Abstract
The effects of soil animals on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and its availability were studied by investigating soil animal groups and their amounts of macro-faunas sorted by hand, and middle and microfaunas distinguished with Tullgren and Baermann methods under three Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv. plantations in Zhanggutai sandy land, China. In addition, soil N mineralization rate was also measured with PVC closed-top tube in situ incubation method. The soil animals collected during growing season belonged to 13 orders, 5 groups, 4 phyla, whose average density was 86 249.17 individuals·m−2. There were significant differences in soil animal species, densities, diversities and evenness among three plantations. Permanent grazing resulted in decrease of soil animal species and diversity. The average ammonification, nitrification and mineralization rates were 0.48 g·m−2·a−1, 3.68 g·m−2·a−1 and 4.16 g·m−2·a−1, respectively. The ammonification rate in near-mature forest was higher than that in middle-age forests, while the order of nitrification and net mineralization rates was: middle-age forest without grazing < middle-age forest with grazing < near-mature forest with grazing (P<0.05). Soil N mineralization rate increased with soil animal amounts, but no significant relationship with diversity. The contribution of soil animals to N mineralization was different for different ecosystems due to influences of complex factors including grazing, soil characteristics, the quality and amount of litter on N mineralization.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alphei, J., Bonlowski, M., Scheu, S. 1996. Nematoda and lumbricidae in the rhizosphere of Hordelymus curopaeus, poaceae: faunal interactions, response of microorganisms and effect on plant growth. Oecologia, 106: 111–126.
Binkley, D., Hart, S.C. 1989. The components of nitrogen availability assessments in forest soils. Advances in Soil Science, 10: 57–111.
Chen Fusheng, Chen Guangsheng, Zeng Dehui, et al. 2002. The effects of peat and weathered coal on the growth of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica seedlings on aeolian sandy soil. Journal of Forestry Research, 13: 251–254.
Chen, F.S., Zeng, D.H., Zhou, B., et al. 2006. Seasonal variation in soil nitrogen availability under Mongolian pine plantations at the Keerqin Sand Lands, China. Journal of Arid Environments, 67: 226–239.
Copley, J. 2000. Ecology goes underground. Nature, 406: 452–454.
Faber, J.H., Verhoef, H.A. 1991. Functional differences between closely-related soil arthropods with respect to decomposition process in the presence or absence of pine tree roots. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 23: 15–23.
Griffiths, B.S. 1994. Microbial-feeding nematodes and protozoa in soil: their effects on microbial activity and nitrogen mineralization in decomposition hotspots and the rhizosphere. Plant and Soil, 164: 25–33.
Haimi, J., Einbork, M. 1992. Effects of endogeic earthworms on soil and plant growth in coniferous forest soil. Biology and Fertilities of Soils, 13: 6–10.
Heneghan, L., Coleman, D.C., Zou, X., et al. 1999. Soil microarthropod contributions to decomposition dynamics: tropical temperate comparisons of a single substrate. Ecology, 80: 1873–1882.
Jiang Fengqi, Cao Cenyou, Zeng Dehui, et al. 2002. Degradation and restoration of ecosystems on Keerqin Sandy Land. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 217–248. (in Chinese)
Lawton, J.H., Bignell, D.E., Bolton, B., et al. 1998. Biodiversity inventories, indicator taxa and effects of habitat modification in tropical forest. Nature, 391: 72–76.
Liu Guangsong, Jiang Nenhui, Zhang Liangdi, et al. 1996. Soil physical, chemical analysis and description of soil profiles. Beijing: Standards Press of China, 33–37. (in Chinese)
Mikola, J., Setälä, H. 1998. No evidence of tropic cascades in an experimental microbial-based soil food web. Ecology, 79: 153–164.
Naeem, S., Thompson, L.J., Lawler, S.P., et al. 1994. Decline biodiversity can alter the performance of ecosystem. Nature, 368: 734–737.
SPSS Inc. 2001. SPSS for Windows (10.0). Chicago: SPSS Inc.
Schulze, E.D., Mooney, H.A. 1994. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Seastedt, T.R. 1984. The role of microarthropods in decomposition and mineralization processes. Annual Review of Entomology, 29: 25–46.
Smith, V.R., Steenkamp, M. 1992. Soil macrofauna and nitrogen on a sub-Antarctic island. Oecologia, 93: 201–206.
Sulkava, P., Huhta, V., Laakso, J. 1996. Impact of soil faunal structure on decomposition and N-mineralization in relation to temperature and soil moisture in forest soil. Pedobiologia, 40: 505–513.
Tilman, D., Knops, J., Wedin, D. et al. 1997. The influence of functional biodiversity and composition on ecosystem processes. Science, 277: 1300–1302.
Tilman, D., Wedin, D., Knops, J. 1996. Productivity and sustainability influenced by biodiversity in grassland ecosystem. Nature, 379: 718–720.
Walter, D.E. 1987. Trophic behavior of “mycophagous” microarthropods. Ecology, 68: 226–229.
Workgroup of Research Methods of Soil Fauna. 1998. Handbook of research methods of soil fauna. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 1–130. (in Chinese)
Yin Wenying. 2000. Soil fauna in China. Beijing: Science Press, 1–302. (in Chinese)
Zeng Dehui, Jiang Fengqi, Fan Zhiping, et al. 1996. Stability of Mongolian pine plantations on sandy soil. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 7: 337–343. (in Chinese)
Zhu Jiaojun, Zeng Dehui, Kang Hongzhang, et al. 2005. Decline of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations on sandy land. Beijing: China Forestry Press. (in Chinese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Foundation project: This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30471377 & 30600473) and the National Programs for Science and Technology Development of China (No. 2005BA517A03).
Electronic supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dxdoi.org/10.1007/s11676-007-0014-z
Biography: CHEN Fu-sheng (1973–), male, Ph.D., associate professor at College of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, P. R. China.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fu-sheng, C., De-hui, Z., Xiao-fei, H. et al. Soil animals and nitrogen mineralization under sand-fixation plantations in Zhanggutai region, China. J. of For. Res. 18, 73–77 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-007-0014-z
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-007-0014-z