Abstract
Soil nutrients and their stoichiometry influence the stability of ecosystem structure and function, and it is critical to adequately quantify the potential impacts of different vegetation types on soil nutrients and their stoichiometry. In this study, poplar-birch forest (broadleaved deciduous forest, BDF), Betula platyphylla-Picea wilsonii forest (mixed broadleaved and coniferous forest, BCF), and Picea wilsonii forest (coniferous forest, CF) were selected as research objects in the coniferous-broadleaved forest ecotone of Xinglongshan. The spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil total phosphorus (STP) contents and their stoichiometry within the 0–100-cm soil layer of the three vegetation types were investigated and analyzed using basic statistics and linear regression. The results showed that SOC, STN, C:P, and N:P followed the order BCF > CF > BDF (P < 0.05), while the soil C:N followed the order BDF < BCF < CF (P < 0.05). The soil N:P ratio varied from 2.41 to 15.14, indicating a relatively strong N limitation in the area. SOC, STN, C:P, and N:P significantly decreased with an increase in soil depth (P < 0.05). Furthermore, correlation and linear regression analyses showed that soil nutrients and stoichiometry were significantly correlated with the leaf area index, plant litter density, soil water content, temperature, and bulk density. Overall, changes in soil nutrients and stoichiometry were closely related to vegetation type and soil depth. BCF had a positive effect on soil nutrient accumulation compared to BDF and CF. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of the spatial variation in soil nutrients and stoichiometry and vegetation management in the coniferous-broadleaved forest ecotone.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the Xinglongshan Forest Ecosystem National Positioning Observation and Research Station for technical assistance.
Funding
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), “The formation mechanism and spatial and temporal variation of the integrated vegetation carrying capacity in the dry and water-scarce zone of Loess Plateau” (U21A2005); Project on the operation of the National Positioning Observation and Research Station of Forest Ecosystem in Xinglong Mountain, Gansu (2022132261); Spatial pattern and environmental response of root architecture of main plants in inland salt marsh wetlands (41861009).
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Huang, C., Zhao, C., Zhang, P. et al. Soil C, N, and P Contents and Their Stoichiometry as Impacted by Main Forest Vegetation Types in Xinglongshan, China. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 24, 512–523 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01561-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01561-4