Abstract
Key message
Mixed tree plantations are potential silvicultural systems to increase soil carbon storage through altering litter and root inputs and soil physiochemical properties.
Abstract
Afforestation and reforestation are major strategies for global climate change mitigation. Different tree species composition can induce diverse changes in soil CO2 emission and soil carbon sequestration in tree plantation. This study employed three plantations of monoculture and mixed Pinus yunnanensis and Eucalyptus globulus to estimate the effect of tree species composition on soil CO2 emission and soil organic carbon storage in subtropical China. We found that tree species composition had a significant effect on the soil CO2 emission and soil organic carbon storage. Soil CO2 emission was lower in the mixed plantation than in the P. yunnanensis plantation, whereas it was higher than in the E. globulus plantation. Differences in soil CO2 emission among the three plantations were determined by leaf litterfall mass, fine root biomass, soil available nitrogen, pH, soil bulk density, and soil C:N ratio. Soil organic carbon storage was 34.5 and 23.2 % higher in the mixed plantation than in the P. yunnanensis and E. globulus plantations, respectively. Higher soil organic carbon stock in the mixed plantation was attributed to lower C/N ratio of leaf litter and soil, greater fine root biomass and soil organic carbon content, and lower soil CO2 emission. We conclude that mixed tree plantation can enhance soil carbon sequestration, but can decrease or increase soil CO2 emission through altering litter and root inputs and soil physiochemical properties.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barger NN, Archer SR, Campbell JL, Huang CY, Morton JA, Knapp AK (2011) Woody plant proliferation in North American drylands: a synthesis of impacts on ecosystem carbon balance. J Geophys Res 116:G00K07
Berger TW, Inselsbacher E, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S (2010) Carbon dioxide emissions of soils under pure and mixed stands of beech and spruce, affected by decomposing foliage litter mixtures. Soil Biol Biochem 42:986–997
Borken W, Beese F (2005) Soil carbon dioxide efflux in pure and mixed stands of oak and beech following removal of organic horizons. Can J For Res 35:2756–2764
Borken W, Beese F (2006) Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes of soils in pure and mixed stands of European beech and Norway spruce. Eur J Soil Sci 57:617–625
Calder WJ, Horn KJ, Clair SBS (2011) Conifer expansion reduces the competitive ability and herbivore defense of aspen by modifying light environment and soil chemistry. Tree Physiol 31:582–591
Chen Q, Wang Q, Han X, Wan S, Li L (2010) Temporal and spatial variability and controls of soil respiration in a temperate steppe in northern China. Glob Biogeochem Cy 24(2)
Department of Forest Resources Management SFA (2010) The 7th National forest inventory and status of forest resources. For Res Manag 1:3–10
Duarte CM, Losada IJ, Hendriks IE, Mazarrasa I, Marbà N (2013) The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Nat Clim Change 3:961–968
Emmerich WE, Verdugo CL (2008) Precipitation thresholds for CO2 uptake in grass and shrub plant communities on Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. Water Resour Res. 44:W05S16
Epron D, Nouvellon Y, Mareschal L, MoreiraeMoreira R, Koutika LS, Geneste B, Delgado-Rojas JS, Laclau JP, Sola G, Gonçalves JLM, Bouillet JP (2013) Partitioning of net primary production in Eucalyptus and Acacia stands and in mixed-species plantations: two case-studies in contrasting tropical environments. For Ecol Manag 301:102–111
Fang H, Mo JM, Peng SL, Li ZA, Wang H (2007) Cumulative effects of nitrogen additions on litter decomposition in three tropical forests in southern China. Plant Soil 297:233–242
FAO (2001) Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Main report. FAO Forestry Paper 140, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 479
FAO (2005) Global forest resources assessment: progress towards sustainable forest management. In: Davis R (ed) Extent of forest resources. Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations, Rome, pp 11–36
FAO (2010) Managing forests for climate change. http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1960e/i1960e00.pdf. Accessed 14 Oct 2012
Forrester DI, Bauhus J, Cowie AL (2006) Carbon allocation in a mixed-species plantation of Eucalyptus globulus and Acacia mearnsii. For Ecol Manag 233:275–284
Forrester DI, Pares A, O’Hara C, Khanna PK, Bauhus J (2013) Soil organic carbon is increased in mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus and nitrogen-fixing Acacia. Ecosystems 16:123–132
Gahagan A, Giardina CP, King JS, Binkley D, Pregitzer KS, Burton AJ (2015) Carbon fluxes, storage and harvest removals through 60 years of stand development in red pine plantations and mixed hardwood stands in Northern Michigan, USA. For Ecol Manag 337:88–97
Hertel D, Harteveld MA, Leuschner C (2009) Conversion of a tropical forest into agro forest alters the fine root-related carbon flux to the soil. Soil Biol Biochem 41:481–490
Högberg P, Read DJ (2006) Towards a more plant physiological perspective on soil ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 21(10):549–554
Hojjati SM (2008) The impact of tree species composition on the nutritional status of an admixed spruce and beech forest at Solling, central germany. Dissertation, Buesgen Institute-Soil Science of Temperate and Boreal ecosystems, Georg-August Goettingen University
Hojjati SM, Lamersdorf NP (2010) Effect of tree species composition on soil CO2 emission in a mixed sprucebeech forest at Solling, Central Germany. J For Res 21(4):461–464
Houghton RA (2013) Keeping management effects separate from environmental effects in terrestrial carbon accounting. Glob Change Boil 19(9):2609–2612
IPCC (2000) Land use, land use change and forestry. In: Watson RT, Noble IR, Bolin B, Ravindranath NH, Verardo DJ, Dokken DJ (eds) A special report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, WHO/UNEP. Cambridge University Press, UK, pp 25–51
Jandl R, Lindner M, Vesterdal L, Bauwens B, Baritz R, Hagedorn F, Johnson DW, Minkkinen K, Byrne KA (2007) How strongly can forest management influence soil carbon sequestration? Geoderma 137(3–4):253–268
Jobbagy EG, Jackson RB (2000) The vertical distribution of soil organic carbon and its relation to climate and vegetation. Ecol Appl 10(2):423–436
Johnston CA, Groffman P, Breshears DD, Cardon ZG, Currie W, Emanuel W, Gaudinski J, Jackson RB, Lajtha K, Nadelhoffer K Jr, Nelson D, Post WM, Retallack G, Wielopolski L (2004) Carbon cycling in soil. Front Ecol Environ 2:522–528
Jonard M, Andre F, Jonard F, Mouton N, Procès P, Ponette Q (2007) Soil carbon dioxide efflux in pure and mixed stands of oak and beech. Ann For Sci 64:141–150
Kanowski J, Catterall CP (2010) Carbon stocks in above-ground biomass of monoculture plantations, mixed species plantations and environmental restoration plantings in north-east Australia. Ecol. Manag Restor 11(2):119–126
Kasel S, Bennett TL (2007) Land-use history, forest conversion, and soil organic carbon in pine plantations and native forests of south eastern Australia. Geoderma 137:401–413
Kaye JP, Resh SC, Kaye MW, Chimmer RA (2000) Nutrient and carbon dynamics in a replacement series of Eucalyptus and Albizia trees. Ecology 81:3267–3273
Kelliher FM, Clark H, Zheng L, Newton PCD, Parsons AJ, Rys G (2006) A comment on scaling methane emissions from vegetation and grazing ruminants in New Zealand. Funct Plant Biol 33:613–615
Kumar N, Meghabarot JI, Gupta P, Patel K (2014) An evaluation of short term greenhouse gas emissions from soil and atmosphere exchange in response to controlling edaphic factgors of Eucalyptus plantation, Gujarat, India. Int J Environ 3:59–77
Lal R (2005) Forest soils and carbon sequestration. For Ecol Manag 220:242–258
Liu Y, Liu S, Wang J, Zhu X, Zhang Y, Liu X (2014) Variation in soil respiration under the tree species in a temperate mixed forest, central China, under different soil water conditions. Ecol Res 29(2):133–142
Lu RK (2004) Analysis method of soil agricultural chemistry. China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing
Luan J, Liu S, Zhu X, Wang J, Liu K (2012) Roles of biotic and abiotic variables in determining spatial variation of soil respiration in secondary oak and planted pine forests. Soil Biol Biochem 44:143–150
Lucas-Borja ME, Candel D, Jindo K, Moreno JL, Andres M, Bastida F (2012) Soil microbial community structure and activity in monospecific and mixed forest stands, under Mediterranean humid conditions. Plant Soil 354(1–2):359–370
Mo JM, Zhang W, Zhu WX, Gundersen P, Fang YT, Li DJ, Wang H (2008) Nitrogen addition reduces soil respiration in a mature tropical forest in southern China. Glob Change Biol 14:403–412
Moghaddam ER (2014) Growth, development and yield in pure and mixed forest stands. Int J Adv Biol Biom Res 2(10):2725–2730
Niu D, Wang SL, Ouyang ZY (2009) Comparisons of carbon storages in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Michelia macclurei plantations during a 22-year period in southern China. J Environ Sci 21(6):801–805
Pandey RR, Sharma G, Singh TB, Tripathi SK (2010) Factors influencing soil CO2 efflux in a north eastern Indian oak forest and plantation. Afr J Plant Sci 4(8):280–289
Peng SL, Wang DX, Zhao H, Yang T (2008) Discussion the status quality of plantation and near nature forestry management in China. J Northwest For Univ 23:184–188
Raich JW, Tufekciogul A (2000) Vegetation and soil respiration: correlations and controls. Biogeochemistry 48(1):71–90
Ren SJ, Cao MK, Tao B, Li KR (2006) The effect of nitrogen limitation on terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle: a review. Prog in Geog 25(4):58–67
Roman Dobarco M (2014) Influence of stand composition on soil organic carbon stabilization and biochemistry in Aspen and Conifer Forests of Utah. All Graduate, Theses and Dissertations, Utah State University
Russell AE, Raich JW, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Fisher RF (2007) Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forest. Soil Sci Soc Am J 71:1389–1397
Schmidt MWI, Torn MS, Abiven S, Dittmar T, Guggenberger G, Janssens IA (2011) Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property. Nature 478(7367):49–56
Schulp CJE, Nabuurs G, Verburg PH, de Waal RW (2008) Effect of tree species on carbon stocks in forest floor and mineral soil and implications for soil carbon inventories. For Ecol Manag 256:482–490
SFA (State Forestry Administration) (2007) China’s forestry 1999–2005. China Forestry Publishing House, Beijing
Sheng H, Yang YS, Yang ZJ, Chen GS, Xie JS, Guo JFN, Zou SQ (2010) The dynamic response of soil respiration to land-use changes in subtropical China. Glob Change Biol 16:1107–1121
Tang XL, Liu SG, Zhou GY, Zhang DQ, Zhou CY (2006) Soil atmospheric exchange of CO2, CH4, and N2O in three subtropical forest ecosystems in southern China. Glob Change Biol 12:546–560
Tewary CK, Pandy U, Singh JS (1982) Soil and litter respiration rates in different microhabitats of a mixed oak-conifer forest and their control by edaphic conditions and subtrate quality. Plant Soil 65:233–238
Ullah S, Frasier R, King L, Picotte-Anderson NP, Moore TR (2008) Potential fluxes of N2O and CH4 from soils of three forest types in Eastern Canada. Soil Biol Biochem 40:986–994
Vesterdal L, Schmidt IK, Callesen I, Nilsson LO, Gundersen P (2008) Carbon and nitrogen in forest floor and mineral soil under six common European tree species. For Ecol Manag 255:35–48
Vitale M, Mancini M, Matteucci G, Francesconi F, Valenti R, Attorre F (2012) Model-based assessment of ecological adaptations of three forest tree species growing in Italy and impact on carbon and water balance at national scale under current and future climate scenarios. iFor Biogeosci For 5(5):235
Wagai R, Mayer LM, Kitayarna K, Knicker H (2008) Climate and parent material controls on organic matter storage in surface soils: a three-pool, density-separation approach. Geoderma 147(1–2):23–33
Wang H, Liu SR, Mo JM, Wang JX, Makeschin F, Wolff M (2010) Soil organic carbon stock and chemical composition in four plantations of indigenous tree species in subtropical China. Ecol Res 25:1071–1079
Wang H, Liu S, Wang J, Shi Z, Lu L, Zeng J, Ming AG, Tang JX, 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
Wani AA, Joshi PK, Singh O, Bhat JA (2014) Estimating soil carbon storage and mitigation under temperate coniferous forests in the southern region of Kashmir Himalayas. Mitig Adapt Strat Gl 19:1179–1194
Wiesmeier M, Prietzel J, Barthold F, Spörlein P, Geuß U, Hangen E, Kögel-Knabner I (2013) Storage and drivers of organic carbon in forest soils of southeast Germany (Bavaria)–implications for carbon sequestration. For Ecol Manag 295:162–172
Wu HB, Guo ZT, Peng CH (2003) Distribution and storage of soil organic carbon in China. Global Biogeochem Cy 17(2):1–11
Zhang DQ, Shi PL, Zhang XZ (2005) Some advance in the main factors controlling soil respiration. Adv Earth Sci 20:778–785
Zhang J, Shangguan T, Meng Z (2011) Changes in soil carbon flux and carbon stock over a rotation of poplar plantations in northwest China. Ecol Res 26:153–161
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (41461052), China 948 Program of National Forestry Bureau (2015-4-39), Fund Project to Start Science Research in Southwest Forestry University (111206).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Communicated by R. Matyssek.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, S., Wang, H. & Li, J. Does tree species composition affect soil CO2 emission and soil organic carbon storage in plantations?. Trees 30, 2071–2080 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-016-1434-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-016-1434-1