N-fixing tree species promote the chemical stability of soil organic carbon in subtropical plantations through increasing the relative contribution of plant-derived lipids

Biodiversity experiments have shown that soil organic carbon(SOC)is not only a function of plant diversity,but is also closely related to the nitrogen(N)-fixing plants.However,the effect of N-fixing trees on SOC chemical stability is still little known,especially with the compounding effects of tree species diversity.An experimental field manipulation was established in subtropical plantations of southern China to explore the impacts of tree species richness(i.e.,one,two,four and six tree species)and with/without N-fixing trees on SOC chemical stability,as indicated by the ratio of easily oxidized organic carbon to SOC(EOC/SOC).Plant-derived C components in terms of hydrolysable plant lipids and lignin phenols were isolated from soils for evaluating their relative contributions to SOC chemical stability.The results showed that N-fixing tree species rather than tree species richness had a significant effect on EOC/SOC.Hydrolysable plant lipids and lignin phenols were negatively correlated with EOC/SOC,while hydrolysable plant lipids contributed more to EOC/SOC than lignin phenols,especially in the occurrence of N-fixing trees.The presence of N-fixing tree species led to an increase in soil N availability and a decrease in fungal abundance,promoting the selective retention of certain key components of hydrolysable plant lipids,thus enhancing SOC chemical stability.These findings underpin the crucial role of N-fixing trees in shaping SOC chemical stability,and therefore,preferential selection of N-fixing tree species in mixed plantations is an appropriate silvicultural strategy to improve SOC chemical stability in subtropical plantations.

Litter quality and decomposer complexity co-drive effect of drought on decomposition

Litter decomposition is key to ecosystem carbon(C)and nutrient cycling,but this process is anticipated to weaken due to projected more extensive and prolonged drought.Yet how litter quality and decomposer community complexity regulate decomposition in response to drought is less understood.Here,in a five-year manipulative drought experiment in a Masson pine forest,leaf litter from four subtropical tree species(Quercus griffthii Hook.f.&Thomson ex Miq.,Acacia mangium Willd.,Pinus massoniana Lamb.,Castanopsis hystrix Miq.)representing different qualities was decomposed for 350 d in litterbags of three different mesh sizes(i.e.,0.05,1,and 5 mm),respectively,under natural conditions and a 50%throughfall rain exclusion treatment.Litterbags of increasing mesh sizes discriminate decomposer communities(i.e.,microorganisms,microorganisms and mesofauna,microorganisms and meso-and macrofauna)that access the litter and represent an increasing complexity.The amount of litter C and nitrogen(N)loss,and changes in their ratio(C/N_(loss)),as well as small and medium-sized decomposers including microorganisms,nematodes,and arthropods,were investigated.We found that drought did not affect C and N loss but decreased C/N_(loss)(i.e.,decomposer N use efficiency)of leaf litter irrespective of litter quality and decomposer complexity.However,changes in the C/N_(loss)and the drought effect on C loss were both dependent on litter quality,while drought and decomposer complexity interactively affected litter C and N loss.Increasing decomposer community complexity enhanced litter decomposition and allowing additional access of meso-and macro-fauna to litterbags mitigated the negative drought effect on the microbial-driven decomposition.Furthermore,both the increased diversity and altered trophic structure of nematode due to drought contributed to the mitigation effects via cascading interactions.Our results show that litter quality and soil decomposer community complexity co-drive the effect of drought on litter decomposition.This experimental finding provides a new insight into the mechanisms controlling forest floor C and nutrient cycling under future global change scenarios.

Functional diversity dominates positive species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality in subtropical plantations

Mixed-species plantations generally exhibit higher ecosystem multifunctionality than monospecific plantations.However,it is unclear how tree species functional composition influences species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality.We selected 171 monospecific and mixed-species plantations from nine regions across subtropical China,and quantified 13 key ecosystem functional properties to investigate how species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality are modulated by functional diversity and identity.We found that ecosystem multifunctionality was significantly higher(p<0.05)in mixed tree plantations than in monospecific plantations except the mixed-conifer species plantations.Across all regions,ecosystem multifunctionality was significantly higher(p<0.05)in mixed conifer-broadleaf plantations than in monospecific plantations of the corresponding species,but not different between mixed and monospecific coniferous plantations.The magnitude of species mixture effects on ecosystem multifunctionality varied greatly with tree species compositions.Taking Cunninghamia lanceolata Lamb.as an example,the effects varied from a range of 2.0%–9.6%when mixed with a conifer species to 36%–87%when mixed with a broadleaf species.The functional diversity was the dominate driver shaping ecosystem multifunctionality,while functional identity,as expressed by community-weighted mean of specific leaf area,also had a positive effect on ecosystem multifunctionality through the increased below-ground nitrogen and phosphorus stocks regulated by specific leaf area of the mixing tree species.Our study highlights the important role of functional diversity in shaping ecosystem multifunctionality across region-wide environmental conditions.Mixed conifer-broadleaf tree plantations with distinct functional traits benefit the enhancement of ecosystem multifunctionality,and the magnitude of species mixture effects is modulated by the functional identity of tree species composition;those relationships deserve a special consideration in multifunctional management context of subtropical plantations.

Different mechanisms underlying divergent responses of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration to long-term throughfall reduction in a warm-temperate oak forest

Background:There are many studies on disentangling the responses of autotrophic(AR)and heterotrophic(HR)respiration components of soil respiration(SR)to long-term drought,but few studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying its responses.Methods:To explore the impact of prolonged drought on AR and HR,we conducted the 2-year measurements on soil CO_(2) effluxes in the 7th and 8th year of manipulated throughfall reduction(TFR)in a warm-temperate oak forest.Results:Our results showed long-term TFR decreased HR,which was positively related to bacterial richness.More importantly,some bacterial taxa such as Novosphingobium and norank Acidimicrobiia,and fungal Leptobacillium were identified as major drivers of HR.In contrast,long-term TFR increased AR due to the increased fine root biomass and production.The increased AR accompanied by decreased HR appeared to counteract each other,and subsequently resulted in the unchanged SR under the TFR.Conclusions:Our study shows that HR and AR respond in the opposite directions to long-term TFR.Soil microorganisms and fine roots account for the respective mechanisms underlying the divergent responses of HR and AR to long-term TFR.This highlights the contrasting responses of AR and HR to prolonged drought should be taken into account when predicting soil CO_(2) effluxes under future droughts.

竹林扩张符合外来物种入侵范式吗?——从养分循环角度初探

凋落物分解是生态系统中碳和养分循环的基础,有关植物入侵对凋落物分解的影响通常通过叶片凋落物性状差异来预测,并且普遍认为外来入侵植物分解更快,并籍以促进入侵地养分循环从而有利于其进一步入侵。然而,植物入侵还可能影响分解者的活性或改变分解者的功能多样性,从而改变凋落物分解,其机制尚不清楚;而且在不同的气候条件下其影响可能会有所不同。毛竹由于其克隆生长的特性,在缺乏管理的情况下往往会向邻近森林群落扩张,其对生态系统的负面影响近年来广受诟病。不过,其对生态系统影响是否符合外来入侵植物生态范式仍值得商榷。本研究在全国范围内存在毛竹扩张的7个地区建立84个观测样地,通过在受侵和未受侵群落开展凋落物分解实验研究,同时考虑了土壤分解者功能群的贡献及凋落物混合效应。研究结果表明,随着土壤分解者功能群多样性的增加,尤其是大型土壤动物的存在,凋落物碳和氮的循环以及分解的气候敏感性均相应增加,但分解者的氮利用效率降低。凋落物混合效应加速其分解(9.5%)和氮素循环(28.9%),但不依赖于分解者功能多样性。相反,被毛竹入侵的样地分解速度减缓,分解者氮利用效率降低,但在排除了大型土壤动物的作用后,这种负效应则被逆转,毛竹入侵降低了分解者尤其是大型土壤动物的气候敏感性。上述结果表明,分解者的功能多样性能够调节并在很大程度上决定凋落物分解受植物入侵的影响。同时,上述现象不完全符合外来入侵物种的“养分促进”假说,意味着毛竹扩张从凋落物分解层面或许难以像外来入侵物种那样形成正反馈。在当前和未来气候条件下,将分解者功能群(尤其是大型土壤动物)及其与凋落物性状的交互效应纳入相关模型,与以往基于植物功能性状的框架相比,有利于更加可靠的预测植物入侵对生态系统功能的改变。

Effects of nitrogen addition on clonal integration between mother and daughter ramets of Moso bamboo: a ^(13)C-CO_(2) pulse labeling study

Resource sharing among connected ramets(i.e.clonal integration)is one of the distinct traits of clonal plants.Clonal integration confers Moso bamboo(Phyllostachys pubescens)a strong adaptability to different environmental conditions.But the mechanisms of how clonal integration makes Moso bamboo has better performance are still poorly understood.In this study,acropetal and basipetal translocation of photosynthates between Moso bamboo ramets were analyzed separately to investigate how clonal fragments obtain higher benefits under heterogeneous N conditions.Clonal fragments of Moso bamboo consisting of two interconnected mother–daughter ramets were used,each of the ramets was subjected to either with or without N addition.The acropetal and basipetal translocation of ^(13)C-photosynthates was separated via single-ramet ^(13)C-CO_(2)-labeling.Mother ramets translocated more ^(13)C-photosynthates to daughter ramets with N addition,and the translocation of ^(13)C-photosynthates to mother ramets was more pronounced when daughter ramets were treated with N addition.The ^(13)C-photosynthates that were translocated from mother ramets without and with N addition were mainly invested in the leaves and roots of daughter ramets with N addition,from daughter ramets with N addition were mainly invested in the leaves and roots of mother ramets with and without N addition,respectively.These results suggest that mother ramets preferentially invest more resources in nutrient-rich daughter ramets,and that daughter ramets serve as efficient resource acquisition sites to specialize in acquiring abundant resources based on the resource conditions of mother ramets.Clonal plants can improve their resource acquisition efficiency and maximize the overall performance in this way.