Elevation Gradient Altered Soil C, N, and P Stoichiometry of Pinus taiwanensis Forest on Daiyun Mountain
by
Lan Jiang 1,2,3, Zhongsheng He 1,2,3,*, Jinfu Liu 1,2,3, Cong Xing 1,2,3, Xinguang Gu 1,2,3, Chensi Wei 1,2,3, Jing Zhu 1,2,3 and Xuelin Wang 1,2,3
Lan Jiang 1,2,3, Zhongsheng He 1,2,3,*, Jinfu Liu 1,2,3, Cong Xing 1,2,3, Xinguang Gu 1,2,3, Chensi Wei 1,2,3, Jing Zhu 1,2,3 and Xuelin Wang 1,2,3
1
College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
2
Key Lab of Ecology and Resources Statistics of Fujian Colleges, Fuzhou 350002, China
3
Cross–Strait Nature Research Center of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121089
Received: 6 November 2019 / Revised: 28 November 2019 / Accepted: 29 November 2019 / Published: 1 December 2019
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Ecology and Management)
Researches focused on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content and the stoichiometry characteristics along elevation gradients are important for effective management of forest ecosystems. Taking the soil of different elevations from 900 to 1700 m on Daiyun Mountain as the object, the elevation distribution of total C, N, and P in soil and their stoichiometry characteristics were studied. Also, the driving factors resulting in the spatial heterogeneity of soil stoichiometry are presented. The results show the following: (1) The average soil C and N content was 53.03 g·kg−1 and 3.82 g·kg−1, respectively. The content of C and N at high elevation was higher than that of at low elevation. Soil phosphorus fluctuated with elevation. (2) With increasing elevation, soil C:N ratio increased initially to 17.40 at elevation between 900–1000 m, and then decreased to 12.02 at elevation 1600 m. The changing trends of C:P and N:P were similar, and they all fluctuated with elevation. (3) Elevation, soil bulk density, and soil temperature were the main factors influencing the variation of soil C, N, and C:N. Soil pH and slope position were the driving factors for soil P, C:P, and N:P. The soil is rich in C and N, and has less total phosphorus on Daiyun Mountain. Raising the level of phosphate fertilizer appropriately can help to improve soil fertility and promote plant growth as well. In light of this information, in the near future, it will be necessary to conduct separation management of C, N, and P with regular monitoring systems to maintain favorable conditions for soil.
Keywords:
soil stoichiometry; elevation; driving factors; Daiyun Mountain
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Jiang, L.; He, Z.; Liu, J.; Xing, C.; Gu, X.; Wei, C.; Zhu, J.; Wang, X. Elevation Gradient Altered Soil C, N, and P Stoichiometry of Pinus taiwanensis Forest on Daiyun Mountain. Forests 2019, 10, 1089.
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