Seasonal Dynamics and Influencing Factors of Litterfall Production and Carbon Input in Typical Forest Community Types in Lushan Mountain, China

Abstract

Litterfall is an important part of the process of nutrient circulation and energy flow in forest ecosystems. Mountain forests are strongly eroded by running water in that the surface soil is thinner, and the terrain is complex and diverse. They are more sensitive to climate change, which will affect the ecological processes and carbon sink functions of forest ecosystems. Taking Lushan Mountain as an example, we studied the dynamic characteristics of litterfall components, seasonal changes in carbon input and the influencing factors of typical forest communities in the subtropics. The results showed that the total annual average litterfall components of evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF) > artificial coniferous forest (ACF) > deciduous broad-leaved forest (DBF) > renew young forest (RYF), and that leaf litterfall is the first productivity in the litterfall components, and the peak of litterfall is mainly concentrated in spring and autumn, showing a single- or double-peaked change pattern. There was a linear relationship between the components of litterfall in the four forest communities and the stand factor, but the correlation degree R2 was small. Overall, the results showed that the total amount of litterfall in the four forest communities was affected by canopy density and stand density. Light, temperature and water at different altitudes had different effects on the amount of litterfall, with excessive temperatures at lower altitudes likely to limit forest growth and development under adequate light and water, and the opposite was true at higher altitudes. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that EBF and DBF were negatively correlated with rainfall, that ACF and RYF were negatively correlated with temperature and rainfall, and that wind speed was positively correlated. The average annual carbon input size of the four forest communities was EBF > ACF > RYF > DBF, which may be related to environmental conditions and vegetation types, and the seasonal differences were arranged in order of spring > autumn > summer > winter. It can be seen that, considering performance under future climate change, EBF is more conducive to nutrient input and has good soil fertility maintenance ability.

Temporal and Spatial Variations in Carbon/Nitrogen Output in the Karst Critical Zone and Its Response to the Forest Ecosystem of Karst Desertification Control

“…Nitrogen deficiency affects plant growth and forest ecosystem stability [11,12]. Soil carbon and nitrogen content is affected by the dynamic balance of input and output [13], as well as the quantity and quality of litter, microorganisms and environmental factors [14][15][16][17]. The unique geological background and hydrological process in karst areas create a fragile ecosystem that is sensitive to human disturbance [18][19][20].…”

Changes in Organic Carbon Stock in Soil and Whole Tree Biomass in Afforested Areas in Latvia

“…The quantity of C stored in the soil is influenced by the equilibrium between the C inputs, such as litterfall and rhizodeposition, and C losses, primarily through decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Soil organic carbon (SOC) refers to C stored in the soil in the form of organic matter (OM).…”

A new afforestation method can accelerate nutrient return from litterfall compared with natural regeneration— a 17-year observation in subalpine region on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

“…For example, leaf litterfall in the secondary forest peaked in autumn (October and November); when the temperature decrease and the trees produce a large amount of physiological leaf fall to reduce the consumption of water and nutrient. However, leaf litterfall in the HISD plantation peaked in both autumn (October and November) and spring (April and May), in which evergreen pine trees will produce a large amount of litterfall during the replacement of new and old needles, which provides a material basis for their rapid decomposition and nutrient return under high temperature and humidity conditions in summer (Liu et al 2018;Qiu et al 2023). There was no signi cant difference in the proportion of leaves, twigs and reproductive in the total litterfall (Fig.…”