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Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 14482

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhongsheng He

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Guest Editor

College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: soil stoichiometry; forest gap; elevation gradients; seedling regeneration; functional traits

Dr. Xianjin He

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Guest Editor

Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat & de l'Environnment (LSCE), CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, 91190 Saint-Aubin, France
Interests: soil stoichiometry; soil microbial community; elevation gradients; soil nutrient

Dr. Wenhui Zheng

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Guest Editor

School of Resources & Chemical Engineering, Sanming University, Sanming 365000, China
Interests: soil respiration; priming effect; litter decomposition; carbon allocation; soil nutrient

Prof. Dr. Wanqin Yang

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Guest Editor

School of Life Science, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
Interests: woody debris; soil organic matter; nutrient cycling; soil carbon sequestration; forest litterfall
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are the basic elements of life’s chemical composition on Earth, which are also the main elements of ecological stoichiometry. Soil nutrients are determined by many factors, such as climate change, parental material, soil microorganisms, plant diversity, and litter decomposition. Revealing the response mechanism and understanding the interaction network of soil nutrients–microbes–plants in forest ecosystems is of great significance for the effective management of local soil and sustainable forest practices. However, due to the complexity of forests, research studies on soil nutrients and stoichiometry in bedrock, microorganisms, animals, plants, and litter in forests are deficient. Therefore, more relative studies are urgently needed to highlight knowledge gaps and future directions. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of soil nutrients and stoichiometry changes in forests. This Special Issue is aimed at providing selected contributions on advances in soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and soil nutrient–microbe–plant interactions in forest ecosystems.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Soil nutrient and environment gradients;
Soil nutrient and stoichiometry;
Soil nutrient-microbe-plant interactions;
Influence mechanism of soil nutrients;
Application of soil stoichiometry in forest management.

Dr. Zhongsheng He
Dr. Xianjin He
Dr. Wenhui Zheng
Prof. Dr. Wanqin Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

soil nutrient
soil carbon
soil stoichiometry
soil nutrient-microbe-plant interactions
forest

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 10844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mixed Chinese Fir Plantations Alter the C, N, and P Resource Limitations Influencing Microbial Metabolism in Soil Aggregates

by Han Zhang, Yongzhen Huang, Yahui Lan, Yaqin He, Shengqiang Wang, Chenyang Jiang, Yuhong Cui, Rongyuan Fan and Shaoming Ye

Forests 2024, 15(4), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040724 - 21 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1012

Abstract

Assessing the limitations of microbial metabolic resources is crucial for understanding plantation soil quality and enhancing fertility management. However, the variation of microbial resource limitations at the aggregate level in response to changes in stands remains unclear. This research explores carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) limitations affecting microbial metabolism in bulk soils and aggregates in two mixed and one pure Chinese fir stands in subtropical China, analyzing resource limitations concerning soil carbon, nutrients, and microbial indicators. The results revealed that microbes in all aggregates of the pure stands and in the micro aggregates (<0.25 mm) of the three stands were relatively limited by C and P. In contrast, microbial metabolism was more N-limited in macroaggregates (>2 mm) and small aggregates (2–0.25 mm) in the mixed stands. Additionally, in the mixed stands the proportion of soil macroaggregates increased, and that of micro aggregates decreased, resulting in a shift from C and P limitation to N limitation for bulk soil microbial metabolism. Redundancy analysis identified soil aggregate organic carbon and nutrient content as the main factors affecting microbial resource limitation, rather than their stoichiometric ratios. Pathway analysis further confirmed that soil nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios indirectly influenced soil microbe resource limitation by regulating microbial biomass, microbial respiration, and extracellular enzyme activities. Thus, the impact of mixed plantations on soil nutrients and microbial activity at the aggregate level may be crucial for maintaining land fertility and achieving sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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14 pages, 3078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Nutrient, Enzyme Activity, and Microbial Community Characteristics of E. urophylla × E. grandis Plantations in a Chronosequence

by Yuhe Zhang, Kongxin Zhu, Shunyao Zhuang, Huili Wang and Jizhao Cao

Forests 2024, 15(4), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040688 - 10 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1179

Abstract

The effects of continuous Eucalyptus cropping on soil properties and microbial characteristics and the specific factors influencing tree species growth remain elusive. In this study, three Eucalyptus stands of three different ages were selected, and soil nutrients, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, microbial community composition, and diversity were quantified for each. The findings indicated a significant decline in soil pH, soil cation exchange, soil organic matter, and available phosphorus content with the plantation age. Simultaneously, there was an observed increase in soil alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen content. In addition, urease and acid phosphatase activities did not show a significant difference with age. In spite of this, catalase activity exhibited a decline corresponding to the advancement in plantation age. The carbon and nitrogen content of the soil microbial biomass increased with the progression of Eucalyptus planting time. The high-throughput sequencing data demonstrated a reduction in microbial diversity in Eucalyptus soils as the planting age increased. Interestingly, the microbial community structure exhibited minimal alterations, and did not exhibit a predominantly oligotrophic state overall. In conclusion, the study results showed that short-term successive Eucalyptus cropping exerts a significant negative impact on the soil system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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16 pages, 2916 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Microbial Community and Soil Abiotic Factors Are Linked to Microorganisms’ C:N:P Stoichiometry in Larix Plantations

by Mengke Cai, Xiaoqin Cheng, Li Liu, Xinhao Peng, Tianxiong Shang and Hairong Han

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091914 - 20 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1067

Abstract

Ecological stoichiometry is an essential tool to understand carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles and nutrient limitations. Plantations are usually managed to maintain specific age structures, but the impact of such management on microbial biomass and stoichiometric ratios remains unclear. We compared the stand ages of four Larix principis-rupprechtti Mayr. Plantations that were 15 years old, (young plantation, Lar15), 24 years old, (middle aged plantation, Lar24), 40 years old, (near-mature plantation, Lar40), and 50 years old, (mature plantation, Lar50), respectively, to determine the main factors that drive differences in the C:N:P stoichiometry of microorganisms. We demonstrated that the temperature, moisture, and nutrient concentrations in surface soil increased significantly with forest age. The stoichiometric ratios of elements in soil and microorganisms reached their maxima in the Lar40 and Lar50 plantations. Additionally, forest stand ages had a great influence on the biomass of microbial communities. Moreover, soil microbial community and soil abiotic factors are closely related to soil microorganisms’ C:N:P stoichiometric ratios. Specifically, changes in the microbial biomass C:N (MBC:MBN) were primarily correlated with bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria (G⁺), temperature, NH₄⁺-N, and moisture in soil. Shifts in G⁺, actinobacteria, soil temperature, and total phosphorus were primarily associated with variation in microbial biomass C:P (MBC:MBP). Alterations in microbial biomass N:P (MBN:MBP) were correlated with bacteria, NH₄⁺-N, water content, Gram-negative bacteria, and soil temperature. Overall, these results suggest that microbial elemental stoichiometric ratios could be affected by stand age and emphasize the importance of microbial communities and soil abiotic factors in shifting this dynamic change process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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20 pages, 4982 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Fractal Dimension and Soil Erodibility on Soil Quality in an Erodible Region: A Case Study from Karst Mountainous Areas

by Yi Li, Xianjin He, Dunmei Lin, Pei Wei, Lihua Zhou, Lian Zeng, Shenhua Qian, Liang Zhao, Yongchuan Yang and Guangyu Zhu

Forests 2023, 14(8), 1609; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14081609 - 9 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1150

Abstract

Soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility (k) are crucial indicators of soil quality that exhibit high sensitivity to changes in soil function. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the quantitative relationship between these indicators and soil quality for effective ecosystem monitoring and assessment. In this study, soil samples were collected from eight altitude gradients in a karst mountainous area; we analyzed 11 soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and assessed soil quality using the minimum data set (MDS) method. The results revealed that soil aggregate stability, bulk density (BD), pH, and fungal community diversity exhibited a unimodal altitudinal pattern, whereas the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and C:N ratio showed an increasing trend. Among the factors considered, SOC, BD, soil pH, mechanical composition, and fungal community diversity were found to explain the most variation in soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility (k). Principal component analysis (PCA) identified soil fungal community diversity, C:N ratio, coarse sand, and macro-aggregate (MA) content as highly weighted indicators for MDS. The integrated soil quality index (SQI) values, ranging from 0.30 to 0.62 across the eight altitude gradients, also exhibited a unimodal altitudinal pattern. The analysis indicated a significant linear relationship between the fractal dimension (D) and soil erodibility of the EPIC model (K_epic) with SQI, suggesting that D and K_epic can serve as alternative indicators for soil quality. These findings further enhance our understanding of the response of soil properties to altitude changes, and provide a novel method for assessing and monitoring soil quality in karst mountainous areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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17 pages, 2508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Phosphorus Availability Controls Deterministic and Stochastic Processes of Soil Microbial Community along an Elevational Gradient in Subtropical Forests

by Rongzhi Chen, Jing Zhu, Lan Jiang, Lan Liu, Cheng Gao, Bo Chen, Daowei Xu, Jinfu Liu and Zhongsheng He

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071475 - 18 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2145

Abstract

Revealing the assembly mechanisms of the soil microbial community, which is crucial to comprehend microbial biodiversity, is a central focus in ecology. The distribution patterns of microbial elevational diversity have been extensively studied, but their assembly processes and drivers remain unclear. Therefore, it is essential to unravel the relationship between the deterministic and stochastic processes of the microbial community assembly and elevational gradients. Here, our study built upon previous physicochemical analyses of soil samples collected along an elevational gradient (900–1500 m) in Daiyun mountain, a subtropical forest located in southeastern China. Using the phylogenetic-bin-based null model analysis (icamp) and multiple regression on matrices approach, we explored the major drivers that influence the assembly processes of soil bacterial and fungal community across elevations. The results showed that: (1) bacterial rare taxa exhibited a broad habitat niche breadth along the elevational gradient; (2) homogeneous selection and homogenizing dispersal proved to be the most important assembly processes for the bacterial and fungal community; (3) soil phosphorus availability mediated the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in the soil microbial community. Notably, the relative abundance of dominant microbial taxa controlled by homogeneous selection and homogenizing dispersal increased with increasing soil phosphorus availability. Collectively, the assembly processes of microbial elevational communities of the subtropical mountains in China can be explained to some extent by variations in the soil phosphorus availability. This conclusion provides valuable insights into the prediction of soil microbial diversity and phosphorus nutrient cycling in subtropical montane forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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17 pages, 8600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zoning Prediction and Mapping of Three-Dimensional Forest Soil Organic Carbon: A Case Study of Subtropical Forests in Southern China

by Yingying Li, Zhongrui Zhang, Zhengyong Zhao, Dongxiao Sun, Hangyong Zhu, Geng Zhang, Xianliang Zhu and Xiaogang Ding

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1197; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061197 - 9 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1126

Abstract

Accurate soil organic carbon (SOC) maps are helpful for guiding forestry production and management. Different ecological landscape areas within a large region may have different soil–landscape relationships, so models specifically for these areas may capture these relationships more accurately than the global model for the entire study area. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of zonal modelling in predicting forest SOC and to produce highly accurate forest SOC distribution maps. The prediction objects were SOC at five soil depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm). First, the forest type map and soil texture class map were used to divide the relative homogeneous regions in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, China. Second, seven terrain variables derived from a 12.5-m digital elevation model (DEM) and five vegetation variables generated from 10-m Sentinel-2 remote sensing images were used as predictors to develop regional artificial neural network (ANN) models for each homogeneous region, as well as a global ANN model for the entire study area (1000 sample points). Finally, 10-fold cross-validation was used to assess the ANN prediction model performance, and independent validation was used to evaluate the produced forest SOC prediction maps (194 additional samples). The cross-validation results showed that the accuracies of the regional models were better than that of the global model. Independent validation results also showed that the precision (R²) of 0- to 100-cm forest SOC maps generated by forest type modelling had an improvement of 0.05–0.15, and that by soil texture class modelling had an improvement of 0.07–0.13 compared to the map generated by the global model. In conclusion, delineating relatively homogeneous regions via simple methods can improve prediction accuracy when undertaking soil predictions over large areas, especially with complex forest landscapes. In addition, SOC in the study area is generally more abundant in broadleaf forest and clay areas, with overall levels decreasing with soil depth. Accurate SOC distribution information can provide references for fertilization and planting. Plants with particularly high soil fertility requirements may perhaps be planted in broadleaf forests or clay areas, and plants with particularly developed roots may require furrow application of a small amount of SOC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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15 pages, 2301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microsite Determines the Soil Nitrogen and Carbon Mineralization in Response to Nitrogen Addition in a Temperate Desert

by Yingwu Chen, Haorui Li, Huilu Sun and Yuxin Guo

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061154 - 3 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

Nitrogen deposition can change the soil in N and C cycling processes. However, a general understanding of how N deposition changes C and N mineralization has not yet been reached. Soil organic C and N mineralization beneath the dominant shrubs of Haloxylon ammodendron and between the shrubs in response to two levels of N addition (2.5 gN m⁻² and 5 gN m⁻² per year) were investigated in the 1st, 4th, and 9th year of N addition in a temperate desert of northern China. N addition promoted soil N mineralization (R_mN), and the nitrification rate (R_NN) increased C mineralization in the interplant and decreased it beneath shrubs. N addition increased soil microbial biomass C (C_mic), N (N_mic), and PLFAs in the interplant, and decreased it beneath shrubs. R_mN and R_NN were related to N_mic, and R_CM was related to C_mic and the total PLFAs. N addition increased the fungal biomass alongside the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs in the interplants while decreasing them beneath shrubs. Our results support how N addition can increase soil N mineralization and nitrification, but the effects on soil C mineralization are dependent on the amount of nitrogen addition, the soil’s available carbon content, and water. Finally, the divergent responses of microbial communities to N addition between microsites suggest that the “fertile islands” effects on nutrients and microbial biomass are important when estimating feedbacks of C and N cycling to projected N deposition in the desert ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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22 pages, 10339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Topography and Soil Organic Carbon in Subtropical Forests of China

by Tao Zhou, Yulong Lv, Binglou Xie, Lin Xu, Yufeng Zhou, Tingting Mei, Yongfu Li, Ning Yuan and Yongjun Shi

Forests 2023, 14(5), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14051023 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1858

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) strongly contributes to the operation of the global carbon cycling, and topographical factors largely influence its spatial distribution. However, SOC distribution and its leading topographical impact factors in subtropical forest ecosystems (e.g., the Zhejiang Province in China) have received relatively limited attention from researchers. In this study, 255 forest soil samples were collected from the Zhejiang Province to quantify the spatial variation in SOC and impact factors in subtropical forests. The SOC contents over soil profiles were 35.95 ± 22.58 g/kg, 20.98 ± 15.26 g/kg, and 13.77 ± 11.28 g/kg at depths of 0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, and 30–60 cm, respectively. The coefficient variations at different depths were 62.81% (0–10 cm), 72.74% (10–30 cm), and 81.92% (30–60 cm), respectively. SOC content shows a moderate intensity variation in the Zhejiang Province. The nugget coefficients of the SOC content for the three depths were 0.809 (0–10 cm), 0.846 (10–30 cm), and 0.977 (30–60 cm), respectively. Structural factors mainly influence SOC content. SOC content is positively correlated with elevation and slope, and negatively correlated with slope position (p < 0.05). However, the SOC content was negatively correlated with slope in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest. The distribution of the SOC content was relatively balanced between different slope positions. However, the differences became obvious when forest types were distinguished. Topographical factors affected the SOC content differently: elevation > slope > slope position. Slope becomes the main influencing factor in 30–60 cm soil. Forest type significantly influenced the SOC content but with a low statistical explanation compared to topographical factors. Topography has different effects on SOC of different forest types in subtropical forests. This reminds us that in future research, we should consider the combination of topography and forest types. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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18 pages, 2405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Canopy Gaps Control Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release in Subtropical Forests

by Jiajia Chen, Jing Zhu, Ziwei Wang, Cong Xing, Bo Chen, Xuelin Wang, Chensi Wei, Jinfu Liu, Zhongsheng He and Daowei Xu

Forests 2023, 14(4), 673; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040673 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1711

Abstract

The formation of a canopy gap results in changes to the microenvironment which, in turn, affect litter decomposition and nutrient release. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects in differently sized gaps and non-gaps remain poorly understood. To address this gap in knowledge, we selected three large gaps (above 150 m²), three medium gaps (50–100 m²), three small gaps (30–50 m²), and three non-gaps with basically the same site conditions. We then used the litter bag method to investigate leaf and branch litter decomposition over a year in a Castanopsis kawakamii natural forest with the aim of characterizing the litter mass remaining and the nutrient release in canopy gaps and non-gaps. Our results revealed that the remaining litter mass of leaf and branch litter was lower in medium gaps compared to other gaps, and leaf litter decomposed faster than branch litter. Environmental factors were identified as the primary drivers of total carbon and nitrogen release during litter decomposition. Gap size (canopy openness), taxonomic Margalef index, the Brillouin index of soil microbes, soil total nitrogen content, soil pH value, and average air temperature were identified as the main factors driving carbon and nitrogen release from branch litter. In the late decomposition stage, the taxonomic Pielou index, soil total potassium content, soil water content, and average relative air humidity were the main drivers of nutrient release from branch litter. The soil water content and average relative air humidity were also found to be the main factors affecting the nutrient release from leaf litter throughout the different stages of decomposition. Overall, our study highlights the impact of canopy gaps on microenvironmental variation, taxonomic community diversity, and soil microbial functional diversity and how these factors ultimately influence litter decomposition and nutrient release. Our findings provide an important foundation for further research into soil nutrient cycling in subtropical natural forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Changes in Forests)

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