Abstract
The ecological effects of eucalypt plantations (EPs) have garnered increasing attention. To understand their effect on soil quality at a landscape scale, and to determine whether soil quality parameters differ due to different stand types, we evaluated soil characteristics in twenty-one groups of EPs, Pinus massoniana Lamb. plantations (PMPs) and natural broadleaved forests (NBFs) across Guangdong Province, China. Both the physical characteristics of soil hydrology and the properties of soil nutrients in A and B horizons were determined. Results showed that, compared to NBFs, EPs and PMPs produced a shallower litter layer, reduced canopy density, higher soil bulk density, significantly lower total porosity, non-capillary porosity, total water volume, and hygroscopic water in the A horizon (P < 0.05). Moreover, total N, available K, and soil organic carbon (SOC) in EPs and PMPs were significantly lower than in NBFs. EPs and PMPs did not differ significantly in N, P or K content, but PMPs had significantly lower SOC and boron in the A horizon than EPs. Low pH and poor capacity to buffer acidification generally occurred in all cover types. Both EPs and PMPs showed a decline in soil properties relative to NBFs, but EPs and PMPs exhibited no significant difference. These results indicate that actions are needed to ameliorate the potential negative effects on soil quality in forestry plantations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alem S, Woldemariam T, Pavlis J (2010) Evaluation of soil nutrients under Eucalyptus grandis plantation and adjacent sub-montane rain forest. J For Res 21(4):457–460
Bargali SS, Singh RP, Joshi M (1993) Changes in soil characteristics in eucalypt plantations replacing natural broad-leaved forests. J Veg Sci 4(1):25–28
Carter MR, Gregorich EG (2008) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 743–760
Chen F, Zheng H, Zhang K, Ouyang Z, Lan J, Li H, Shi Q (2013) Changes in soil microbial community structure and metabolic activity following conversion from native Pinus massoniana plantations to exotic Eucalyptus plantations. For Ecol Manag 291:65–72
Cook RL, Binkley D, Stape JL (2016) Eucalyptus plantation effects on soil carbon after 20 years and three rotations in Brazil. For Ecol Manag 359(1):92–98
Department of Environmental Protection of Guangdong Province (2014) Report on the state of Guangdong provincial environment. http://www.gdep.gov.cn/hjjce/gb/2014hjgb/201506/t20150604_202080.html. Accessed 04 June 2015
Doran JW, Parkin TB (1994) Defining and assessing soil quality. In: Coleman DC, Bezdicek DF, Stewart BA (eds) Defining soil quality for a sustainable environment. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, pp 3–22
Guillaume T, Damris M, Kuzyakov Y (2015) Losses of soil carbon by converting tropical forest to plantations: erosion and decomposition estimated by δ13C. Glob Change Biol 21(9):3548–3560
Guo D, Huang X, Ren S, Lu C, Huang J, Chen J, Xiang DY (2015) Characteristics and evaluation of soil nutrients of Pinus massoniana, Eucalyptus and mixed plantations. Eucalyptus Sci Technol 32(03):14–21 (in Chinese)
Huang J, Zhang W, Mo J, Wang S, Liu J, Chen H (2015) Urbanization in China drives soil acidification of Pinus massoniana forests. Sci Rep 5:13512
Kerr TF, Ruwanza S (2016) Does Eucalyptus grandis, invasion and removal affect soils and vegetation in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa? Aust Ecol 41:328–338
Khanmirzaei EA, Kowsar SA, Sameni AM (2009) Organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus in a calcareous soil planted with four species of Eucalyptus in Southern Iran. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 40:3194–3210
Laclau JP, Ranger J, Deleporte P, Nouvellon Y, Saint-André L, Marlet S, Bouillet JP (2005) Nutrient cycling in a clonal stand of Eucalyptus and an adjacent savanna ecosystem in Congo: 3. Input–output budgets and consequences for the sustainability of the plantations. For Ecol Manag 210(1):375–391
Lemenih M, Olsson M, Karltun E (2004) Comparison of soil attributes under Cupressus lusitanica and Eucalyptus saligna established on abandoned farmlands with continuously cropped farmlands and natural forest in Ethiopia. For Ecol Manag 195(s1–2):57–67
Li SY (2007) The soil in Eucalyptus plantations and its fertilization methods. Guangdong Technology Press, Guangzhou, pp 138–142 (in Chinese)
Liao C, Luo Y, Fang C, Chen J, Li B (2012) The effects of plantation practice on soil properties based on the comparison between natural and planted forests: a meta-analysis. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 21(3):318–327
Nambiar E, Harwood C (2014) Productivity of acacia and eucalypt plantations in Southeast Asia. 1. Bio-physical determinants of production: opportunities and challenges. Int For Rev 16(2):225–248
Qiu Q, Wu J, Liang G, Liu J, Chu G, Zhou G, Zhang D (2015) Effects of simulated acid rain on soil and soil solution chemistry in a monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in southern China. Environ Monit Assess 187(5):1–13
State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China (2014) Forest resources in China: the 8th national forest inventory. http://english.forestry.gov.cn/index.php/information-services/forest-resources/2-forest-esources-in-china. Accessed 17 Aug 2016
Tao D, Li Y, Lu D, Luo Y, Yu S, Ye S (2016) The essential oil components of Cinnamomum cassia: an analysis under different thinning models of plantation Pinus massoniana. J For Res 27(3):707–717
Vogt DJ, Tilley JP, Edmonds RL (2015) Soil and plant analysis for forest ecosystem characterization. Higher Education Press, Beijing, pp 67–132
Wang S, Wang H (2017) Response of soil respiration to a severe drought in Chinese Eucalyptus plantations. J For Res 28(4):841–847
Wang H, Liu S, Wang J, Shi Z, Lu L, Zeng J, Ming A, Tang J, Yu H (2013) Effects of tree species mixture on soil organic carbon stocks and greenhouse gas fluxes in subtropical plantations in China. For Ecol Manag 300:4–13
Yang Y, Li P, He H, Zhao X, Datta A, Ma W, Zhang Y, Liu X, Han W, Wilson MC, Fang J (2015) Long-term changes in soil pH across major forest ecosystems in China. Geophys Res Lett 42(3):933–940
Yang X, Li D, McGrouther K, Long W, Li Y, Chen Y, Lv X, Niazi NK, Song Z, Wang H (2017) Effect of Eucalyptus forests on understory vegetation and soil quality. J Soils Sediments 17(9):2383–2389
Zhang K, Zheng H, Chen F, Ouyang Z, Wang Y, Wu Y, Lan J, Fu M, Xia X (2015) Changes in soil quality after converting Pinus to Eucalyptus plantations in southern China. Solid Earth 6(1):115–123
Zhao X, Yi Q, Ding N, Xia J (2014) Changes in soil properties and quality for a Eucalyptus introduction area: a case study in Lancang country, Yunnan Province. J Residuals Sci Technol 11(4):107–117
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province, China (Nos. 2015B020207002 and 2014A020216032) and the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31270675).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Project funding: This work was supported by the Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Province, China (Nos. 2015B020207002 and 2014A020216032) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31270675).
The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com
Corresponding editor: Chai Ruihai.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chu, S., Jacobs, D.F., Sloan, J.L. et al. Changes in soil properties under Eucalyptus relative to Pinus massoniana and natural broadleaved forests in South China. J. For. Res. 29, 1299–1306 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0546-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0546-9