Variations in the soil micro-food web structure and its relationship with soil C and N mineralization during secondary succession of subalpine forests

Liu, Jia; Fang, Kai; Kou, Yongping; Xia, Ruixue; He, Heliang; Zhao, Wenqiang; Liu, Qing

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163257

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…With age, natural forests experience an increase in biodiversity, a more complex composition of tree roots and microorganisms, and a significant improvement in the efficiency of material cycling within the ecosystem [ 34 , 35 ]. As forest ecosystems evolve, microorganisms continually transform organic matter into inorganic matter by decomposing plant residues and dead organisms, gradually improving soil fertility, water retention, and nutrient-holding capacity [ 36 , 37 ]. Trees can obtain more nutrients from the soil for their growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Age Drives the Resource Utilization Indicators of Trees in Planted and Natural Forests in China

Zhang,

Chen,

et al. 2024

Plants

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Specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) are key leaf functional traits commonly used to reflect tree resource utilization strategies and predict forest ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Previous research on tree resource utilization strategies (SLA and LDMC) primarily focused on the species level within limited spatial scales, making it crucial to quantify the spatial variability and driving factors of these strategies. Whether there are discrepancies in resource utilization strategies between trees in planted and natural forests, and the dominant factors and mechanisms influencing them, remain unclear. This study, based on field surveys and the literature from 2008 to 2020 covering 263 planted and 434 natural forests in China, using generalized additive models (GAMs) and structural equation models (SEMs), analyzes the spatial differences and dominant factors in tree resource utilization strategies between planted and natural forests. The results show that the SLA of planted forests is significantly higher than that of natural forests (p < 0.01), and LDMC is significantly lower (p < 0.0001), indicating a “faster investment–return” resource utilization strategy. As the mean annual high temperature (MAHT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) steadily rise, trees have adapted their resource utilization strategies, transitioning from a “conservative” survival tactic to a “rapid investment–return” model. Compared to natural forests, planted forest trees exhibit stronger environmental plasticity and greater variability with forest age in their resource utilization strategies. Overall, forest age is the dominant factor influencing resource utilization strategies in both planted and natural forests, having a far greater direct impact than climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunlight) and soil nutrient factors. Additionally, as forest age increases, both planted and natural forests show an increase in SLA and a decrease in LDMC, indicating a gradual shift towards more efficient resource utilization strategies.

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