Soil organic matter dynamics during 80 years of reforestation of tropical pastures

Our research takes advantage of a historical trend in natural reforestation of abandoned tropical pastures to examine changes in soil carbon (C) during 80 years of secondary forest regrowth. We combined a chronosequence approach with differences in the natural abundance of ¹³C between C3 (forest) and C4 (pasture) plants to estimate turnover times of C in the bulk soil and in density fractions. Overall, gains in secondary forest C were compensated for by the loss of residual pasture-derived soil C, resulting in no net change in bulk soil C stocks down to 1 m depth over the chronosequence. The free light fraction (LF), representing physically unprotected particulate organic matter, was most sensitive to land-use change. Reforestation replenished C in the free LF that had been depleted during conversion to pastures. Turnover times varied with model choice, but in general, soil C cycling rates were rapid for the 0–10 cm depth, with even the heavy fraction (HF) containing C cycling in decadal time scales. Turnover times of C in the free LF from the 0–10 cm depth were shorter than for the occluded and HFs, highlighting the importance of physical location in the soil matrix for residence time in the soil. The majority of the soil C pool (82±21%) was recovered in the mineral-associated density fraction. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratios and differences in natural abundance ¹⁵N of soil organic matter (SOM) showed an increasing degree of decomposition across density fractions with increasing mineral association. Our data show that the physical distribution of C in the soil has a large impact on soil C turnover and the ability of soils to maintain SOM stocks during land-use and land-cover change.     

Experimental litterfall manipulation drives large and rapid changes in soil carbon cycling in a wet tropical forest

Global changes such as variations in plant net primary production are likely to drive shifts in leaf litterfall inputs to forest soils, but the effects of such changes on soil carbon (C) cycling and storage remain largely unknown, especially in C‐rich tropical forest ecosystems. We initiated a leaf litterfall manipulation experiment in a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica to test the sensitivity of surface soil C pools and fluxes to different litter inputs. After only 2 years of treatment, doubling litterfall inputs increased surface soil C concentrations by 31%, removing litter from the forest floor drove a 26% reduction over the same time period, and these changes in soil C concentrations were associated with variations in dissolved organic matter fluxes, fine root biomass, microbial biomass, soil moisture, and nutrient fluxes. However, the litter manipulations had only small effects on soil organic C (SOC) chemistry, suggesting that changes in C cycling, nutrient cycling, and microbial processes in response to litter manipulation reflect shifts in the quantity rather than quality of SOC. The manipulation also affected soil CO ₂ fluxes; the relative decline in CO ₂ production was greater in the litter removal plots (?22%) than the increase in the litter addition plots (+15%). Our analysis showed that variations in CO ₂ fluxes were strongly correlated with microbial biomass pools, soil C and nitrogen (N) pools, soil inorganic P fluxes, dissolved organic C fluxes, and fine root biomass. Together, our data suggest that shifts in leaf litter inputs in response to localized human disturbances and global environmental change could have rapid and important consequences for belowground C storage and fluxes in tropical rain forests, and highlight differences between tropical and temperate ecosystems, where belowground C cycling responses to changes in litterfall are generally slower and more subtle.     

Effects of simulated exudate C:N stoichiometry on dynamics of carbon and microbial community composition in a subalpine coniferous forest of western Sichuan,China

 目前有关森林根系分泌物及其诱导的土壤生态学效应研究主要关注根系碳(C)源输入, 而极少关注根系分泌物氮(N)源输入及其伴随的C:N化学计量特征对土壤过程和功能的影响, 极大地限制了我们对森林根系-土壤-微生物互作机制的深入认识。该研究以川西亚高山天然林和云杉(Picea asperata)人工林土壤为对象, 模拟配制不同C:N化学计量特征(只有N、C:N = 10、C:N = 50、C:N = 100和只有C处理)的根系分泌物溶液进行人工添加试验, 以探究根系分泌物化学计量特征对两种林分土壤碳动态及其微生物群落结构的影响差异。结果表明: 模拟根系分泌物C添加总体促进了两种林分土壤有机质分解激发效应而降低了土壤总碳(TC)含量, 而N添加在一定程度上缓和了两种林分土壤TC含量的降低幅度, 且C添加导致天然林土壤TC含量的降低幅度明显低于土壤N有效性更低的人工林。几种根系分泌物添加处理对两种林分土壤活性和惰性碳库的影响无明显规律。另外, 根系分泌物C添加总体降低了天然林土壤微生物总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)含量和细菌、放线菌、真菌PLFA含量, 而总体增加人工林土壤微生物PLFA总量和细菌、放线菌、真菌PLFA含量, 并诱导两种林分土壤微生物群落结构(细菌:真菌相对丰度)也发生了各自不同的变化。上述结果表明森林根系分泌物N源输入和土壤N有效性共同调控根系C源输入对土壤有机质分解激发效应的方向和幅度。研究结果为深入揭示典型森林根系分泌物化学计量特征对土壤生物化学循环过程的调控机制提供了一定的理论依据。     

Litterfall and Decomposition in Relation to Soil Carbon Pools Along a Secondary Forest Chronosequence in Puerto Rico

Secondary forests are becoming increasingly widespread in the tropics, but our understanding of how secondary succession affects carbon (C) cycling and C sequestration in these ecosystems is limited. We used a well-replicated 80-year pasture to forest successional chronosequence and primary forest in Puerto Rico to explore the relationships among litterfall, litter quality, decomposition, and soil C pools. Litterfall rates recovered rapidly during early secondary succession and averaged 10.5 (± 0.1 SE) Mg/ha/y among all sites over a 2-year period. Although forest plant community composition and plant life form dominance changed during succession, litter chemistry as evaluated by sequential C fractions and by ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy did not change significantly with forest age, nor did leaf decomposition rates. Root decomposition was slower than leaves and was fastest in the 60-year-old sites and slowest in the 10- and 30-year-old sites. Common litter and common site experiments suggested that site conditions were more important controls than litter quality in this chronosequence. Bulk soil C content was positively correlated with hydrophobic leaf compounds, suggesting that there is greater soil C accumulation if leaf litter contains more tannins and waxy compounds relative to more labile compounds. Our results suggest that most key C fluxes associated with litter production and decomposition re-establish rapidly—within a decade or two—during tropical secondary succession. Therefore, recovery of leaf litter C cycling processes after pasture use are faster than aboveground woody biomass and species accumulation, indicating that these young secondary forests have the potential to recover litter cycling functions and provide some of the same ecosystem services of primary forests.     

Soil carbon stocks and changes after oil palm introduction in the Brazilian Amazon

As oil palm has been considered one of the most favorable oilseeds for biodiesel production in Brazil, it is important to understand how cultivation of this perennial crop will affect the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the long term. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil C stocks after the conversion of forest and pasture into oil palm production in the Amazon Region. Soil samples were collected in March 2008 and September 2009 in five areas: native forest (NARF), pasture cultivated for 55 years (PAST), and oil palm cultivated for 4 (OP‐4), 8 (OP‐8) and 25 years (OP‐25), respectively. Soils were sampled in March 2008 to evaluate the spatial variability of SOC and nitrogen (N) contents in relation to the spacing between trees. In September 2009, soils were sampled to evaluate the soil C stocks in the avenues (inter rows) and frond piles, and to compare the total C stocks with natural forest and pasture system. Soil C contents were 22–38% higher in the area nearest the oil palm base (0.6 m) than the average across the inter row (0–4.5 m from the tree), indicating that the increment in soil organic matter (SOM) must have been largely derived from root material. The soil C stocks under palm frond piles were 9–26% higher than in the inter rows, due to inputs of SOM by pruned palm fronds. The soil carbon stocks in oil palm areas, after adjustments for differences in bulk density and clay content across treatments, were 35–46% lower than pasture soil C stocks, but were 0–18% higher than the native forest soil C content. The results found here may be used to improve the life cycle assessment of biodiesel derived from palm oil.     

Asynchronous fluctuation of soil microbial biomass and plant litterfall in a tropical wet forest

Carbon availability often controls soil microbial growth and there is evidence that at regional scales soil microbial biomass is positively correlated with aboveground forest litter input. We examined the influence of plant litterfall on annual variation of soil microbial biomass in control and litter-excluded plots in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico. We also measured soil moisture, soil temperature, and plant litterfall in these treatment plots. Aboveground plant litter input had no effect on soil microbial biomass or on its pattern of fluctuation. Monthly changes in soil microbial biomass were not synchronized with aboveground litter inputs, but rather preceeded litterfall by one month. Soil microbial biomass did not correlate with soil temperature, moisture, or rainfall. Our results suggest that changes in soil microbial biomass are not directly regulated by soil temperature, moisture, or aboveground litter input at local scales within a tropical wet forest, and there were asynchronous fluctuation between soil microbial biomass and plant litterfall. Potential mechanisms for this asynchronous fluctuation include soil microbial biomass regulation by competition for soil nutrients between microorganisms and plants, and regulation by below-ground carbon inputs associated with the annual solar and drying-rewetting cycles in tropical wet forests.     

浙江天童常绿阔叶林演替过程中土壤碳库与植被碳归还的关系

土壤碳固持量随森林演替显著提高, 对减缓全球变暖具有重要意义; 但是, 演替过程中土壤有机碳库与植被碳归还的关系尚无定论。该研究以浙江天童常绿阔叶林次生演替系列为对象, 通过测定前中后3个演替阶段土壤总有机碳(TOC)、可矿化碳(MC)、可溶性有机碳(DOC)和微生物量碳(MBC) 3种活性有机碳的含量与储量, 植被凋落物年凋落量、地表枯落物现存量和细根年归还量及其碳储量, 利用相关分析和多元逐步回归拟合, 分析土壤碳库与植被碳输入的关系。结果表明: (1)土壤TOC、MC、DOC和MBC含量随演替进行均显著增加(p < 0.05); (2)随演替进行, 土壤TOC储量显著增加( p < 0.05), 而MC、DOC和MBC储量并没有出现一致的变化趋势, 其排序为: 中期>后期>前期; (3)凋落物年凋落量及其碳储量随演替显著增加( p < 0.05), 细根年归还量及其碳储量随演替先增后降( p < 0.05), 而地表枯落物现存量与碳储量显著降低; (4) 3种活性有机碳中, MC储量对土壤总有机碳储量解释的贡献率为34.01% ( R² = 0.388, p < 0.05); (5) TOC和活性碳库(MC、DOC、MBC)受到不同碳归还方式的影响, 但细根的影响最大(分别为28.2%、50.0%、73.4%和68.8%)。总之, 随天童常绿阔叶林演替发生, 土壤总有机碳和3种活性有机碳储量显著增加, 细根生物量和可矿化碳库储量增加是引起土壤碳固持量增加的主要原因。     

CO2 flux from soil in pastures and forests in southwestern Amazonia

Stocks of carbon in Amazonian forest biomass and soils have received considerable research attention because of their potential as sources and sinks of atmospheric CO₂. Fluxes of CO₂ from soil to the atmosphere, on the other hand, have not been addressed comprehensively in regard to temporal and spatial variations and to land cover change, and have been measured directly only in a few locations in Amazonia. Considerable variation exists across the Amazon Basin in soil properties, climate, and management practices in forests and cattle pastures that might affect soil CO₂ fluxes. Here we report soil CO₂ fluxes from an area of rapid deforestation in the southwestern Amazonian state of Acre. Specifically we addressed (1) the seasonal variation of soil CO₂ fluxes, soil moisture, and soil temperature; (2) the effects of land cover (pastures, mature, and secondary forests) on these fluxes; (3) annual estimates of soil respiration; and (4) the relative contributions of grass‐derived and forest‐derived C as indicated by δ¹³CO₂. Fluxes were greatest during the wet season and declined during the dry season in all land covers. Soil respiration was significantly correlated with soil water‐filled pore space but not correlated with temperature. Annual fluxes were higher in pastures compared with mature and secondary forests, and some of the pastures also had higher soil C stocks. The δ¹³C of CO₂ respired in pasture soils showed that high respiration rates in pastures were derived almost entirely from grass root respiration and decomposition of grass residues. These results indicate that the pastures are very productive and that the larger flux of C cycling through pasture soils compared with forest soils is probably due to greater allocation of C belowground. Secondary forests had soil respiration rates similar to mature forests, and there was no correlation between soil respiration and either forest age or forest biomass. Hence, belowground allocation of C does not appear to be directly related to the stature of vegetation in this region. Variation in seasonal and annual rates of soil respiration of these forests and pastures is more indicative of flux of C through the soil rather than major net changes in ecosystem C stocks.     

Fine root and litterfall dynamics of three Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forests along an altitudinal gradient

Background and aims

Fine root and aboveground litterfall, two large fluxes of nutrients and carbon in the forest ecosystems, are key processes to be considered in efforts of measuring, modeling and predicting soil carbon sequestration.

Methods

We used sequential coring and litter trap to measure seasonal dynamics of fine root and litterfall in three Korean pine dominated forests along an altitudinal gradient in the Changbai Mountain during the 2012 growing season.

Results

Fine root biomass decreased significantly while necromass increased remarkably with altitude. Patterns and amounts of fine root production and mortality varied among forest types. Litterfall decreased significantly with altitude, whereas forest floor mass increased. Carbon inputs through fine root mortality and litterfall decreased significantly with altitude while carbon storage of fine root mass did not differ among forest types and carbon storage of forest floor mass was significantly larger in higher altitudinal forests due to lower turnover rates.

Conclusions

This study provided an insight into the variations of fine root and litterfall dynamics among three Korean pine forests which were associated with different vegetation traits and environmental conditions, and also the quantification of carbon fluxes through fine root mortality and litterfall for estimating carbon budget of temperate forest.     

Changes in the origin and quality of soil organic matter after pasture introduction in Rondônia (Brazil)

We examined the effects of the conversion of tropical forest to pasture on soil organic matter (SOM) origin and quality along a chronosequence of sites, including a primary forest and six pastures. Bulk soil samples received a physical size-fractionation treatment to assess the contribution of each compartment to total SOM pool. Besides a general increase in total C and N stocks along the chronosequence, we observed a reduction of the relative contribution of the coarser fractions to total soil C content, and an increased concentration in the finer fractions. The origin of the C in each size fraction was established from measurements of¹³C abundance. After 80 years about 93% of the C in the least humified fraction of the top 10 cm of soil was of pasture origin, while in the most humified it was 82%. Chemical analyses indicated that the fine silt and coarse clay fractions contained the most refractory carbon.     

Pasture degradation in the central Amazon: linking changes in carbon and nutrient cycling with remote sensing

The majority of deforested land in the Amazon Basin has become cattle pasture, making forest‐to‐pasture conversion an important contributor to the carbon (C) and climate dynamics of the region. However, our understanding of biogeochemical dynamics in pasturelands remains poor, especially when attempting to scale up predictions of C cycle changes. A wide range of pasture ages, soil types, management strategies, and climates make remote sensing the only realistic means to regionalize our understanding of pasture biogeochemistry and C cycling over such an enormous geographic area. However, the use of remote sensing has been impeded by a lack of effective links between variables that can be observed from satellites (e.g. live and senescent biomass) and variables that cannot be observed, but which may drive key changes in C storage and trace gas fluxes (e.g. soil nutrient status). We studied patterns in canopy biophysical–biochemical properties and soil biogeochemical processes along pasture age gradients on two important soil types in the central Amazon. Our goals were to (1) improve our understanding of the plot‐scale biogeochemical dynamics of this land‐use change, (2) evaluate the effects of pasture development on two contrasting soil types (clayey Oxisols and sandy Entisols), and (3) attempt to use remotely sensed variables to scale up the site‐specific variability in biogeochemical conditions of pasturelands. The biogeochemical analyses showed that (1) aboveground and soil C stocks decreased with pasture age on both clayey and sandy soils, (2) declines in plant biomass were well correlated with declines in soil C and with available phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca), and (3) despite low initial values for total and available soil P, ecosystem P stocks declined further with pasture age, as did a number of other nutrients. Spectral mixture analysis of Landsat imagery provided estimates of photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non‐photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) that were highly correlated with field measurements of these variables and plant biomass. In turn, the remotely sensed sum PV+NPV was well correlated with the changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and available P and Ca. These results suggest that remote sensing can be an excellent indicator of not only pasture area, but of pasture condition and C storage, thereby greatly improving regional estimates of the environmental consequences of such land‐use change.     

Effects of nitrogen additions on above- and belowground carbon dynamics in two tropical forests

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing rapidly in tropical regions, adding N to ecosystems that often have high background N availability. Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle, yet the effects of N deposition on C cycling in these ecosystems are poorly understood. We used a field N-fertilization experiment in lower and upper elevation tropical rain forests in Puerto Rico to explore the responses of above- and belowground C pools to N addition. As expected, tree stem growth and litterfall productivity did not respond to N fertilization in either of these N-rich forests, indicating a lack of N limitation to net primary productivity (NPP). In contrast, soil C concentrations increased significantly with N fertilization in both forests, leading to larger C stocks in fertilized plots. However, different soil C pools responded to N fertilization differently. Labile (low density) soil C fractions and live fine roots declined with fertilization, while mineral-associated soil C increased in both forests. Decreased soil CO₂ fluxes in fertilized plots were correlated with smaller labile soil C pools in the lower elevation forest (R² = 0.65, p < 0.05), and with lower live fine root biomass in the upper elevation forest (R² = 0.90, p < 0.05). Our results indicate that soil C storage is sensitive to N deposition in tropical forests, even where plant productivity is not N-limited. The mineral-associated soil C pool has the potential to respond relatively quickly to N additions, and can drive increases in bulk soil C stocks in tropical forests.     

Sources of plant-derived carbon and stability of organic matter in soil: implications for global change

Alterations in forest productivity and changes in the relative proportion of above‐ and belowground biomass may have nonlinear effects on soil organic matter (SOM) storage. To study the influence of plant litter inputs on SOM accumulation, the Detritus Input Removal and Transfer (DIRT) Experiment continuously alters above‐ and belowground plant inputs to soil by a combination of trenching, screening, and litter addition. Here, we used biogeochemical indicators [i.e., cupric oxide extractable lignin‐derived phenols and suberin/cutin‐derived substituted fatty acids (SFA)] to identify the dominant sources of plant biopolymers in SOM and various measures [i.e., soil density fractionation, laboratory incubation, and radiocarbon‐based mean residence time (MRT)] to assess the stability of SOM in two contrasting forests within the DIRT Experiment: an aggrading deciduous forest and an old‐growth coniferous forest. In the deciduous forest, removal of both above‐ and belowground inputs increased the total amount of SFA over threefold compared with the control, and shifted the SFA signature towards a root‐dominated source. Concurrently, light fraction MRT increased by 101 years and C mineralization during incubation decreased compared with the control. Together, these data suggest that root‐derived aliphatic compounds are a source of SOM with greater relative stability than leaf inputs at this site. In the coniferous forest, roots were an important source of soil lignin‐derived phenols but needle‐derived, rather than root‐derived, aliphatic compounds were preferentially preserved in soil. Fresh wood additions elevated the amount of soil C recovered as light fraction material but also elevated mineralization during incubation compared with other DIRT treatments, suggesting that not all of the added soil C is directly stabilized. Aboveground needle litter additions, which are more N‐rich than wood debris, resulted in accelerated mineralization of previously stored soil carbon. In summary, our work demonstrates that the dominant plant sources of SOM differed substantially between forest types. Furthermore, inputs to and losses from soil C pools likely will not be altered uniformly by changes in litter input rates.     

Soil Carbon Stocks Decrease following Conversion of Secondary Forests to Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) Plantations

Forest-to-rubber plantation conversion is an important land-use change in the tropical region, for which the impacts on soil carbon stocks have hardly been studied. In montane mainland southeast Asia, monoculture rubber plantations cover 1.5 million ha and the conversion from secondary forests to rubber plantations is predicted to cause a fourfold expansion by 2050. Our study, conducted in southern Yunnan province, China, aimed to quantify the changes in soil carbon stocks following the conversion from secondary forests to rubber plantations. We sampled 11 rubber plantations ranging in age from 5 to 46 years and seven secondary forest plots using a space-for-time substitution approach. We found that forest-to-rubber plantation conversion resulted in losses of soil carbon stocks by an average of 37.4±4.7 (SE) Mg C ha⁻¹ in the entire 1.2-m depth over a time period of 46 years, which was equal to 19.3±2.7% of the initial soil carbon stocks in the secondary forests. This decline in soil carbon stocks was much larger than differences between published aboveground carbon stocks of rubber plantations and secondary forests, which range from a loss of 18 Mg C ha⁻¹ to an increase of 8 Mg C ha⁻¹. In the topsoil, carbon stocks declined exponentially with years since deforestation and reached a steady state at around 20 years. Although the IPCC tier 1 method assumes that soil carbon changes from forest-to-rubber plantation conversions are zero, our findings show that they need to be included to avoid errors in estimating overall ecosystem carbon fluxes.     

Forest- and pasture-derived carbon contributions to carbon stocks and microbial respiration of tropical pasture soils

The clearing of tropical forest for pasture leads to important changes in soil organic carbon (C) stocks and cycling patterns. We used the naturally occurring distribution of¹³C in soil organic matter (SOM) to examine the roles of forest- and pasture-derived organic matter in the carbon balance in the soils of 3- to 81-year-old pastures created following deforestation in the western Brazilian Amazon Basin state of Rondônia. Different ¹³C values of C3 forest-derived C (-28) and C4 pasture-derived C (-13) allowed determination of the origin of total soil C and soil respiration. The ¹³C of total soil increased steadily across ecosystems from -27.8 in the forest to -15.8 in the 81-year-old pasture and indicated a replacement of forest-derived C with pasture-derived C. The ¹³C of respired CO₂ increased more rapidly from -26.5 in the forest to -17 in the 3- to 13-year-old pastures and indicated a faster shift in the origin of more labile SOM. In 3-year-old pasture, soil C derived from pasture grasses made up 69% of respired C but only 17% of total soil C in the top 10 cm. Soils of pastures 5 years old and older had higher total C stocks to 30 cm than the original forest. This occurred because pasture-derived C in soil organic matter increased more rapidly than forest-derived C was lost. The increase of pasture-derived C in soils of young pastures suggests that C inputs derived from pasture grasses play a critical role in development of soil C stocks in addition to fueling microbial respiration. Management practices that promote high grass production will likely result in greater inputs of grass-derived C to pasture soils and will be important for maintaining tropical pasture soil C stocks.     

基于模型数据融合的长白山阔叶红松林碳循环模拟

 充分、有效地利用各种陆地生态系统碳观测数据改善陆地生态系统模型, 是当前我国陆地生态系统碳循环研究领域亟待解决的重要问题之一。该研究以2003~2005年长白山阔叶红松林的6组生物计量观测数据和涡度相关技术测定的碳通量数据为基础, 利用马尔可夫链-蒙特卡罗方法对陆地生态系统模型的关键参数(即碳滞留时间)进行了反演, 进而预测了长白山阔叶红松林生态系统碳库、碳通量及其不确定性。反演结果表明, 长白山阔叶红松林叶凋落物和微生物碳的平均滞留时间最短, 为2~6个月; 其次是叶和细根生物量碳, 二者的平均滞留时间为1~2 a; 慢性土壤有机碳的平均滞留时间为8~16 a; 碳在木质生物量和惰性土壤有机质库中的滞留时间最长, 平均滞留时间分别为77~109 a和409~1 879 a。模拟结果显示, 碳库和累积碳通量模拟值的不确定性将随着模拟时间的延长而增大。当气温升高10%和20%时, 长白山阔叶红松林总初级生产力年总量将分别增加6.5%和9.9%, 净生态系统生产力(NEP)年总量的变化取决于土壤温度的变化。若土壤温度保持不变, NEP年总量将分别增加11.4%~21.9%和17.6%~33.1%; 若土壤温度也相应升高10%和20%, NEP年总量的增幅反而下降甚至低于原来的水平。假设气候和植被保持在2003~2005年的状态, 2020年长白山阔叶红松林NEP年总量为(163±12) g C·m^–2·a^–1, 土壤呼吸年总量为(721±14) g C·m^–2·a^–1。马尔可夫链-蒙特卡罗方法是反演模型参数、优化模拟结果和评估模拟结果不确定性的有效方法, 但今后仍需在惰性土壤碳滞留时间的估计、驱动数据和模型结构的不确定性分析、模型数据融合方法方面进行深入研究, 以进一步提高碳循环模拟的准确性。     

Long‐term changes in forest carbon under temperature and nitrogen amendments in a temperate northern hardwood forest

Currently, forests in the northeastern United States are net sinks of atmospheric carbon. Under future climate change scenarios, the combined effects of climate change and nitrogen deposition on soil decomposition, aboveground processes, and the forest carbon balance remain unclear. We applied carbon stock, flux, and isotope data from field studies at the Harvard forest, Massachusetts, to the ForCent model, which integrates above‐ and belowground processes. The model was able to represent decadal‐scale measurements in soil C stocks, mean residence times, fluxes, and responses to a warming and N addition experiment. The calibrated model then simulated the longer term impacts of warming and N deposition on the distribution of forest carbon stocks. For simulation to 2030, soil warming resulted in a loss of soil organic matter (SOM), decreased allocation to belowground biomass, and gain of aboveground carbon, primarily in large wood, with an overall small gain in total system carbon. Simulated nitrogen addition resulted in a small increase in belowground carbon pools, but a large increase in aboveground large wood pools, resulting in a substantial increase in total system carbon. Combined warming and nitrogen addition simulations showed a net gain in total system carbon, predominately in the aboveground carbon pools, but offset somewhat by losses in SOM. Hence, the impact of continuation of anthropogenic N deposition on the hardwood forests of the northeastern United States may exceed the impact of warming in terms of total ecosystem carbon stocks. However, it should be cautioned that these simulations do not include some climate‐related processes, different responses from changing tree species composition. Despite uncertainties, this effort is among the first to use decadal‐scale observations of soil carbon dynamics and results of multifactor manipulations to calibrate a model that can project integrated aboveground and belowground responses to nitrogen and climate changes for subsequent decades.     

Fluxes and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen – a synthesis for temperate forests

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON)represent an important part of the C and N cycles inforest ecosystems. Little is known about the controlson fluxes and concentrations of these compounds insoils under field conditions. Here we compiledpublished data on concentrations and fluxes of DOC andDON from 42 case studies in forest ecosystems of thetemperate zone in order to evaluate controls on alarger temporal and spatial scale. The focus was onannual fluxes and concentrations in throughfall,forest floor leachates and soil solutions. In allcompartments considered, concentrations and fluxesdiffered widely between the sites. Highestconcentrations of DOC and DON were generally observedin forest floor leachates and in A horizons. Highestfluxes occurred in forest floor leachates. The fluxesof DOC and DON in forest floor leachates increasedwith increasing annual precipitation and were alsopositively related to DOC and DON fluxes withthroughfall. Variation in throughfall fluxes couldexplain 46% and 65% of the variation in DOC and DONfluxes from the forest floor, respectively. No generaldifference in DOC and DON concentrations and fluxes inforest floor leachates was found when comparingconiferous and hardwood sites. Concentrations of DOCin forest floor leachates were positively correlatedto the pH of the forest floor. Furthermore, there wasno relationship between organic C and N stocks, soilC/N, litterfall or mineral N inputs and concentrationsand fluxes of DOC and DON in forest floor leachates.Including all compartments, fluxes of DOC and DON werehighly correlated. Ratios of DOC to DON calculatedfrom fluxes from the forest floor were independent ofthe amount of annual precipitation, pointing to asimilar response of DOC and DON to precipitationconditions. A decrease in the ratio of DOC to DON withsoil depth as observed on a plot-scale, was notconfirmed by data analysis on a large scale. Thecontrols observed on annual fluxes and concentrationsof DON and DOC at regional scale differed from thosereported for smaller time and space scales.     

Substantial labile carbon stocks and microbial activity in deeply weathered soils below a tropical wet forest

Contrary to large areas in Amazonia of tropical moist forests with a pronounced dry season, tropical wet forests in Costa Rica do not depend on deep roots to maintain an evergreen forest canopy through the year. At our Costa Rican tropical wet forest sites, we found a large carbon stock in the subsoil of deeply weathered Oxisols, even though only 0.04–0.2% of the measured root biomass (>2 mm diameter) to 3 m depth was below 2 m. In addition, we demonstrate that 20% or more of this deep soil carbon (depending on soil type) can be mobilized after forest clearing for pasture establishment. Microbial activity between 0.3 and 3 m depth contributed about 50% to the microbial activity in these soils, confirming the importance of the subsoil in C cycling. Depending on soil type, forest clearing for pasture establishment led from no change to a slight addition of carbon in the topsoil (0–0.3 m depth). However, this effect was countered by a substantial loss of C stocks in the subsoil (1–3 m depth). Our results show that large stocks of relatively labile carbon are not limited to areas with a prolonged dry season, but can also be found in deeply weathered soils below tropical wet forests. Forest clearing in such areas may produce unexpectedly high C losses from the subsoil.     

模拟根系分泌物C:N化学计量特征对川西亚高山森林土壤碳动态和微生物群落结构的影响

目前有关森林根系分泌物及其诱导的土壤生态学效应研究主要关注根系碳(C)源输入, 而极少关注根系分泌物氮(N)源输入及其伴随的C:N化学计量特征对土壤过程和功能的影响, 极大地限制了我们对森林根系-土壤-微生物互作机制的深入认识。该研究以川西亚高山天然林和云杉(Picea asperata)人工林土壤为对象, 模拟配制不同C:N化学计量特征(只有N、C:N = 10、C:N = 50、C:N = 100和只有C处理)的根系分泌物溶液进行人工添加试验, 以探究根系分泌物化学计量特征对两种林分土壤碳动态及其微生物群落结构的影响差异。结果表明: 模拟根系分泌物C添加总体促进了两种林分土壤有机质分解激发效应而降低了土壤总碳(TC)含量, 而N添加在一定程度上缓和了两种林分土壤TC含量的降低幅度, 且C添加导致天然林土壤TC含量的降低幅度明显低于土壤N有效性更低的人工林。几种根系分泌物添加处理对两种林分土壤活性和惰性碳库的影响无明显规律。另外, 根系分泌物C添加总体降低了天然林土壤微生物总磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)含量和细菌、放线菌、真菌PLFA含量, 而总体增加人工林土壤微生物PLFA总量和细菌、放线菌、真菌PLFA含量, 并诱导两种林分土壤微生物群落结构(细菌:真菌相对丰度)也发生了各自不同的变化。上述结果表明森林根系分泌物N源输入和土壤N有效性共同调控根系C源输入对土壤有机质分解激发效应的方向和幅度。研究结果为深入揭示典型森林根系分泌物化学计量特征对土壤生物化学循环过程的调控机制提供了一定的理论依据。