Characteristics of Light Availability Under Forest Canopies and Its Influences on Photosynthesis of Understory Plants

Available light under forest canopies includes two components, diffuse light and direct light (sunflecks), and is characterized as low and highly dynamic. Understory habitats under different forest types experience different light conditions. Sunflecks as a critical resource for understory plants have great importance on carbon gain of understory plants. Under the light-limiting habitat, understory plants exhibit a high light utilization efficiency attributed by a post-illumination CO2 uptake. Although different species have different photosynthetic responses, shade plants appear to be acclimated to respond more quickly and efficiently to sunflecks. This acclimation includes a faster induction, relatively lower rate of induction loss, lower photosynthetic compensation point, and higher water use efficiency. The process that shade plants harvest light energy is not well known. Studies of photosynthetic responses to sunflecks in natural conditions are rare. Little is known about constraints on sunfleck utilization, which may change seasonally. Extensive field studies in conjunction with laboratory investigations will be needed to further understand potential and actual constraints on sunfleck utilization. Most studies on photosynthetic responses to fluctuating light condition were done in the level of leaves. Fluctuating light utilization on the basis of whole plants and populations presents future challenges to ecologists.

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition affects forest plant and soil system carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus stoichiometric flexibility:A meta-analysis

Background:Nitrogen(N)deposition affects forest stoichiometric flexibility through changing soil nutrient availability to influence plant uptake.However,the effect of N deposition on the flexibility of carbon(C),N,and phosphorus(P)in forest plant-soil-microbe systems remains unclear.Methods:We conducted a meta-analysis based on 751 pairs of observations to evaluate the responses of plant,soil and microbial biomass C,N and P nutrients and stoichiometry to N addition in different N intensity(050,50–100,>100 kg·ha^(-1)·year^(-1)of N),duration(0–5,>5 year),method(understory,canopy),and matter(ammonium N,nitrate N,organic N,mixed N).Results:N addition significantly increased plant N:P(leaf:14.98%,root:13.29%),plant C:P(leaf:6.8%,root:25.44%),soil N:P(13.94%),soil C:P(10.86%),microbial biomass N:P(23.58%),microbial biomass C:P(12.62%),but reduced plant C:N(leaf:6.49%,root:9.02%).Furthermore,plant C:N:P stoichiometry changed significantly under short-term N inputs,while soil and microorganisms changed drastically under high N addition.Canopy N addition primarily affected plant C:N:P stoichiometry through altering plant N content,while understory N inputs altered more by influencing soil C and P content.Organic N significantly influenced plant and soil C:N and C:P,while ammonia N changed plant N:P.Plant C:P and soil C:N were strongly correlated with mean annual precipitation(MAT),and the C:N:P stoichiometric flexibility in soil and plant under N addition connected with soil depth.Besides,N addition decoupled the correlations between soil microorganisms and the plant.Conclusions:N addition significantly increased the C:P and N:P in soil,plant,and microbial biomass,reducing plant C:N,and aggravated forest P limitations.Significantly,these impacts were contingent on climate types,soil layers,and N input forms.The findings enhance our comprehension of the plant-soil system nutrient cycling mechanisms in forest ecosystems and plant strategy responses to N deposition.

Comparison of Soil Nitrogen Availability Indices under Two Temperate Forest Types

To evaluate the validity of different indices in estimating soil readily mineralizable N, soil microbial biomass （Nmic）, soil active N （SAN）, soluble organic N （SON）, net N mineralization rate （NNR） and gross N mineralization rate （GNR） in mineral soils （0-10 cm） from six forest stands located in central Germany were determined and compared with two sampling times： April and November. Additionally, soil density fractionation was conducted for incubated soils （with addition of ^15NH4-N and glucose, 40 days） to observe the sink of added ^15N in different soil fractions. The study showed that Nmic and NNR in most stands differed significantly （P 〈 0.05） between the two sampling times, but not GNR, SAN and SON. In November, no close relationships were found between GNR and other N indices, or between Nrnic, SON, and SAN and forest type. However, in April, GNR was significantly correlated （P 〈 0.05） with Nmic, SAN, and NNR along with Nmlc under beech being significantly higher （P 〈 0.05） than under conifers. Furthermore, density fractionation revealed that the light fraction （LF, 0.063-2 mm, 〉 1.7 gcm^-3） was not correlated with the other N indices. In contrast, results from the incubation study proved that more 15N was incorporated into the heavy fraction （HF 〈 0.063 ram, 〉 1.7 g cm^-3） than into LF, indicaing that more labile N existed in HF than in LF. These findings suggested that attention should be paid to the differences existing in N status between agricultural and forest soils.

Raccoon Use of Den Trees and Plant Associations in Western Mesophytic Forests: Tree Attributes and Availability or Landscape Heterogeneity?

We monitored 15 radio-collared raccoons (Procyon lotor) on Davies Island in March 1987 - May 1988 to determine the extent to which individual tree attributes or spatial configuration of plant associations (habitat types) across the landscape influenced den use. Of 1091 verified den sites, 428 were in tree cavities. Raccoon occurrence among 4 cover types differed from that expected based on the total area of each across the island and varied across all seasons for all habitat types except Cedar Wood. Preference varied among age and sex groups and across seasons with some groups showing opposite selection for the same cover type in different seasons. Species and diameter-class distributions of selected den trees differed from a random sample of trees across the landscape. Species composition of trees with cavities also differed from the species composition across the study area. American beech (Fagus grandifolia—relative abundance 8.7%) was over-represented in the sample of trees with cavities (29.4%) and trees selected as dens (65%);diameter at breast height (dbh) of beech den trees averaged 80.0 cm, whereas all beech trees averaged 71.2 cm. For all species combined, mean dbh of den trees was 78.4 cm as compared to trees with cavities (67.6 cm), or all trees (50.4 cm). The relative availability of large, cavity-prone tree species was related to previous logging practices.

Effects of long-term elevated CO_2 on N_2-fixing,denitrifying and nitrifying enzyme activities in forest soils under Pinus sylvestriformis in Changbai Mountain

A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China （42°24＂N, 128°06＂E, and 738 m elevation）. A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999. Changpai Scotch pine （Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May, 1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination. In each year, the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007, and soil nitrifying, denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured. Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities （NEA） in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006, by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007. Soil denitrifying enzyme activities （DEA） were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 （P 〈 0.012） and August 2006 （P 〈 0.005） samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007, and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found. This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.

Major factors controlling nitrous oxide emission and methane uptake from forest soil

Soil samples were taken from depth of 0-12 cm in virgin broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Moun-tain in July 2000. The effects of temperature, soil water content, pH, NH4+ and NO3- on N2O emission and CH4 uptake of a for-est soil were studied in laboratory by the method of orthogonal design. It was observed under laboratory conditions in this study that there were significant correlations between N2O emission rate, CH4 oxidation rate, soil pH and temperature. Nevertheless, N2O emission rate also showed a significant positive correlation with CH4 oxidation rate. The results suggested that pH and temperature were important factors controlling N2O emission and CH4 oxidation under this experiment conditions.

Patterns and driving factors of leaf C,N,and P stoichiometry in two forest types with different stand ages in a mid-subtropical zone

Background:Carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry is a key indicator of nutrient utilization in plants,and C/N/P ratios are related to the life histories and adaptation strategies of tree species.However,no consensus has been reached on how leaf stoichiometric characteristics are affected by forest type and stand ages.The relationships between leaf stoichiometry and geographical,meteorological,and soil factors also remain poorly understood.Methods:Leaf and soil were sampled from forest stands of different age groups(young,middle-aged,near-mature,and mature)in two forest types(Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata)forests and evergreen broadleaved forests).The relationships between leaf C,N,and P stoichiometric parameters and geographical,meteorological,and soil factors were analysed by using redundancy analysis(RDA)and stepwise linear regression analysis.Results:Leaf C concentrations peaked in the near-mature stands with increasing age irrespective of forest type.Leaf N and P concentrations fluctuated with a rising trend in Chinese fir forests,while decreased first and increased later from young to mature phases in natural evergreen broadleaved forests.Chinese fir forests were primarily limited by N and P,while natural evergreen broadleaved forests were more susceptible to P limitation.Leaf C,N,and P stoichiometric characteristics in Chinese fir forests were mainly affected by the soil total P concentration(SP),longitude(LNG),growing season precipitation(GSP)and mean temperature in July(JUT).The leaf C concentration was mainly affected by GSP and JUT;leaf N and P concentrations were both positively correlated with LNG;and leaf P was positively correlated with SP.In evergreen broadleaved forests,however,leaf stoichiometric parameters displayed significant correlations with latitude(LAT)and mean annual precipitation(MAP).Conclusions:Leaf stoichiometry differed among forest stands of different age groups and forest types.Leaf C,N,and P stoichiometry was primarily explained by the combinations of SP,LNG,GSP and JUT in Chinese fir forests.LAT and MAP were the main controlling factors affecting the variations in the leaf C,N,and P status in natural evergreen broadleaved forests,which supports the temperature-plant physiological hypothesis.These findings improve the understanding of the distribution patterns and driving mechanisms of leaf stoichiometry linked with stand age and forest type.

Relationship between Leaf Micro- and Macro-Nutrients in Top Canopy Trees in a Mixed Forest in the Upper Rio Negro in the Amazon Region

The mixed forests of the upper Rio Negro at the northern of the Amazon basin grow in oxisol soils that are extremely infertile. These areas exhibit deficiencies in several macro-nutrients, and may also be characterized by the shortage or toxic excess of some micronutrients. The overall goal of this research is to collect more comprehensive information regarding the micronutrient composition of the upper Rio Negro forests as well as discern the relationship between leaf micro- and macro-nutrients that may contribute to the homeostasis and balance of the ionome. Firstly, the nutrient composition within the oxisol soil and leaf tissues of two top canopy tree species from the mixed forests was determined. We then analyzed the relationship between leaf micronutrient composition with N and P levels of the two species and that of species inhabiting the Amazon caatinga. Extractable soil Zn, B, Mn and Cu were very low in the mixed forest. In contrast, Fe and Al levels were potentially toxic. The analysis of leaf N/P ratios revealed for the first time the co-limitation of N and P in the mixed forest. This contrasts with species from the adjacent Amazon caatinga toposequence that are characterized by strong N limitation. All micronutrients within leaves of species inhabiting the mixed forest were also found to have low concentrations. Moreover, Fe and Al were detected at concentrations well below those reported for accumulator species. This suggested that leaf ion homeostasis was maintained under potentially toxic soil Fe and Al conditions. Leaf micronutrient (Fe, Zn and B) contents mirrored that of leaf N and P contents, and comparable Fe/N, Fe/P, Zn/N, Zn/P, B/N as well as B/P ratios were found across species and forest types. Therefore, forest species exhibited the capability to maintain leaf nutrient balances under soil conditions with deficient or toxic levels of micronutrients.

Short-term effects of nitrogen deposition on soil respiration components in two alpine coniferous forests, southeastern Tibetan Plateau

Nitrogen (N) deposition to alpine forest ecosystems is increasing gradually, yet previous studies have seldom reported the effects of N inputs on soil CO2 flux in these ecosystems. Evaluating the effects of soil respiration on N addition is of great significance for understanding soil carbon (C) budgets along N gradients in forest ecosystems. In this study, four levels of N (0, 50, 100, 150 kg N ha^-1 a^-1) were added to soil in a Picea baifouriana and an Abies georgei natural forest on the Tibetan Plateau to investigate the effect of the N inputs on soil respiration. N addition stimulated total soil respiration (Rt) and its components including heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and autotrophic respiration (Ra);however, the promoted effects declined with an increase in N application in two coniferous forests. Soil respiration rate was a little greater in the spruce forest (1.05 μmol CO2 m^-2 s^-1) than that in the fir forest (0.97 μmol CO2 m^-2 s^-1). A repeated measures ANOVA indicated that N fertilization had significant effects on Rt and its components in the spruce forest and Rt in the fir forest, but had no obvious effect on Rh or Ra in the fir forest. Rt and its components had significant exponential relationships with soil temperature in both forests. N addition also increased temperature sensitivity (Q10) of Rt and its components in the two coniferous forests, but the promotion declined as N in put increased. Important, soil moisture had great effects on Rt and its components in the spruce forest (P<0.05), but no obvious impacts were observed in the fir forest (P>0.05). Following N fertilization, Ra was significantly and positively related to fine root biomass, while Rh was related to soil enzymatic activities in both forests. The mechanisms underlying the effect of simulated N deposition on soil respiration and its components in this study may help in forecasting C cycling in alpine forests under future levels of reactive N deposition.

Effect of Simulated Acid Rain on Potential Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in Forest Soils

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem worldwide. In this study, a pot experiment using forest soils planted with the seedlings of four woody species was performed with weekly treatments of pH 4.40, 4.00, 3.52, and 3.05 simulated acid rain (SAR) for 42 months compared to a control of pH 5.00 lake water. The cumulative amounts of C and N mineralization in the five treated soils were determined after incubation at 25 ℃ for 65 d to examine the effects of SAR treatments. For all five treatments, cumulative CO2-C production ranged from 20.24 to 27.81 mg kg-1 dry soil, net production of available N from 17.37 to 48.95 mg kg-1 dry soil, and net production of NO-3 -N from 9.09 to 46.23 mg kg-1 dry soil. SAR treatments generally enhanced the emission of CO2-C from the soils; however, SAR with pH 3.05 inhibited the emission. SAR treatments decreased the net production of available N and NO3-N. The cumulative CH4 and N2O productions from the soils increased with increasing amount of simulated acid rain. The cumulative CO2-C production and the net production of available N of the soil under Acmena acuminatissima were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than those under Schima superba and Cryptocarya concinna. The mineralization of soil organic C was related to the contents of soil organic C and N, but was not related to soil pH. However, the overall effect of acid rain on the storage of soil organic matter and the cycling of important nutrients depended on the amount of acid deposition and the types of forests.

A review of the effects of forest fire on soil properties

Forest fires are key ecosystem modifiers affecting the biological,chemical,and physical attributes of forest soils.The extent of soil disturbance by fire is largely dependent on fire intensity,duration and recurrence,fuel load,and soil characteristics.The impact on soil properties is intricate,yielding different results based on these factors.This paper reviews research investigating the effects of wildfire and prescribed fire on the biological and physico-chemical attributes of forest soils and provides a summary of current knowledge associated with the benefits and disadvantages of such fires.Low-intensity fires with ash deposition on soil surfaces cause changes in soil chemistry,including increase in available nutrients and pH.High intensity fires are noted for the complete combustion of organic matter and result in severe negative impacts on forest soils.High intensity fires result in nutrient volatilization,the break down in soil aggregate stability,an increase soil bulk density,an increase in the hydrophobicity of soil particles leading to decreased water infiltration with increased erosion and destroy soil biota.High soil heating(> 120℃) from high-intensity forest fires is detrimental to the soil ecosystem,especially its physical and biological properties.In this regard,the use of prescribed burning as a management tool to reduce the fuel load is highly recommended due to its low intensity and limited soil heating.Furthermore,the use of prescribed fires to manage fuel loads is critically needed in the light of current global warming as it will help prevent increased wildfire incidences.This review provides information on the impact of forest fires on soil properties,a key feature in the maintenance of healthy ecosystems.In addition,the review should prompt comprehensive soil and forest management regimes to limit soil disturbance and restore fire-disturbed soil ecosystems.

Effect of Simulated N Deposition on Soil Exchangeable Cations in Three Forest Types of Subtropical China

The effects of simulated nitrogen(N)deposition on soil exchangeable cations were studied in three forest types of subtropical China.Four N treatments with three replications were designed for the monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest (mature forest):control(0 kg N ha-1 year-1),low N(50 kg N ha-1 year-1),medium N(100 kg N ha-1 year-1)and high N(150 kg N ha-1 year-1),and only three treatments(i.e.,control,low N,medium N)were established for the pine and mixed forests.Nitrogen had been applied continuously for 26 months before the measurement.The mature forest responded more rapidly and intensively to N additions than the pine and mixed forests,and exhibited some significant negative symptoms,e.g.,soil acidification,Al mobilization and leaching of base cations from soil.The pine and mixed forests responded slowly to N additions and exhibited no significant response of soil cations.Response of soil exchangeable cations to N deposition varied in the forests of subtropical China,depending on soil N status and land-use history.

Bias of the Random Forest Out-of-Bag (OOB) Error for Certain Input Parameters

Random Forest is an excellent classification tool, especially in the –omics sciences such as metabolomics, where the number of variables is much greater than the number of subjects, i.e., “n p.” However, the choices for the arguments for the random forest implementation are very important. Simulation studies are performed to compare the effect of the input parameters on the predictive ability of the random forest. The number of variables sampled, m-try, has the largest impact on the true prediction error. It is often claimed that the out-of-bag error (OOB) is an unbiased estimate of the true prediction error. However, for the case where n p, with the default arguments, the out-of-bag (OOB) error overestimates the true error, i.e., the random forest actually performs better than indicated by the OOB error. This bias is greatly reduced by subsampling without replacement and choosing the same number of observations from each group. However, even after these adjustments, there is a low amount of bias. The remaining bias occurs because when there are trees with equal predictive ability, the one that performs better on the in-bag samples will perform worse on the out-of-bag samples. Cross-validation can be performed to reduce the remaining bias.

Comparison of foliar nutrient concentrations between natural and artificial forests of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica on sandy land, China

In order to examine the causes of degradation of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations on sandy land, the foliar concentrations of N, P, K and C were analyzed and compared between the field grown P. sylvestris var. mongolica trees from two provenances （natural forests and plantations）. The results indicated that natural tree needles had lower N, P and C concentrations, and higher K concentrations than those of plantation tree needles. For plantation tree needles, ratios of N： P, P. K and N： K increased with tree age before 45 years old; but they were not clear for the natural tree needles. Compared with the conclusions reported on Pinus spp., we found that the foliar N and P concentrations were in the optimal range for both natural and plantation tree needles. This result suggested that N or P might not be the absolute limit factors in plant nutrient for P sylvestris var. mongolica on sandy land. However, foliar K concentrations in both natural and plantation tree needles were much lower than those reported on Pinus spp. （〉4.80 g kg-1）.The N： P ratio of natural needles was in the adequate ranges, but N： P ratio of plantation needles was out of the adequate ranges. These results indicated that there was a better balanced nutrition status in the natural forest than in the plantations. If only considering the foliar nutrient concentrations of P sylvestris var. mongolica from different provenances, it might be concluded that the degradation phenomenon of P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations was not induced by nutrition deficiency of absolute nutrients of N and P, but might be induced by other mineral nutrients or by the effectiveness of N and P nutrients. The unbalanced nutrition status and relatively quick decomposition of needles in the plantations might also contribute to the degradation.

Effects of six years of simulated N deposition on gross soil N transformation rates in an old-growth temperate forest

Elevated atmospheric nitrogen(N) deposition has been detected in many regions of China, but its effects on soil N transformation in temperate forest ecosystems are not well known. We therefore simulated N deposition with four levels of N addition rate(N0, N30, N60, and N120) for6 years in an old-growth temperate forest in Xiaoxing’an Mountains in Northeastern China. We measured gross N transformation rates in the laboratory usingN tracing technology to explore the effects of N deposition on soil gross N transformations taking advantage of N deposition soils. No significant differences in gross soil N transformation rates were observed after 6 years of N deposition with various levels of N addition rate. For all N deposition soils, the gross NH~+ immobilization rates were consistently lower than the gross N mineralization rates,leading to net N mineralization. Nitrate(NO~-) was primarily produced via oxidation of NH~+(i.e., autotrophic nitrification), whereas oxidation of organic N(i.e., heterotrophic nitrification) was negligible. Differences between the quantity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing archaea were not significant for any treatment, which likely explains the lack of a significant effect on gross nitrification rates. Gross nitrification rates were much higher than the total NO~- consumption rates,resulting in a build-up of NO~-, which highlights the high risk of N losses via NO~- leaching or gaseous N emissions from soils. This response is opposite that of typical N-limited temperate forests suffering from N deposition,suggesting that the investigated old-growth temperate forest ecosystem is likely to approach N saturation.

Response of Nitrogen Leaching to Nitrogen Deposition in Disturbed and Mature Forests of Southern China

Current nitrogen (N) leaching losses and their responses to monthly N additions were investigated under a disturbed pine (Pinus massoniana) forest and a mature monsoon broadleaf forest in southern China. N leaching losses from both disturbed and mature forests were quite high (14.6 and 29.2 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively), accounting for 57% and 80% of their corresponding atmospheric N inputs. N leaching losses were substantially increased following the first 1.5 years of N applications in both forests. The average increases induced by the addition of 50 and 100 kg N ha-1 year-1 were 36.5 and 24.9 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively, in the mature forest, accounting for 73.0% and 24.9% of the annual amount of N added, and 14.2 and 16.8 kg N ha-1 year-1 in the disturbed forest, accounting for 28.4% and 16.8% of the added N. Great N leaching and a fast N leaching response to N additions in the mature forest might result from long-term N accumulation and high ambient N deposition load (greater than 30 kg N ha-1 year-1 over the past 15 years), whereas in the disturbed forest, it might result from the human disturbance and high ambient N deposition load. These results suggest that both disturbed and mature forests in the study region may be sensitive to increasing N deposition.

Impact of land-use management on nitrogen transformation in a mountain forest ecosystem in the north of Iran

Soil inorganic N is one of the most important soil quality indexes, which may be influenced by land-use change. The historical conversion of land-use from native vegetation to agriculture resulted in sharp declines in soil N dynamics. This study was conducted to determine the soil inorganic N concentrations and net N mineralization rate in four common types of land-uses in the mountain forest area in the north of Iran, namely arable land, pine plantation, ash plantation, and beech stand. The soil samples were taken from top mineral soil layer （5 cm） in each site randomly （n=6） during August- September 2010. Beech stand and ash plantation showed significantly higher total nitrogen compared with arable land and pine plantation, while extractable NH4 ＋-N concentration was significantly greater in Beech stand compare to arable soils （p〈0.05）. No significantly difference was found in Net N mineralization, net nitrification and net ammonification rates among different land-uses. Results showed that net N mineralization and ammonification were occurred just in the soil of Ash plantation during the incubation time. Our findings suggested that conversion of Hyrcanian forests areas to pine plantation and agricultural land can disrupt soil natural activities and affect extremely soil quality.

A model to estimate available timber and forest biomass and reforestation expenses in a mountainous region in Japan

We developed a model to estimate supply potentials and available amounts of timber and forest biomass resources from profitable sub-compartments of thinning and final felling operations. Economic balances were estimated while considering not only harvesting expenses but also reforestation expenses after final felling, which should be considered for sustainable forest management. Harvesting expenses were estimated based on two types of timber harvesting systems and three types of forest biomass harvesting systems in each sub-compartment. Then, the model was applied to Nasushiobara city of Tochigi prefecture, Japan. Reforestation expenses had large negative impacts on the financial balances of final felling operations. Few sub-compartments were profitable after considering reforestation expenses. Most profitable sub-compartments were those with mechanized operation systems and landing sales. These accounted for 17.19% of all sub-compartments, while only 5.75% of the sub-compartments were profitable based on their current operation systems and landing sales. Although the overall supply potentials of timber and forest biomass resources were 380,000 m3 and 210,000 Mg, respectively, and 15 times the planned harvest of coniferous tree volume of 25,000 m3year-1 and 50 times the annual demand for the woody gasification power generation of 4,000 Mg year-1 in Nasushiobara, available amounts of timber and forest biomass resources were only49,429 m3 and 33,333 Mg, which were 13.0% and 15.7% of supply potentials for landing sales with mechanized operation systems.

Study on Variation in ^(15)N Natural Abundance. Ⅰ. Characteristics of Variation in ^(25)N Natural Abundance of Forest Soils

INTRODUCTION A lot 0fwork has been done on the variation of natural ^(15)N abundance in soils andtheir N components (Chen et al., 1964). However, these reports mostly concerned thegeochemical mean of natural ^(15)N abundance, and only a little work has been done on thecharacteristics of variation of the natural ^(15)N abundance in different ecosystems and itsrelationship with the properties and conditions of soil, which is the aim of our recent re-

Carbon and Nitrogen Transformations in Surface Soils Under Ermans Birch and Dark Coniferous Forests

Soil samples were taken from an Ermans birch （Betula ermanii）-dark coniferous forest （Picea jezoensis and Abies nephrolepis） ecotone growing on volcanic ejecta in the northern slope of Changbai Mountains of Northeast China, to compare soil carbon （C） and nitrogen （N） transformations in the two forests. The soil type is Umbri-Gelic Cambosols in Chinese Soil Taxonomy. Soil samples were incubated aerobically at 20℃ and field capacity of 700 g kg^-1 over a period of 27 weeks. The amount of soil microbial biomass and net N mineralization were higher in the Ermans birch than the dark coniferous forest （P 〈 0.05）, whereas the cumulative C mineralization （as CO2 emission） in the dark coniferous forest exceeded that in the Ermans birch （P 〈 0.05）. Release of the cumulative dissolved organic C and dissolved organic N were greater in the Ermans birch than the dark coniferous forest （P 〈 0.05）. The results suggested that differences of forest types could result in considerable change in soil C and N transformations.