Comparison of Soil Moisture in Different Soil Layers between Three Typical Forests in the Upper Reaches of Lijiang River Basin, Southern China

Throughfall, stemflow, evapotranspiration and infiltration are likely to vary with forest types, and consequently affect soil moisture regimes in different soil layers. In this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of soil moisture were investigated to understand variations in soil moisture in three typical forests, including Phyllostachys pubescens forest (abbreviated as PPF), Schima superba forest (abbreviated as SSF) and Cunninghamia lanceolata forest (abbreviated as CLF) in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin in southern China. The results showed that,(1) Litterfall and soil physical properties differed significantly in the three typical forests. Infiltration capacity in SSF was more favorable to soil moisture than in PPF and CLF.(2) Large variations were found in soil moisture at different forest stands and depths. Due to complicated vertical structures, there were obvious differences in soil moisture from the 0-20 cm soil layer to the 50-80 cm soil layer.(3) Average soil moisture in each layer was higher in SSF than in PPF and CLF.(4) Soil moisture in different layers correlated closely with precipitation (P<0.01) and the three typical forests had the same change trends with rainfall during the studying period.(5) In topsoil, soil moisture was influe need by soil properties which were mostly determined by litterfall, while in deep soil, soil moisture was affected by variations of soil characteristics, which were mostly determined by root distribution. This study provides a scie ntific basis for better un dersta nding the relati on ships betwee n forest vegetati on and its hydrological effects, helping to facilitate water resources conservation and achieving wise forest management in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin.

Spatial Patterns and Controlling Factors of Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in the Three River Headwaters Region,China

The alpine ecosystem has great potential for carbon sequestration.Soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)are highly sensitive to climate change,and their dynamics are crucial to revealing the effect of climate change on the structure,function,and services of the ecosystem.However,the spatial distribution and controlling factors of SOC and TN across various soil layers and vegetation types within this unique ecosystem remain inadequately understood.In this study,256 soil samples in 89 sites were collected from the Three River Headwaters Region(TRHR)in China to investigate SOC and TN and to explore the primary factors affecting their distribution,including soil,vegetation,climate,and geography factors.The results show that SOC and TN contents in 0-20,20-40,40-60,and 60-80 cm soil layers are 24.40,18.03,14.04,12.40 g/kg and 2.46,1.90,1.51,1.17 g/kg,respectively;with higher concentrations observed in the southeastern region compared to the northwest of the TRHR.One-way analysis of variance reveals that SOC and TN levels are elevated in the alpine meadow and the alpine shrub relative to the alpine steppe in the 0-60 cm soil layers.The structural equation model explores that soil water content is the main controlling factor affecting the variation of SOC and TN.Moreover,the geography,climate,and vegetation factors notably indirectly affect SOC and TN through soil factors.Therefore,it can effectively improve soil water and nutrient conditions through vegetation restoration,soil improvement,and grazing management,and the change of SOC and TN can be fully understood by establishing monitoring networks to better protect soil carbon and nitrogen.