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The impact of secondary forests conversion into larch plantations on soil chemical and microbiological properties

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Abstract

Background and aims

Conversion of natural forests to plantations often results in a considerable loss of plant species and thus likely a reduction in quantity and quality of plant debris entering the soil. Larch plantation is widespread in northeastern China, but its ecological impacts receive little attention. This study aimed to assess soil quality under larch stands against the secondary forest stands using a suite of soil chemical and microbiological properties.

Methods

Four pairs of larch plantations and secondary forests were randomly selected from a mountainous area and mineral soils of top 15 cm were collected from each field.

Results

Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, microbial biomass, C and N mineralization and the activities of hydrolytic enzymes were significantly lower in the larch plantations than those in the secondary forests. However, light fraction C as a proportion of soil C was greater in the larch plantations, suggesting less accumulation and stabilization of soil C to heavy fraction in the larch plantations compared to the secondary forests. We also used δ15N records in light and heavy fractions to derive the relative stability of soil C and found that soil C stability was lower in the larch plantations. This was supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis because carboxylate stretching, which might result from microbial oxidation, was less abundant in the larch plantations.

Conclusions

The differences in soil organic matter quality between the larch plantations and the secondary forests were reliably reflected in soil microbial properties and microbially-mediated processes. Our results indicated that the larch plantations reduced soil quality as well as nutrient cycling rate.

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Abbreviations

ESOC:

Extractable soil organic carbon

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

LP:

Larch plantation

MBC:

Microbial biomass carbon

MBN:

Microbial biomass nitrogen

SF:

Secondary forest

SOC:

Soil organic carbon

SOM:

Soil organic matter

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB416906, 2011CB403205), and the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams (KZCX2-YW-445). We appreciate Ms. Shuang Xu for analyzing soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Qingyuan Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, People’s Republic of China

    Kai Yang & Jiao-Jun Zhu

  2. Soil Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7619, USA

    Wei Shi

  3. Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Jiao-Jun Zhu

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  1. Kai Yang
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  2. Wei Shi
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  3. Jiao-Jun Zhu
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Correspondence to Jiao-Jun Zhu.

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Responsible Editor: Per Ambus.

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Yang, K., Shi, W. & Zhu, JJ. The impact of secondary forests conversion into larch plantations on soil chemical and microbiological properties. Plant Soil 368, 535–546 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1535-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1535-6

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