The evaluation of soil quality can provide new insights into the sustainable management of forests. This study investigated the effects of three types of forest management intensities (non-management (CK), extensive management (EM), and intensive management (IM)), and five management durations (0, 3, 8, 15, and 20 years) on the soil quality of a Carya dabieshanensis forest. Further, minimum data sets (MDS) and optimized minimum data sets (OMDS) were established to evaluate the soil quality index (SQI). A total of 20 soil indicators representing its physical, chemical, and biological properties were measured for the 0–30 cm layer. Using one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA), the total data set (TDS), the minimum data set (MDS), and optimized minimum data set (OMDS) were established. The MDS and OMDS contained three (alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN), and pH) and four (total phosphorus (TP), soil organic carbon (SOC), AN, and bulk density (BD)) soil indicators, respectively. The SQI derived from the OMDS and TDS exhibited a stronger correlation (r = 0.94, p < 0.01), which was suitable for evaluating the soil quality of the C. dabieshanensis forest. The evaluation results revealed that the soil quality was highest during the early stage of intensive management (IM-3), and the SQI of each soil layer was 0.81 ± 0.13, 0.47 ± 0.11, and 0.38 ± 0.07, respectively. With extended management times, the degree of soil acidification increased, and the nutrient content decreased. Compared with the untreated forest land the soil pH, SOC, and TP decreased by 2.64–6.24%, 29.43–33.04%, and 43.63–47.27%, respectively, following 20 years of management, while the SQI of each soil layer decreased to 0.35 ± 0.09, 0.16 ± 0.02 and 0.12 ± 0.06, respectively. In contrast to extensive management, the soil quality deteriorated more rapidly under longer management and intensive supervision. The OMDS established in this study provides a reference for the assessment of soil quality in C. dabieshanensis forests. In addition, it is suggested that the managers of C. dabieshanensis forests should implement measures such as increasing the amount of P-rich organic fertilizer and restoring vegetation to increase soil nutrient resources for the gradual restoration of soil quality.
Natural secondary Carya dabieshanensis forests comprise the natural wealth of the Dabie Mountains, which maintain the ecological balance of this region and enhance the incomes of farmers. However, forest ecosystems are being increasingly challenged due to increasing long-term anthropogenic development and management. Elucidating the impacts of management intensity and duration on the diversity and stability of vegetation communities in natural secondary Carya dabieshanensis forests is of great significance toward achieving sustainable forest management. For this study, we compared the effects of three forest management intensities (no management (CK), extensive management (EM), and intensive management (IM)), and five management durations (0, 3, 8, 15, and 20 y) on species diversity and the stability of vegetation communities (trees, shrubs, and herbaceous layers) of a Carya dabieshanensis forest. Our results revealed that the diversity of the vegetation communities continued to decline following the onset of management activities. The diversity, dominance, evenness, and richness indices of the vegetation communities decreased by 53.37%–62.77%, 46.04%–59.17%, 32.58%–53.55%, and 50.18%–51.30%, respectively, after 20 y of forest management. Intensive management translated to species diversity loss more so than extensive management. All vegetation communities of the forest stands under study were generally unstable; however, the stability they did have was not at risk under greater management intensity and duration, and neither did greater species diversity enhance it. This study provides new evidence to support the non-synchronicity of species diversity and community stability in forest resident vegetation communities. Since the species diversity and structural composition of tree layers have a positive effect on community stability, so we suggest that both extensive and intensive forest lands need to retain or replant more tree species other than Carya dabieshanensis.
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