Soil Biological Changes for a Natural Forest and Two Plantations in Subtropical China

Conversion of natural forests into pure plantation forests is a common management practice in subtropical China.To evaluate the effects of forest conversion on soil fertility, microbe numbers and enzyme activities in topsoils (0-10 cm)were quantified in two 33-year-old monoculture plantations of Castanopsis kawakamii Hayata (CK) and Cunninghamia lanceolata Lamb. (Chinese fir) (CF), and compared to a neighboring relict natural C. kawakamii forest (NF), in Sanming,Fujian. Five soil samples were collected once each in January, April, July, September and November in 2000 in each forest for laboratory analysis. Over the sampling year, there were significant differences for bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes between forests and between seasons (P ＜ 0.05). The largest bacteria and fungi populations were in NF, while CF contained the greatest number of actinomycetes. There were also significant differences (P ＜ 0.05) with microbial respiration for forests and seasons. Additionally, compared with NF, urease and acid phosphatase were significantly lower (P ＜ 0.05)in CK and CF. Also, the correlations of soil hydrolysable N and available P to soil microbial and enzymatic activities were highly significant (P ＜ 0.01). Thus, to alter the traditional Chinese fir monoculture so as to mimic the natural forest conditions, managing mixed stands of Chinese fir and broadleaf trees or conducting crop rotation of conifers and broadleaf trees as well as minimizing forest disturbances like clear-cutting, slash burning and soil preparing, could be utilized.

Carbon Return and Dynamics of Litterfall in Natural Forest and Monoculture Plantation of Castanopsis kawakamii in Subtropical China

The amount of carbon returned through litterfall and its seasonal pattern were studied in a natural forest of Castanopsis kawakamii (NF) and adjacent monoculture plantations of C. kawakamii (CK) and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) (CF) in Sanming, Fujian Province, China. Mean annual carbon return through total litterfall over 3 years (from 1999 to 2001) was 5.097 t穐m2 in the NF, 4.337 t穐m2 in the CK and 2.502 t穐m2 in the CF respectively. Of the total carbon return in the three forests, leaf contribution accounted for 58.96%, 68.53% and 56.12% and twig 24.41%, 22.34% and 26.18%, respectively. The seasonal patterns of carbon return from total litterfall and leaf-litter were quite similar among the three forests. A peak of carbon input from litterfall in the NF and the CK occurred in spring except for the highest annual C return through branch litter of the NF in summer, while the CF showed the maximum C return in summer. The results of this study demonstrate that the natural forest has a greater C return through litterfall than monoculture plantations, which is beneficial to the increase of soil organic matter storage and the maintenance of soil fertility.

Composition and mineralization of soil organic carbon pools in four single-tree species forest soils

Forest soil carbon （C） is an important compo- nent of the global C cycle. However, the mechanism by which tree species influence soil organic C （SOC） pool composition and mineralization is poorly understood. To understand the effect of tree species on soil C cycling, we assessed total, labile, and recalcitrant SOC pools, SOC chemical composition by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and SOC mineralization in four monoculture plantations. Labile and recalcitrant SOC pools in surface （0-10 cm） and deep （40-60 cm） soils in the four forests contained similar content. In contrast, these SOC pools exhibited differences in the subsurface soil （from 10 to 20 cm and from 20 to 40 cm）. The alkyl C and O-alkyl C intensities of SOC were higher in Schima superba and Michelia macclurei forests than in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana forests. In surface soil, S. superba and M. macclurei forests exhibited higher SOC mineralization rates than did P. massoniana and C.lanceolata forests. The slope of the straight line between C60 and labile SOC was steeper than that between C60 and total SOC. Our results suggest that roots affected the composition of SOC pools. Labile SOC pools also affected SOC mineralization to a greater extent than total SOC pools.

Comparison of soil chemical and microbial properties in monoculture larch and mixed plantations in a temperate forest ecosystem in Northeast China

Background:The introduction of broadleaved tree species in monoculture larch plantations to establish mixed plantations is a feasible way to improve soil properties.However,our understanding of how mixed plantations of larch and broadleaved tree species affect soil properties,particularly microbial community structures and functions,remains limited.We compared three paired monoculture larch(Larix gmelinii)and mixed[L.gmelinii–Fraxinus mandshurica(a dominant broadleaved species)]plantations to investigate the effect of a larch–broadleaved tree species combination on the carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)content,abundance and composition of microbial communities,and enzyme activities associated with litter and soil.Results:The bacterial abundance in the litter,soil N availability,pH and electronic conductivity were significantly higher in the mixed-species plantation in comparison with those of the monoculture plantation.However,in the litter of mixed-species plantation,the relative levels of Agaricomycetes fungi were lower than those of the monoculture plantation,indicating that soil fungal communities were affected more than bacterial communities.In contrast,soil in the mixed-species plantation showed increased exoglucanase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activities.However,the C and N levels,δ^(13)C andδ^(15)N values,and fungal abundance in litter and soil were not significantly different between the monoculture and mixed-species plantations.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that fungal community compositions and enzyme activities are sensitive to the introduction of broadleaved tree species into larch plantations.Thus,these parameters can be used as important indicators to evaluate the effects of tree species selection on soil restoration.