Effects of tree size and organ age on variations in carbon,nitrogen,and phosphorus stoichiometry in Pinus koraiensis

Carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)are of fundamental importance for growth and nutrient dynamics within plant organs and deserve more attention at regional to global scales.However,our knowledge of how these nutrients vary with tree size,organ age,or root order at the individual level remains limited.We determined C,N,and P contents and their stoichiometric ratios(i.e.,nutrient traits)in needles,branches,and fine roots at different organ ages(0-3-year-old needles and branches)and root orders(1st-4th order roots)from 64 Pinus koraiensis of varying size(Diameter at breast height ranged from 0.3 to 100 cm)in northeast China.Soil factors were also measured.The results show that nutrient traits were regulated by tree size,organ age,or root order rather than soil factors.At a whole-plant level,nutrient traits decreased in needles and fine roots but increased in branches with tree size.At the organ level,age or root order had a negative effect on C,N,and P and a positive effect on stoichiometric ratios.Our results demonstrate that nutrient variations are closely related to organ-specific functions and ecophysiological processes at an individual level.It is suggested that the nutrient acquisition strategy by younger trees and organ fractions with higher nutrient content is for survival.Conversely,nutrient storage strategy in older trees and organ fractions are mainly for steady growth.Our results clarified the nutrient utilization strategies during tree and organ ontogeny and suggest that tree size and organ age or root order should be simultaneously considered to understand the complexities of nutrient variations.

Afforestation increases microbial diversity in low-carbon soils

Afforestation has an important role in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem function improvement.A meta-analysis was carried out in China,which has the largest plantation area globally,to quantify the effects of plantings on soil microbial diversity.The results showed that the overall effect of afforestation on soil microbial diversity was positive across the country.Random forest algorithm suggested that soil carbon was the most important factor regulating microbial diversity and the positive response was only found with new plantings on low-carbon bare lands but not on high-carbon farmlands and grasslands.In addition,afforestation with broadleaved species increased microbial diversity,whereas planting with conifers had no effect on microbial diversity.This study clarified the effects of plantings on soil microbial diversity,which has an important implication for establishing appropriate policies and practices to improve the multiple functionalities(e.g.,biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation)during plantation establishment.

Stand biomass of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations benefits from high density monocultures in the boreal zone

Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica(P.sylvestris)plantations are extensively established in the boreal zone.Increasing stand biomass of these plantations can effectively enhance carbon stock,which is crucial for mitigating climate change.However,the current understanding of optimizing plantation strategies to maximize stand biomass is primarily derived from experiments in tropical and subtropical zones,which is difficult to extend to the boreal due to substantial climatic differences.Based on a comprehensive dataset from 1,076 sample plots of P.sylvestris plantations in the boreal zone of China,we evaluated the effects of tree species richness and stand density on tree height,diameter at breast height(DBH),and stand biomass to investigate the optimal plantation strategy.Furthermore,we examined how these effects changed with stand age and investigated their relative importance.We found that monocultures at a high stand density of 2,000–2,500ha^(−1) were the optimal plantation strategy to maximize stand biomass(107.5Mg·ha^(−1)),and this held true at almost all stand ages.Unfortunately,this strategy resulted in low species richness and small individual trees(10.6m height and 9.8cm DBH),thus presenting a trade-off.In addition,as stand age increased,the effect of tree species richness on stand biomass shifted from positive to negative,but the effect of stand density was always positive.Overall,stand age had the greatest effect on stand biomass,followed by stand density and then tree species richness.Our findings reveal a distinct plantation strategy for optimizing stand biomass of P.sylvestris plantations in the boreal zone.More importantly,this study highlights that(1)maximizing stand biomass in the boreal zone may compromise tree species richness;(2)net effects of tree species richness on stand biomass are not always positive,as negative selection effects offset positive complementary effects.

Leaf nitrogen resorption is more important than litter nitrogen mineralization in mediating the diversity–productivity relationship along a nitrogen-limited temperate forest succession chronosequence

The resorption of nutrients by plants before litter fall and the mineralization of nutrients from plant litter by soil processes are both important pathways supporting primary productivity. While the positive relationship between plant biodiversity and primary productivity is widely accepted for natural ecosystems, the roles of nutrient resorption and mineralization in mediating that relationship remains largely unknown. Here, we quantified the relative importance of nitrogen(N) resorption and N mineralization in driving plant community N investment and the correlation between species diversity and community productivity along an N-limited successional chronosequence of the mixed broadleaved–Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis) forest in northeastern China. Leaf N resorption efficiency(NRE) at the community level increased significantly along the successional chronosequence,whereas litter N mineralization rate decreased significantly. Leaf NRE was more important than litter N mineralization rate in driving the diversity–productivity relationship. However, higher leaf NRE led to less N mineralization as succession progressed along the chronosequence. Our results highlight the importance of the N resorption pathway rather than the N mineralization pathway for forest N acquisition with community succession,and they provide mechanistic insights into the positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. In future forest management practices, we recommend appropriate application of N fertilizer to mitigate the adverse effects of N-poor soil on seedling regeneration during late succession and thus maintain the sustainable development of temperate forest ecosystems.

Soil water content and nitrogen differentially correlate with multidimensional leaf traits of two temperate broadleaf species

The variation and correlation of leaf economics and vein traits are crucial for predicting plant ecological strategies under different environmental changes.However,correlations between these two suites of traits and abiotic factors such as soil water and nitrogen content remain ambiguous.We measured leaf economics and vein traits as well as soil water and nitrogen content for two different shade-tolerant species(Betula platyphylla and Acer mono)in four mixed broadleaved-Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis)forests along a latitudinal gradient in Northeast China.We found that leaf economics traits and vein traits were decoupled in shade-intolerant species,Betula platphylla,but significantly coupled in a shadetolerant species,A.mono.We found stronger correlations among leaf traits in the shade tolerant species than in the shade intolerant species.Furthermore,leaf economic traits were positively correlated with the soil water gradient for both species,whereas vein traits were positively correlated with soil water gradient for the shade intolerant species but negatively correlated in the shade tolerant species.Although economic traits were positively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade intolerant species but not correlated in shade tolerant species,vein traits were negatively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade tolerant species but not correlated in shade intolerant species.Our study provides evidence for distinct correlations between leaf economics and vein traits and local abiotic factors of species differing in light demands.We recommend that the ecological significance of shade tolerance be considered for species when evaluating ecosystem functions and predicting plant responses to environmental changes.

Negative effects of artiffcial nest boxes on birds:A review

Artificial nest boxes are placed to attract birds to nest and breed in a specific location,and they are widely used in avian ecology research and in the attraction of insectivorous birds.There is evidence that artificial nest boxes can adversely affect breeding fitness but no great focus has been placed on this issue by researchers.Therefore,we retrieved 321 research papers regarding artificial nest boxes published from 2003 to 2022 and used the'Biblioshiny'program to extract and integrate keywords;we then summarized the adverse effects of artificial nest boxes on avian breeding success.The studies highlighted many drawbacks and misuses in the designing and placement of nest boxes;furthermore,bird attraction was decreased by their inappropriate selection,thus reducing breeding success.Regarding nest box production,there were shortcomings in the construction material,color,smell,and structural design of the boxes used.Nest boxes were also placed at inappropriate densities,locations,orientations,heights,and managed incorrectly.Finally,we propose suggestions for more efficient and safer artificial nest boxes for future use in avian ecology research and bird conservation.