Driving factors for soil C:N ratio in woody plant communities across northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

He, Jingyuan; Chen, Beibei; Xu, Wanzhong; Xiang, Chiyue; Kuang, Wennong; Zhao, Xiuhai

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2023.107504

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Our research confirmed a strong relationship between water storage capacity and the C:N ratio expressing the quality of organic matter. A high ratio corresponds to a higher organic C content and a lower N content, suggesting greater stability of organic C in the soil, while a low ratio corresponds to a lower organic C content and a higher N content, indicating a greater degree of decomposition of organic matter in the soil [46].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Water Storage Dynamics in the Litter Layer: The Impact of Mixing and Decay of Pine Needles and Oak Leaves

Ilek,

Błońska,

Miszewski

et al. 2024

Forests

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Little is known about how the degree of mixing various forest-forming species affects forest floor hydrology. We evaluated the water storage capacity of the resulting litter layer by mixing the litterfall of Scots pine and sessile oak and studying their decomposition time. We prepared 90 artificial samples containing pure pine litter, pure oak litter, and mixed pine–oak litter with varying shares of pine needles. These samples were subjected to 15 months of decomposition in soil. After every three months of decay, some samples were removed from the soil, and their water storage capacity, bulk density, and C:N ratio were evaluated. Our findings indicate that samples with the greatest water storage capacity had a low C:N ratio and a predominant share of oak leaves. Conversely, samples with a high C:N ratio and a predominant share of pine needles had the lowest water storage capacity. After 12 and 15 months of decomposition, the water storage capacity increased by more than 52% compared to the initial water capacity of the samples. The highest increase in water storage capacity (>40%) was observed in samples with a predominant share of oak leaves, while the lowest (approximately 28%) was recorded in samples with 80 and 100% of pine needles. Our findings suggest that introducing mixed-species stands, with deciduous species as the predominant component, can yield several ecological benefits, such as an increased ability to store water in forest floor.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%