Spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients and its impact on tree species distribution in a karst forest of Southwest China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01038

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Studies of spatial variability of soil nutrients are valuable not only to the understanding of formation, structure, and function of soils, but also for understanding soil-plant associations and mechanisms of plant species coexistence. However, little is known about the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in karst forest. Our objectives were to 1) characterize the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in a karst forest, 2) examine correlations between spatial distribution of soil nutrients and local topographic variables and 3) assess the influence of soil nutrients on spatial distributions of tree species.
Methods A 100 m × 100 m forest plot was established on a hillside in a karst area in Maolan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, Southwest China. All woody species with a diameter at breast height ≥1 cm were identified and surveyed. Surface soil samples (0-10 cm) were collected from a grid of 10 m × 10 m for the analysis of soil nutrients. The spatial variability of soil nutrients and its impact on distributions of tree species were analyzed by using geo-statistic methods (semivariogram and Kriging interpolation) and ordination (canonical correspondence analysis, CCA).
Important findings The coefficient of variation for soil nutrients ranges from 10% to 80%, and can be considered relatively moderate. Total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), total magnesium (TMg) and pH show strong spatial autocorrelation, while organic matter (OM), total calcium (TCa), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) show moderate spatial autocorrelation. The variation range of soil TCa is the smallest (56.2 m) and those of OM, TP and AK are larger. Spatial distribution of TP, TK, TCa, TMg, AP and pH decreases with increasing elevation and decreasing cover of bare rock, while OM increases with increasing elevation, which indicated that the spatial distributions and variability of soil nutrients were mainly affected by topographic factors and habitat characteristics (especially elevation, slope, slope aspect, slope location and cover of bare rock). CCA indicated that the spatial distribution of soil nutrients, especially TK, TMg, pH, TCa and OM, has an important impact on tree species composition and distribution, and thus showed a prevalence of soil resource-based niche differentiation among tree species. Our results suggested high spatial variability of soil nutrients contributes to promoting maintenance of species diversity and the stability of karst forest communities.

Key words: canonical respondence analysis (CCA), karst forest, Maolan National Nature Reserve, semivariogram, soil nutrient, spatial heterogeneity

ZHANG Zhong-Hua, HU Gang, ZHU Jie-Dong, NI Jian. Spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients and its impact on tree species distribution in a karst forest of Southwest China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(10): 1038-1049.

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Figures/Tables 7

References 48

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土壤养分 Soil nutrient	最大值 Maximum	最小值 Minimum	平均值 Mean	标准偏差 SD	变异系数 CV (%)
有机质 Organic matter (%)	24.169	4.245	11.338	3.884	34.3
全氮 Total nitrogen (%)	0.844	0.241	0.421	0.124	29.4
全磷 Total phosphorus (%)	0.435	0.021	0.064	0.041	63.7
全钾 Total potassium (%)	0.310	0.027	0.181	0.069	38.2
全钙 Total calcium (%)	1.960	0.045	0.582	0.435	74.7
全镁 Total magnesium (%)	0.244	0.017	0.125	0.056	45.2
碱解氮 Available nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	277.000	79.430	187.583	41.863	22.3
速效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	19.197	1.220	6.455	3.836	59.4
速效钾 Available potassium (mg·kg^-1)	148.320	14.410	50.145	22.524	44.9
pH	7.61	5.02	6.54	0.774	11.8

土壤养分 Soil nutrient	最大值 Maximum	最小值 Minimum	平均值 Mean	标准偏差 SD	变异系数 CV (%)
有机质 Organic matter (%)	24.169	4.245	11.338	3.884	34.3
全氮 Total nitrogen (%)	0.844	0.241	0.421	0.124	29.4
全磷 Total phosphorus (%)	0.435	0.021	0.064	0.041	63.7
全钾 Total potassium (%)	0.310	0.027	0.181	0.069	38.2
全钙 Total calcium (%)	1.960	0.045	0.582	0.435	74.7
全镁 Total magnesium (%)	0.244	0.017	0.125	0.056	45.2
碱解氮 Available nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	277.000	79.430	187.583	41.863	22.3
速效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	19.197	1.220	6.455	3.836	59.4
速效钾 Available potassium (mg·kg^-1)	148.320	14.410	50.145	22.524	44.9
pH	7.61	5.02	6.54	0.774	11.8

土壤养分 Soil nutrient	模型 Model	块金值 Nugget (C₀)	基台值 Sill (C₀ + C)	块金值/基台值 C₀/(C₀+ C)	变程 Rang (a)	R²
有机质 Organic matter (%)	指数模型 Exponential model	12.76	25.53	0.450	310.90	0.573
全氮 Total nitrogen (%)	线性模型 Linear model	0.015 1	0.015 1	1.000	98.70	0.464
全磷 Total phosphorus (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 2	0.006 6	0.030	219.40	0.967
全钾 Total potassium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 0	0.009 9	0.000	151.80	0.974
全钙 Total calcium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.070 0	0.204 0	0.343	56.20	0.780
全镁 Total magnesium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 3	0.004 1	0.073	78.40	0.972
碱解氮 Available nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	线性模型 Linear model	1 718.2	1 718.2	1.000	98.07	0.495
速效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	指数模型 Exponential model	0.038 5	0.081 3	0.474	74.30	0.912
速效钾 Available potassium (mg·kg^-1)	指数模型 Exponential model	12.19	24.39	0.450	285.30	0.741
pH	球状模型 Spherical model	0.182	0.744	0.245	83.90	0.960

土壤养分 Soil nutrient	模型 Model	块金值 Nugget (C₀)	基台值 Sill (C₀ + C)	块金值/基台值 C₀/(C₀+ C)	变程 Rang (a)	R²
有机质 Organic matter (%)	指数模型 Exponential model	12.76	25.53	0.450	310.90	0.573
全氮 Total nitrogen (%)	线性模型 Linear model	0.015 1	0.015 1	1.000	98.70	0.464
全磷 Total phosphorus (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 2	0.006 6	0.030	219.40	0.967
全钾 Total potassium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 0	0.009 9	0.000	151.80	0.974
全钙 Total calcium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.070 0	0.204 0	0.343	56.20	0.780
全镁 Total magnesium (%)	球状模型 Spherical model	0.000 3	0.004 1	0.073	78.40	0.972
碱解氮 Available nitrogen (mg·kg^-1)	线性模型 Linear model	1 718.2	1 718.2	1.000	98.07	0.495
速效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg^-1)	指数模型 Exponential model	0.038 5	0.081 3	0.474	74.30	0.912
速效钾 Available potassium (mg·kg^-1)	指数模型 Exponential model	12.19	24.39	0.450	285.30	0.741
pH	球状模型 Spherical model	0.182	0.744	0.245	83.90	0.960

土壤养分 Soil nutrient	海拔 Elevation	坡度 Slope	坡向 Slope aspect	坡位 Slope location	岩石裸露率 Rock-bareness rate
有机质 Organic matter (%)	0.227*	-0.167	-0.078	0.183	-0.309**
全氮 Total nitrogen (%)	-0.117	0.058	0.054	-0.048	-0.168
全磷 Total phosphorus (%)	-0.237*	0.143	0.175	-0.033	-0.227**
全钾 Total potassium (%)	-0.754**	0.332**	0.441**	-0.797**	0.559**
全钙 Total calcium (%)	-0.614**	0.405**	0.384**	-0.643**	0.594**
全镁 Total magnesium (%)	-0.449**	0.324**	0.429**	-0.532**	0.474**
碱解氮 Available nitrogen (mg·kg-1)	0.092	0.093	-0.131	0.164	0.083
速效磷 Available phosphorus (mg·kg-1)	-0.141	0.137	0.251*	-0.222*	0.278**
速效钾 Available potassium (mg·kg-1)	-0.087	-0.038	-0.190	-0.013	-0.058
pH	-0.583**	0.306**	0.223*	-0.589**	0.481**