In regions with a ban on forest logging, fruit-bearing shrubs are favored as an alternative source of ecological products over the harvesting of timber. The introduction of cultured shrubs from their habitat to newly developed lands has to be decided according to nutrient availability. Foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry is an easily measured and reliable parameter to quickly indicate possible limits in imbalanced N-P availability. When attempting to create a spatial distribution map of the foliar N:P ratio in an objective shrub species, it is helpful to first explore its potential acclimation to the N:P imbalance caused by the joint forces of soil property and regional climate. This study evaluated the cultivated populations of Vaccinium uliginosum in northeastern China's agroforests, using Vaccinium uliginosum as a model shrub species. A total of 51 populations were selected from 51 managed stands, of which 34 were in forests and 17 on farmlands. Foliar N and P concentrations, soil physical and chemical properties, and topography were investigated in 2018, and regional climatic factors were assessed by averaging previous 5-year records (2013–2018). V. uliginosum was determined to have a foliar N:P ratio lower than 4.4, which can be characterized as a limit of N relative to that of P. On forested lands, soil pH negatively impacted regressed foliar N:P, which was also part of the contributions of soil total P content and average temperature to foliar N concentration. On farmlands, low soil pH also resulted in a reduced foliar N:P ratio with joint contributions of ammonium N, nitrate N, and available P contents in soils and air humidity. Spatial interpolation indicated that western forests could benefit from introduced V. uliginosum with a higher foliar N concentration, while the introduction to eastern farmlands can lead to a higher foliar N:P ratio up to 14.6. Our study demonstrates recommended locations with expected soil and meteorological conditions by mapping spatial distributions, which can be referred to by other species and regions.
Unguided exploitation has impaired the sustainability of natural resources of agronomic non-wood forest plants from understory boglands in boreal forests. The extreme consequences of plant–soil interplay on medicinal plant communities under continuous interruptions need to be understood to implement strategies which can cope with possible ecological degradation. In this study, co-existing Ledum palustre and Vaccinium uliginosum communities were investigated after a four-year interruption of continuous removal of dominant species in stands at Xing’an Mountain. Nitrogen (N) availability was assessed by above-ground biomass and N content in nondominant plants and the biophysiological properties of rhizosphere soil. The removal treatment promoted soil mineral and organic N contents, but also reduced abundances of the soil communities of Rozellomycota phylum (by 82.76%), ericoid mycorrhiza of Meliniomyces varia (by 81.60%) and Phialocephala fort (by 69.54%). Vaccinium uliginosum overcame L. palustre through higher N utilization (biomass/%N) although the latter had higher abundances of soil Odiodendron maius and P. fort. The microbial community attributes accounted for a large proportion of N availability following the removal of dominance. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that understory agronomic plants in northern boglands should no longer be under continuous exploitation. Strategies should be considered to improve the promotion of N uptake by managing local soil microbial communities.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.