Characteristics of soil enzyme activities and stoichiometry and its influencing factors in Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forests in the Qinling Mountains

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2019.0358

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The dynamics and driving factors of soil enzyme activities and stoichiometry in the micro-scale elevation gradient is of great significance in the study of nutrient cycling processes.
Methods In the present study, the Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest belts at the elevation of 1 308, 1 403, 1 503, 1 603, 1 694 and 1 803 m in Taibai Mountain were sampled to determine the contents of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in leaves, litters, roots and soils, and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), β-1,4-glucosidase (βG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), β-1,4-xylosidase (βX) and β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG).
Important findings Our results showed that altitude had a great impact on the activities of five soil enzymes. CBH and βG increased first and then decreased with the altitude, while βX showed the opposite trend. The NAG and AKP activity showed a downward trend from 1 408 to 1 694 m and increased with elevation since 1 803 m. The total enzyme activity index exhibited a decreasing trend with altitudes increases. The correlation analysis results indicated that soil enzyme activities and their stoichiometry were controlled by plant, soil C, N, P resources, and soil water and heat conditions. Among these factors, the content of soil organic carbon had high correlation with these parameters and was the main factor affecting the change of soil enzyme activities in the Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest. In short, the soil enzyme activities and stoichiometry were different along the micro-scale elevation gradient, affected by the C, N, and P resources of plant and soil.

Key words: ecological stoichiometry, soil enzyme activity, nutrient cycle, elevation gradient, Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest

XIE Meng-Yi, FENG Xiu-Xiu, MA Huan-Fei, HU Han, WANG Jie-Ying, GUO Yao-Xin, REN Cheng-Jie, WANG Jun, ZHAO Fa-Zhu. Characteristics of soil enzyme activities and stoichiometry and its influencing factors in Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forests in the Qinling Mountains[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(8): 885-894.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2019.0358

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2020/V44/I8/885

Figures/Tables 6

References 31

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海拔 Altitude (m)	纬度 Latitude (N)	经度 Longitude (E)	锐齿栎优势度¹⁾ (as % of total basal area)¹⁾	pH	土壤温度 ST (℃)	土壤容重 BD (g·cm^-3)	土壤含水量 SMC (%)
1 308	34.08°	107.70°	0.79	5.32 ± 0.04^bc	16.81 ± 0.03^a	1.15 ± 0.08^a	22.96 ± 0.75^c
1 408	34.08°	107.69°	0.72	5.28 ± 0.01^bc	16.60 ± 0.02^b	1.00 ± 0.06^a	28.94 ± 1.52^b
1 503	34.08°	107.69°	0.81	5.57 ± 0.03^ab	16.50 ± 0.01^b	1.11 ± 0.03^a	21.97 ± 1.03^c
1 603	34.07°	107.69°	0.68	5.71 ± 0.03^a	16.24 ± 0.03^c	1.01 ± 0.07^a	26.85 ± 0.74^b
1 694	34.07°	107.69°	0.74	5.06 ± 0.04^c	16.01 ± 0.05^d	1.01 ± 0.09^a	44.93 ± 1.43^a
1 803	34.06°	107.70°	0.62	4.19 ± 0.22^d	15.84 ± 0.04^e	1.06 ± 0.09^a	23.32 ± 0.59^c

海拔 Altitude (m)	纬度 Latitude (N)	经度 Longitude (E)	锐齿栎优势度¹⁾ (as % of total basal area)¹⁾	pH	土壤温度 ST (℃)	土壤容重 BD (g·cm^-3)	土壤含水量 SMC (%)
1 308	34.08°	107.70°	0.79	5.32 ± 0.04^bc	16.81 ± 0.03^a	1.15 ± 0.08^a	22.96 ± 0.75^c
1 408	34.08°	107.69°	0.72	5.28 ± 0.01^bc	16.60 ± 0.02^b	1.00 ± 0.06^a	28.94 ± 1.52^b
1 503	34.08°	107.69°	0.81	5.57 ± 0.03^ab	16.50 ± 0.01^b	1.11 ± 0.03^a	21.97 ± 1.03^c
1 603	34.07°	107.69°	0.68	5.71 ± 0.03^a	16.24 ± 0.03^c	1.01 ± 0.07^a	26.85 ± 0.74^b
1 694	34.07°	107.69°	0.74	5.06 ± 0.04^c	16.01 ± 0.05^d	1.01 ± 0.09^a	44.93 ± 1.43^a
1 803	34.06°	107.70°	0.62	4.19 ± 0.22^d	15.84 ± 0.04^e	1.06 ± 0.09^a	23.32 ± 0.59^c

	海拔 Altitude (m)
	1 308	1 408	1 503	1 603	1 694	1 803	平均值 Mean
ln(βG):ln(NAG)	0.91 ± 0.02^cd	0.84 ± 0.02^d	1.12 ± 0.01^ab	1.16 ± 0.06^a	1.02 ± 0.07^bc	0.93 ± 0.01^cd	0.99 ± 0.03
ln(βG):ln(AKP)	0.73 ± 0.03^c	0.75 ± 0.03^bc	0.81 ± 0.02^b	0.88 ± 0.02^a	0.77 ± 0.03^bc	0.78 ± 0.01^bc	0.78 ± 0.02
ln(NAG):ln(AKP)	0.80 ± 0.00^bc	0.90 ± 0.02^a	0.73 ± 0.01^d	0.76 ± 0.03^cd	0.76 ± 0.03^cd	0.84 ± 0.01^b	0.80 ± 0.02

	海拔 Altitude (m)
	1 308	1 408	1 503	1 603	1 694	1 803	平均值 Mean
ln(βG):ln(NAG)	0.91 ± 0.02^cd	0.84 ± 0.02^d	1.12 ± 0.01^ab	1.16 ± 0.06^a	1.02 ± 0.07^bc	0.93 ± 0.01^cd	0.99 ± 0.03
ln(βG):ln(AKP)	0.73 ± 0.03^c	0.75 ± 0.03^bc	0.81 ± 0.02^b	0.88 ± 0.02^a	0.77 ± 0.03^bc	0.78 ± 0.01^bc	0.78 ± 0.02
ln(NAG):ln(AKP)	0.80 ± 0.00^bc	0.90 ± 0.02^a	0.73 ± 0.01^d	0.76 ± 0.03^cd	0.76 ± 0.03^cd	0.84 ± 0.01^b	0.80 ± 0.02

		酶 Enzyme
		CBH	βX	βG	NAG	AKP	ln(βG):ln(NAG)	ln(βG):ln(AKP)	ln(NAG):ln(AKP)
叶片 Leaf	C	-0.33	-0.36	0.18	-0.26	-0.23	-0.36	0.02	0.31
	N	0.17	-0.62^**	0.10	-0.74^**	-0.59^**	-0.45	0.44	0.72^**
	P	0.57^*	0.06	-0.18	-0.21	-0.09	0.06	0.59^**	0.08
	C:N	-0.31	0.51^*	0.04	0.62^**	0.57^*	0.28	-0.39	-0.55^*
	C:P	-0.61^**	-0.02	0.30	0.15	0.23	-0.14	-0.42	0.01
	N:P	-0.61^**	-0.45	0.40	-0.24	-0.15	-0.43	-0.37	0.43
凋落物 Litter	C	-0.56^*	0.30	0.15	0.03	0.41	0.04	0.09	-0.18
	N	0.18	0.09	0.22	-0.39	0.09	-0.20	0.75^**	0.30
	P	-0.12	-0.39	0.32	-0.10	0.04	-0.38	-0.27	0.40
	C:N	-0.57^*	0.13	-0.10	0.35	0.19	0.21	-0.57^*	-0.39
	C:P	-0.24	0.45	-0.10	0.08	0.21	0.27	0.27	-0.35
	N:P	0.19	0.29	0.01	-0.19	0.05	0.08	0.66^**	-0.01
细根 Fine root	C	0.42	-0.38	-0.33	-0.28	-0.57^*	0.01	0.12	0.19
	N	0.01	0.50^*	0.18	0.41	0.69^**	0.17	-0.23	-0.32
	P	0.19	-0.39	0.37	-0.57^*	-0.33	-0.49^*	0.59^*	0.72^**
	C:N	0.15	-0.53^*	-0.32	-0.45	-0.78^**	-0.09	0.26	0.30
	C:P	-0.13	0.51^*	-0.39	0.44	0.37	0.54^*	-0.30	-0.70^**
	N:P	-0.17	0.60^**	-0.15	0.46	0.58^*	0.44	-0.25	-0.62^**
土壤 Soil	pH	0.41	-0.57^*	-0.11	-0.44	-0.63^**	-0.25	0.16	0.47^*
	ST	0.78^**	0.12	-0.08	0.07	0.16	0.07	0.16	-0.02
	SMC	-0.30	-0.18	-0.69^**	-0.08	-0.66^**	0.43	-0.13	-0.28
	SOC	-0.24	-0.59^*	0.01	-0.82^**	-0.72^**	-0.30	0.54^*	0.68^**
	TN	-0.06	-0.36	-0.24	-0.67^**	-0.69^**	-0.01	0.61^**	0.40
	TP	0.04	-0.19	-0.56^*	-0.27	-0.67^**	0.25	0.33	-0.06
	C:N	-0.38	-0.25	0.47	-0.13	0.11	-0.44	-0.20	0.37
	C:P	-0.38	-0.35	0.62^**	-0.46	0.02	-0.55^*	0.08	0.69^**
	N:P	-0.19	-0.20	0.41	-0.45	-0.01	-0.33	0.25	0.54^*