Changes of soil phosphorus speciation along a 120-year soil chronosequence in the Hailuogou Glacier retreat area (Gongga Mountain, SW China)

Soil nematode assemblages as bioindicators of primary succession along a 120-year-old chronosequence on the Hailuogou Glacier forefield, SW China

“…However, previous studies on the Hailuogou Glacier Chronosequence estimated that biomass accumulation on the oldest sites gradually continues to increase (Luo et al, 2012). Zhou et al (2013) also found that annual P and nitrogen (N) requirements for plant growth are smaller than the bioavailable stocks of P and N, thus demonstrating that the bioavailable P and N pool of soil presently meets the requirements for plant-growth at the 120-year-old site. However, rapid carbon (C) and N accumulation on the Hailuogou Glacier (He and Tang, 2008), as detected also in many other young chronosequences, and the great increases in soil C:P and N:P ratios in the A horizon at later stages (Zhou et al, 2013) show that future plants might be limited by bioavailable P as C and N deposition.…”

“…Zhou et al (2013) also found that annual P and nitrogen (N) requirements for plant growth are smaller than the bioavailable stocks of P and N, thus demonstrating that the bioavailable P and N pool of soil presently meets the requirements for plant-growth at the 120-year-old site. However, rapid carbon (C) and N accumulation on the Hailuogou Glacier (He and Tang, 2008), as detected also in many other young chronosequences, and the great increases in soil C:P and N:P ratios in the A horizon at later stages (Zhou et al, 2013) show that future plants might be limited by bioavailable P as C and N deposition. Thus, nematode assemblages, which are vulnerable to environmental changes, together with nutrient dynamics can be used to predict, whether the soil ecosystem in the Hailuogou Glacier Chronosequence has entered retrogressive stages.…”

“…Despite some methodological shortcomings, this approach is often considered useful for determining long-term successional changes (Walker et al, 2010). The Hailuogou Glacier Chronosequence, located on the south-eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau, provides an excellent place to study the relationship between vegetation succession and soil development (Luo et al, 2012;Zhou et al, 2013;Prietzel et al, 2013aPrietzel et al, , 2013b. Spatial differences in the lithology of parent rocks, topography, soil-water conditions and climate can be ignored because of small gradients in length (2 km), width (50e200 m) and elevation (127 m from 2855 to 2982 m).…”

“…The relatively mild and humid climate on this site allows rapid moraine colonization by plants, causes the accumulation of organic material, and promotes relatively rapid soil development (Alexander and Burt, 1996;Luo et al, 2012). Several studies have investigated how communities develop during primary succession, including pedogenesis (He and Tang, 2008), soil respiration (Luo et al, 2012), plant succession simulation , soil microbial changes , and the availability and transformation of essential nutrients, particularly phosphorus and sulfur speciation (Zhou et al, 2013;Prietzel et al, 2013a, b). However, successional studies have rarely investigated the responses of soil fauna communities to different development stages of ecosystems, and whether these changes parallel those observed in aboveground communities.…”

Sorption of Cu and Zn in low organic matter-soils as influenced by soil properties and by the degree of soil weathering

“…Oxides concentration is connected with soil weathering (or soil ''age''), as it is expected that oxides content increases in soil with progressing weathering (Zhou et al, 2013). In the southeast Mediterranean region, the most weathered soil order is Alfisols, according to the Soil Taxonomy classification system.…”