(12),19-26. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[7]	Fang JY (方精云) (1992). Study on the geographic elements affecting temperature distribution in China. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 12,97-104. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[8]	Fang JY, Chen AP, Peng CH, Zhao SQ, Ci LJ (2001). Changes in forest biomass carbon storage in China between 1949 and 1998. Science, 292,2320-2322. URL PMID
[9]	John T, Marcia JL (2002). Litterfall and forest floor dynamics in Eucalyptus pilularis forests. Austral Ecology, 27,192-199.
[10]	Li XF (李雪峰), Han SJ (韩士杰), Li YW (李玉文), Hou BZ (侯炳柱), Li XL (李雪莲) (2005). Litterfall in main forest ecosystems of Northeast China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 16,783-788. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[11]	Lieth H (1975). Modeling the primary productivity of the world. In: Lieth H, Whittaker RH eds. Primary Productivity of the Biosphere. Springer-Verlag, New York, 239-259.
[12]	Likens GE, Bormann FH (1977). Biogeochemistry of a Forested Ecosystem. Springer-Verlag,Berlin,New York.
[13]	Lin B (林波), Liu Q (刘庆), Wu Y (吴彦), He H (何海) (2004). Advances in the studies of forest litter. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 23(1),60-64. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[14]	Liu CJ, Carl JW, Björn B, Werner K, Gary ZW, Rongzhou M, Hannu I (2004). Variation in litterfall-climate relationships between coniferous and broadleaf forests in Eurasia. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 13,105-114.
[15]	Liu CZ (刘传照), Li JW (李景文), Pan GL (潘桂兰), Li CR (李传荣) (1993). Litter production and dynamics in broadleaved-Korean pine forests in Xiaoxingan Mountains. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 12(6),29-33. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[16]	Liu SX (刘胜祥), Li WP (黎维平) (2007). Botany (植物学). Science Press,Beijing. (in Chinese)
[17]	Ma ZG (马志贵), Wang JX (王金锡) (1993). A study on the dynamics of forest litter in the habitat of giant panda. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 17,155-163. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[18]	Odum EP (1971). Fundamentals of Ecology, 3rd edn. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia and London.
[19]	Olena P, Nedret B (2007). Impact of deciduous tree species on litterfall quality, decomposition rates and nutrient circulation in pine stands. Forest Ecology and Management, 253,11-18.
[20]	Ren GY (任国玉), Guo J (郭军), Xu MZ (徐铭志), Chu ZY (初子莹), Zhang L (张莉), Zou XK (邹旭凯), Li QX (李庆祥), Liu XN (刘小宁) (2005). Climate changes of China’s mainland over the past half century. Acta Meteorologica Sinica (气象学报), 63,942-956. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[21]	Scherer-Lorenzen M, Bonilla JL, Potvin C (2007). Tree species richness affects litter production and decomposition rates in a tropical biodiversity experiment. Oikos, 116,2108-2124.
[22]	Tan K, Piao SL, Peng CH, Fang JY (2007). Satellite-based estimation of biomass carbon stocks for Northeast China’s forests between 1982 and 1999. Forest Ecology and Management, 240,114-121.
[23]	Thuille A, Schulze ED (2006). Carbon dynamics in successional and afforested spruce stands in Thuringia and the Alps. Global Change Biology, 12,325-342.
[24]	Wang FY (王凤友) (1989). Review on the study of forest litterfall. Advance in Ecology (生态学进展), 6(2),82-89. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[25]	Wang FY (王凤友), Wang YQ (王业蘧), Liu CZ (刘传照) (1991). Forest litter ecology in deciduous/Pinus koraiensis forest: (Ⅰ) Litterfall and its dynamics in the four community types. In: Zhou XF (周晓峰). ed. Long-Term Located Research on Forest Ecosystems (Volume 1) (森林生态系统定位研究第一集). Northeast Forestry University Press, Harbin, 228-237. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[26]	Wang JL (王建林), Tao L (陶澜), Lü ZW (吕振武) (1998). Study on the characteristic of litterfall of Picea likiangensis var. linzhiensis forest in Tibet. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 22,566-570. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[27]	Wang XP, Tang ZY, Fang JY (2006). Climatic control on forests and tree species distribution in the forest region of Northeast China. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 48,778-789.
[28]	Wei J (魏晶), Wu G (吴钢), Deng HB (邓红兵) (2004). Researches on nutrient return of litterfall in the alpine tundra ecosystem of Changbai Mountains. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 24,2213-2216. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[29]	Xu GS (许广山), Cheng BR (程伯容), Ding GF (丁桂芳) (1994). Accumulation and decomposition of litterfall in a Korean pine-broad-leaved forest stand. Research of Forest Ecological System (森林生态系统研究), 7,55-61. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[30]	Zhang DQ (张德强), Ye WH (叶万辉), Yu QF (余清发), Kong GH (孔国辉), Zhang YC (张佑倡) (2000). The litter-fall of representative forests of successional series in Dinghushan. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 6,938-944. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[31]	Zheng Z (郑征), Li YR (李佑荣), Liu HM (刘宏茂), Feng ZL (冯志立), Gan JM (甘建民), Kong WJ (孔维静) (2005). Litterfall of tropical rain forests at different altitude, Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Acta Phytoecologica Sinica (植物生态学报), 29,884-893. (in Chinese with English abstract)
[32]	Zhou GY, Guan LL, Wei XH, Zhang DQ, Zhang QM, Yan JH, Wen DZ, Liu JX, Liu SG, Huang ZL, Kong GH, Mo JM, Yu QF (2007). Litterfall production along successional and altitudinal gradients of subtropical monsoon evergreen broadleaved forests in Guangdong, China. Plant Ecology, 188,77-89.

地点 Site	纬度 Latitude (N)	经度 Longitude (E)	海拔 Altitude (m)	年均温 MAT (℃)	年降水 MAP (mm)	主要群落类型 Main community type	样地数 No. plots
长白山 Mt. Changbai	42°03′~42°24′	128°04′~128°15′	650~1 940	-3.7~2.9	600~1 340	岳桦林、常绿针叶林、针阔叶混交林、落叶针叶林 BE, EN, DNM, DN	14
帽儿山 Mt. Mao’er	45°16′~45°17′	127°34′~127°35′	300~420	1.9~2.5	724	落叶阔叶林、兴安落叶松林DB, LG	7
凉水 Liangshui	47°11′~47°12′	128°53′~128°54′	340~430	0.7~1.1	680	红松林、杨桦林 PK, BP	4
根河 Genhe	50°56′	121°30′~121°31′	810~840	-4.8~-4.6	450~550	兴安落叶松林 LG	2

地点 Site	纬度 Latitude (N)	经度 Longitude (E)	海拔 Altitude (m)	年均温 MAT (℃)	年降水 MAP (mm)	主要群落类型 Main community type	样地数 No. plots
长白山 Mt. Changbai	42°03′~42°24′	128°04′~128°15′	650~1 940	-3.7~2.9	600~1 340	岳桦林、常绿针叶林、针阔叶混交林、落叶针叶林 BE, EN, DNM, DN	14
帽儿山 Mt. Mao’er	45°16′~45°17′	127°34′~127°35′	300~420	1.9~2.5	724	落叶阔叶林、兴安落叶松林DB, LG	7
凉水 Liangshui	47°11′~47°12′	128°53′~128°54′	340~430	0.7~1.1	680	红松林、杨桦林 PK, BP	4
根河 Genhe	50°56′	121°30′~121°31′	810~840	-4.8~-4.6	450~550	兴安落叶松林 LG	2

森林类型 Forest type	群落类型 Community type	主要树种 Major species	样地数量 No. plots	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	平均树高 Mean tree height (m)	蓄积量 Volume (m³)	立木密度 Density (/hm²)
落叶阔叶林 DB	平均值 Mean		9	14.8	12.1	200.4	1 154
	岳桦林 BE	Betula ermanii(88%)	3	14.2	9.2	110.6	1 393
	杨桦林 BP	B. platyphylla(27%) Populus davidiana(20%)	3	14.6	14.5	264.3	1 207
	硬阔叶杂木林 DBM	Quercus mongolica(25%) Tilia amurensis(15%)	3	15.7	12.6	226.2	863
落叶针叶林 DN	平均值 Mean		7	21.6	17.5	305.7	694
	兴安落叶松林 LG	Larix gmelini(94%)	5	16.6	14.6	244.5	820
	长白落叶松林 LO	L. olgensis(74%)	2	34.1	24.7	458.7	380
针阔叶混交林 DNM	平均值 Mean		6	25.5	16.6	573.1	617
	红松林 PK	Pinus koraiensis(40%)	3	28.4	16.7	584.5	487
	红松阔叶林 PKDM	P. koraiensis(29%) T. amurensis(20%)	3	22.5	16.5	561.6	747
常绿针叶林 EN	云冷杉林 PA	Picea jezoensis(38%) Abies nephrolepis (35%)	5	19.3	14.2	518.8	1 352

森林类型 Forest type	群落类型 Community type	主要树种 Major species	样地数量 No. plots	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	平均树高 Mean tree height (m)	蓄积量 Volume (m³)	立木密度 Density (/hm²)
落叶阔叶林 DB	平均值 Mean		9	14.8	12.1	200.4	1 154
	岳桦林 BE	Betula ermanii(88%)	3	14.2	9.2	110.6	1 393
	杨桦林 BP	B. platyphylla(27%) Populus davidiana(20%)	3	14.6	14.5	264.3	1 207
	硬阔叶杂木林 DBM	Quercus mongolica(25%) Tilia amurensis(15%)	3	15.7	12.6	226.2	863
落叶针叶林 DN	平均值 Mean		7	21.6	17.5	305.7	694
	兴安落叶松林 LG	Larix gmelini(94%)	5	16.6	14.6	244.5	820
	长白落叶松林 LO	L. olgensis(74%)	2	34.1	24.7	458.7	380
针阔叶混交林 DNM	平均值 Mean		6	25.5	16.6	573.1	617
	红松林 PK	Pinus koraiensis(40%)	3	28.4	16.7	584.5	487
	红松阔叶林 PKDM	P. koraiensis(29%) T. amurensis(20%)	3	22.5	16.5	561.6	747
常绿针叶林 EN	云冷杉林 PA	Picea jezoensis(38%) Abies nephrolepis (35%)	5	19.3	14.2	518.8	1 352

森林类型 Forest type	群落类型 Community type	凋落物产量 Litter production			平均 Average	标准差 SD	变异系数 CV (%)
森林类型 Forest type	群落类型 Community type	2004	2005	2006	平均 Average	标准差 SD	变异系数 CV (%)
落叶阔叶林 DB	平均值 Mean	3 255	2 868	3 267	3 130^ab	227	7.2
	岳桦林 BE	1 332	2 302	2 293	1 976^A	557	28.2
	杨桦林 BP	3 803	3 377	4 019	3 733^AB	327	8.8
	硬阔叶杂木林 DBM	3 669	2 926	3 488	3 361^AB	387	11.5
落叶针叶林 DN	平均值 Mean	2 803	2 095	2 113	2 337^a	404	17.3
	兴安落叶松 LG	3 018	2 363	2 130	2 504^A	460	18.4
	长白落叶松 LO	2 266	1 560	2 086	1 971^A	367	18.6
针阔叶混交林 DNM	平均值 Mean	4 312	4 066	4 060	4 146^b	144	3.5
	红松林 PK	***	3 207	3 800	3 504^AB	420	12.0
	红松阔叶林 PKDM	4 312	4 925	4 319	4 519^B	352	7.8
常绿针叶林 EN	云冷杉林 PA	3 018	2 110	2 288	2 472^aA	481	19.5