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Changes in carbon, nutrients and stoichiometric relations under different soil depths, plant tissues and ages in black locust plantations

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Abstract

To investigate influences of forest plantations on soil nutrient properties, biomass accumulation, major nutrient elements (NPK) and their stoichiometric couplings in different tissues and aged plants, and correlations between major nutrient contents in soils and in foliage of plants, 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year-old plantations of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and farmland were selected. Black locust plantations increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and N stocks by 23–327 and 23–119 %, respectively, in the 0–10 cm top soil layer compared to those in farmland. Soil C:N, C:P, C:K, N:P, N:K and P:K ratios were 10.1, 22.9, 0.7, 2.2, 0.7 and 0.03, respectively. These ratios were higher in the 0–10 cm soil layer than those in the 10–20 cm soil layer and increased under older plantations. Higher C contents in stem, N contents in leaf, the largest C pools in stem and N pools in root in 20-year-old plantation were observed. Correspondingly, the highest C:N, C:P and C:K and the lowest N:P and N:K ratios in stem, decreased C:N and C:P ratios in older trees were found. No strong correlations were observed between element contents in soils and in leaves of black locust trees. These results suggest that black locust plantations can increase soil nutrient concentrations, SOC and N stocks resulting in changes in element stoichiometric relations. CNPK contents and their stoichiometries vary with tissues and tree ages of black locust. No strong coupling relations exist between major nutrient element contents in the top soil and in foliage of black locust.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the State Key Basic Research Development Program (Grant No. 2012CB416902), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31070539, 31100481, 31270647), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University from the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. NCET-08-0468), the Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation (Grant No. 121026), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20090204110027), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. YQ2013005) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-443).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Plant Protection and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Hong Li

  2. College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Li, Shaojun Li, Zongsuo Liang & Zhi-Bin Luo

  3. Key Laboratory of Environment and Ecology in Western China of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Yalong He, Changhui Peng & Zhi-Bin Luo

  4. Büsgen-Institute, Department of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, Georg-August University, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Andrea Polle

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  1. Hong Li
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Correspondence to Zhi-Bin Luo.

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Communicated by L. Bavaresco.

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Li, H., Li, J., He, Y. et al. Changes in carbon, nutrients and stoichiometric relations under different soil depths, plant tissues and ages in black locust plantations. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 2951–2964 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1326-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1326-6

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