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Temporal patterns of net soil N mineralization and nitrification through secondary succession in the subtropical forests of eastern China

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Abstract

Linking temporal trends of soil nitrogen (N) transformation with shifting patterns of plants and consequently changes of litter quality during succession is important for understanding developmental patterns of ecosystem function. However, the successional direction of soil N mineralization and nitrification in relation to species shifts in the subtropical regions remains little studied. In this study, successional patterns of net soil N mineralization and nitrification rates, litter-fall, forest floor litter, fine root and soil properties were quantified through a successional sequence in the subtropical forests of eastern China. Net N mineralization rate was ‘U-shaped’ through succession: highest in climax evergreen broad-leaved forest (CE: 1.6 ± 0.2 mg-N kg−1 yr−1) and secondary shrubs (SS: 1.4 ± 0.2 mg-N kg−1 yr−1), lowest in conifer and evergreen broad-leaved mixed forest (MF: 1.1 ± 0.1 mg-N kg−1 yr−1) and intermediate in conifer forest (CF: 1.2 ± 0.1 mg-N kg−1 yr−1) and sub-climax forest (SE: 1.2 ± 0.2 mg-N kg−1 yr−1). Soil nitrification increased with time (0.02 ± 0.1, 0.2 ± 0.1, 0.5 ± 0.1, 0.2 ± 0.1, and 0.6 ± 0.1 mg-N kg−1 yr−1 in SS, CF, MF, SE and CE, respectively). Annual production of litter−fall increased through succession. Fine root stocks and total N concentration, soil total N, total carbon (C) and microbial biomass C also followed ‘U−shaped’ temporal trends in succession. Soil bulk density was highest in MF, lowest in CE, and intermediate in SS, CF and SE. Soil pH was significantly lowest in CE. Temporal patterns of soil N mineralization and nitrification were significant related to the growth of conifers (i.e. Pinus massoniana) and associated successional changes of litter-fall, forest floor, fine roots and soil properties. We concluded that, due to lower litter quality, the position of Pinus massoniana along the succession pathway played an important role in controlling temporal trends of soil N transformation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jia-Yue Shi, Zhan Shi, Liang Zhao, Dong He, Rui Wang, Liang-Yan Wang and Jian-Ping Chen for their help in the field work, and Qiu-Ming Di and Zhan Shi for their help during laboratory work. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30770365), and the Doctoral Program Foundation of Higher Education in China (Grant No. 20070269011). Professor Martin Kent (School of Geography, University of Plymouth, UK) kindly corrected the English in the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People’s Republic of China

    En-Rong Yan, Xi-Hua Wang, Ming Guo, Qiang Zhong & Wu Zhou

  2. Tiantong National Station of Forest Ecosystem, Chinese National Ecosystem Observation and Research Network, Ningbo, 315114, People’s Republic of China

    En-Rong Yan & Xi-Hua Wang

  3. School of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang Forestry University, Lin’an, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Yong-Fu Li

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  1. En-Rong Yan
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  2. Xi-Hua Wang
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Correspondence to En-Rong Yan.

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Yan, ER., Wang, XH., Guo, M. et al. Temporal patterns of net soil N mineralization and nitrification through secondary succession in the subtropical forests of eastern China. Plant Soil 320, 181–194 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9883-y

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