黄土高原纸坊沟流域不同植物对土壤微生物生物量和土壤酶活性的影响

为了解不同植被类型对土壤微生物生物量和土壤酶活性的影响,以黄土高原纸坊沟流域的9种植物为研究对象,选取撂荒地为参照,分析了各类植被植物根际土土壤微生物生物量、土壤酶活性及其与土壤理化因子的相关性.结果显示:(1)与撂荒地相比,经过植被恢复后,乔木和灌木植被下土壤肥力、微生物生物量和土壤酶活性均有所提高,而草本植被下土壤的碱解氮含量、微生物生物量磷、脲酶活性和过氧化氢酶活性却有所降低.(2)不同植被类型土壤微生物生物量碳和氮、蔗糖酶和碱性磷酸酶活性符合灌木＞乔木＞草本的规律;土壤微生物生物量磷、脲酶和过氧化氢酶活性符合乔木＞灌木＞草本的规律.(3)土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷与土壤有机质、全氮及全磷含量呈极显著正相关;4种土壤酶活性与土壤有机质、全氮及碱解氮含量呈极显著正相关.研究表明,黄土高原纸坊沟流域土壤微生物生物量和土壤酶活性受植被类型及土壤养分等因素的共同影响,且人工灌木植被对土壤的恢复作用高于乔木和草本植被.     

三峡库区消落带落羽杉与立柳林土壤微生物生物量碳氮磷动态变化

为探究库区消落带人工乔木植被恢复重建后土壤质量及肥力的变化特征,于2016年6月(T_1)、2016年9月(T_2)、2017年6月(T_3)及2017年9月(T_4)选择165—175 m高程落羽杉与立柳土壤为研究对象,并以裸地作为对照,测定土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷和相关理化性质。结果表明:(1)经历水淹(T_2—T_3)会使土壤微生物生物量处于较低水平,落干期(T_1—T_2、T_3—T_4)落羽杉与立柳人工植被恢复生长能显著提高土壤微生物生物量,对土壤微生物恢复具有重要意义。(2)落羽杉与立柳土壤微生物生物量碳、氮占土壤有机碳、全氮百分比在4个时期均显著高于裸地,表明落羽杉与立柳土壤微生物对土壤碳、氮库的贡献大于裸地;落羽杉土壤微生物生物量磷及其占全磷百分比在T_1和T_3处于极低水平,T_2和T_4处于较高水平,应注意磷元素的迁移。(3)土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷与土壤有机碳和全氮有极显著相关性,与土壤pH值呈不同程度的负相关。在三峡库区消落带进行落羽杉与立柳乔木植被恢复重建能显著提高土壤微生物生物量及土壤肥力,进一步证实开展科学的植被修复与重建值得提倡和肯定。     

三峡库区消落带重建植被下土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量特征

为探究三峡库区消落带植被重建后,土壤微生物生物量含量特征及影响因素,对忠县消落带人工重建植被土壤及裸地土壤(作为对照)微生物生物量碳氮含量进行了调查研究。结果表明:(1)在消落带165-175 m高程土壤微生物生物量碳含量草地林地农耕地裸地,微生物生物量氮含量规律与微生物生物量碳一致,农耕地明显提高;土壤微生物生物量总体呈现出草地最高、林地和农耕地次之,裸地最低的趋势,表明进行消落带植被恢复对土壤微生物生物量有显著的促进作用。(2)不同植被类型下,土壤微生物生物量碳氮比变化范围为8.02-10.25,土壤微生物生物量碳、氮占土壤有机碳、全氮的百分比范围分别是2.40%-4.60%和2.13%-3.58%,其中林地对土壤碳、氮库贡献显著高于裸地(P0.05)。(3)土壤微生物生物量碳、氮与土壤有机碳、全氮和pH值呈现显著相关性,与土壤含水量呈现极显著相关性,说明消落带重建植被土壤的这些理化性质对土壤微生物生物量碳、氮含量有强烈的影响。因此,在三峡库区消落带进行植被恢复重建能显著提高土壤微生物生物量及土壤质量,对加强三峡库岸生态系统的稳定性具有重要意义。     

植被恢复十年喀斯特坡地细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性的影响

土壤碳氮存留与可利用性对恢复生态系统的稳定性和可持续性产生重要影响,研究其细根控制过程对深入理解植被恢复的作用及其针对性应用具有重要意义。依托中国科学院环江喀斯特生态系统观测研究站10年植被恢复平台,通过分析8种植被恢复模式植物（细根生物量、δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N）、土壤（有机碳、总氮、δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N、团聚体、砂粒、交换性钙、可溶性有机碳和氮、铵态氮、无机氮、微生物生物量碳和氮）理化性质的变化和关系,阐明细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性的影响。研究结果表明：细根对土壤碳氮存留的影响可能主要基于对土壤团聚体结构的改善,加强了对土壤原有机碳、氮的保护和存留,而细根有机质输入的影响是较弱的;细根可能通过影响微生物调控土壤可利用性碳和氮;因高的细根生物量和固氮植物,封育林和刈割草地模式具有较高的土壤碳氮存留效应。综上所述,喀斯特植被恢复过程中细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性产生积极的影响。因此,石漠化生态工程治理可以考虑根系发达与固氮植物共同引种。     

氮输入对中国东北地区土壤碳蓄积的影响

由于人类活动的干扰,通过沉降和施肥形式进入陆地生态系统的氮素持续增加,中国已经成为继欧洲和北美之后的第三大氮沉降区,同时也是最大的化肥消费国。氮输入与陆地生态系统生物地球化学循环的一系列过程都相互联系,碳循环及其格局也受到氮输入的影响。土壤有机碳库在全球碳循环中具有重要作用,氮输入能否或在多大程度上对土壤碳库产生影响已经成为全球变化和氮沉降研究中不可回避的问题。东北地区是世界三大黑土带之一,土壤碳的变化不仅对于土壤肥力维持具有重要意义,而且对区域碳收支具有重要影响。利用生态系统过程模型——CEVSA2模型,基于我国能源消费、施氮数据和降水数据生成了一套中国大气氮沉降的时空网格数据,结合大气CO_2浓度、气候、土地覆被、土壤类型和质地的时空数据,模拟评估了1961-2010年氮输入对中国东北地区土壤碳蓄积的影响。结果表明:(1)1961-2010年东北地区的平均氮沉降速率为1.00gNm~(-2)a~(-1),年增长率为0.047 gN m~(-2)a~(-1)。东北农田总氮输入速率达到5.78 gN m~(-2)a~(-1),从20世纪80年代开始显著增加。(2)氮输入促进了东北地区土壤碳的蓄积,东北陆地生态系统的土壤碳密度平均增加了135 gC/m~2,50a氮输入共增加土壤碳蓄积0.16 PgC。(3)氮输入引起的东北地区土壤碳蓄积量的变化呈现出东高西低、南高北低的空间格局,辽河平原、松嫩平原和三江平原的土壤碳密度增加量超过了300 gC/m~2。(4)不同植被类型下的土壤碳密度对氮输入的响应存在较大差异,农田土壤碳密度平均增加了230 gC/m~2,森林、灌丛和草地则分别增加了76、169 gC/m~2和89 gC/m~2。氮输入的空间差异和不同植被类型对氮输入响应的差异共同决定了东北地区土壤碳增加量的空间格局。通过本研究阐明了氮输入对东北农田土壤碳蓄积的影响,从而为农田生态系统的固碳减排和农田土壤碳氮管理提供了决策依据。     

土壤有机碳对外源氮添加的响应及其机制

土壤有机碳库是陆地生态系统碳库的重要组成, 在全球碳循环中发挥着重要的作用。受元素化学计量平衡调控作用, 氮输入的增加将会对土壤有机碳库产生重要影响。然而, 目前关于陆地生态系统碳库对氮添加的响应主要集中在植被碳库, 对土壤碳库研究较少, 且研究结论争议较大, 尤其对其响应机制缺少系统梳理。该文作者通过对已有文献进行梳理, 认为生态系统类型、土壤碳变化的检测方法、土壤深度, 以及土壤稳定性碳和易变碳含量的差异可能是造成当前研究土壤碳汇增量(每克氮输入所增加的碳)差异的重要原因。氮添加条件下土壤有机碳的积累机制可能包括3个方面: 1)氮添加增加了凋落物输入, 促进了碳积累; 2)氮添加减少土壤碳输出, 尤其是抑制了稳定性碳的分解; 3)促进土壤腐殖质及稳定性碳的形成。此外, 该文结合当前研究中存在的不足, 提出今后需加强对深层土壤碳、土壤可溶性有机碳的淋溶及吸附, 以及不同土壤碳组分对氮添加的响应研究, 并通过改进检测方法减少氮添加条件下碳储量的测量误差。     

宁南山区植被恢复对土壤团聚体养分特征及微生物特性的影响

测定了宁夏黄土丘陵区植被恢复近30年的天然草地和农地不同粒径团聚体的土壤养分含量、微生物生物量、呼吸特性和生态化学计量比等指标,探索黄土丘陵区植被恢复对不同粒径土壤团聚体的养分特性和微生物学性质的影响.结果表明: 微团聚体(粒径<0.25 mm)质量百分比、各粒径土壤团聚体养分(有机碳、全氮、速效钾)含量、C/N均表现为天然草地大于农地,其中1～2 mm粒径团聚体有机碳、全氮含量在天然草地和农地中均最高,C/N也较高,说明植被恢复能有效促进土壤团粒的形成,适宜养分积累和有机碳的汇集,且在1～2 mm粒径团聚体上表现最为突出;天然草地各粒径土壤团聚体微生物生物量(碳、氮)、基础呼吸强度均高于农地,而呼吸熵低于农地,可见植被恢复措施可有效提高各粒径土壤微生物生物量与活性,并使土壤生境趋于稳定;但由于养分特性的差异,不同粒径团聚体微生物特性对植被修复的响应存在差异,其中天然草地土壤1～2 mm粒径团聚体微生物生物量碳,<0.25、0.25～1、1～2 mm粒径团聚体微生物生物量氮,以及1～2、>5 mm粒径团聚体基础呼吸强度显著高于其他粒径,即上述粒径团聚体的微生物生物量和微生物活性在植被恢复过程中逐渐被改善.表明宁南山区植被恢复有效改善了土壤团聚体的肥力状况与结构特征,且1～2 mm粒径团聚体的改良效果最为突出.     

广西十万大山地区不同植被类型土壤微生物特征

为研究广西十万大山地区热带不同植被类型土壤微生物特征及其与土壤养分之间的关系,对次生阔叶林、马尾松林、灌草丛和撂荒地的土壤理化性质、微生物数量特征及微生物生物量碳氮磷进行了测定。结果表明:相同土层的土壤微生物总数大小依次为:次生阔叶林马尾松林灌草丛撂荒地,并随土壤深度增加而减少。土壤微生物生物量碳氮磷随土壤深度的增加而逐渐降低,在不同植被类型的土壤中差异显著。次生阔叶林、马尾松林、灌草丛的土壤微生物生物量与土壤养分呈极显著相关,而撂荒地的相关性明显低于其他3种植被类型,并且其土壤微生物生物量磷与全氮、速效氮和速效钾含量无相关性。由此可见,土壤微生物数量和微生物生物量均可作为评价十万大山森林生态系统土壤肥力的指标;可采用植被恢复手段促进土壤微生物群落的发育、改良土壤特性以促进该区域退化生态系统的恢复。     

杉木人工林土壤有机质研究

土壤有机质在养分循环、土壤理化性质等方面具有重要作用,是陆地生态系统重要的碳库,对全球碳素循环的平衡起着重要作用．本文详细阐述了杉木林地土壤有机质的性质与组成。杉木连栽对土壤有机质含量、腐殖质结合形态的影响以及林分发育过程中土壤有机质的变化,炼山、整地、施肥等经营活动对杉木林地土壤有机质的影响．杉木纯林有机质含量和质量均低于混交林,且随栽植代数的增加有机质含量和质量呈下降趋势,林地土壤肥力下降．最后提出应加强对土壤有机质周转模型、有机质组分,尤其是活性有机质以及有机质与全球碳循环关系的研究．     

人工油松林（Pinus tabulaeformis）恢复过程中土壤微生物生物量C、N的变化特征

采用时空替代法,选取15a（PF15）、25a（PF25）、30a（PF30）的人工油松林作为样地,并选取灌丛作为参考植被,研究了植被恢复过程中土壤微生物生物量C、N以及土壤养分的变化特征,同时探讨了它们之间的相互关系。研究结果表明随着恢复的进行,土壤质量得到了改善,主要表现为有机碳、全氮、粘粒含量、土壤含水量的上升和pH值、容重的下降。土壤微生物生物量C、N分别在155.00~885.64mg/kg和33.73~237.40mg/kg的范围内变化。土壤微生物生物量C、N在植被恢复的初期显著低于灌丛,而后随着恢复的进行逐步增长。土壤微生物生物量C、N与植被恢复时间的相关性没有达到统计学上的显著水平,但是土壤微生物生物量C与土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷呈显著正相关,这表明植被恢复过程中土壤微生物生物量与土壤养分状况关系密切,植被恢复通过改善土壤养分状况间接地影响土壤微生物生物量的变化。Cmic/TOC在1.38%~4.75%的范围内变化。Cmic/TOC随着植被恢复不断下降,Cmic/TOC与植被恢复时间和土壤有机碳呈显著负相关,这表明植被恢复过程中,惰性有机质积累导致供应土壤微生物的活性有机质减少,Cmic/TOC同时受土壤有机质的数量和质量影响。     

Plant-Herbivore Interaction and Its Consequences for Succession in Wetland Ecosystems: A Modeling Approach

Herbivore grazing is increasingly used as a management tool to prevent the dominance of vegetation by tall grasses or trees. In this report, a model is described that is used to analyze plant-herbivore interactions and their scaling up to landscape scale. The model can be used to predict effects of herbivory on vegetation development. The model is an ecosystem model including modules for carbon and nitrogen cycling through plants, soil organic matter, and atmosphere. Plants compete for light and nitrogen. An herbivory module is included that implements selective foraging by a herbivore in a spatially heterogeneous area. Simulations were done to analyze the effects of herbivore density on vegetation dynamics, to analyze the impact of soil fertility on maximum herbivore density, and to analyze effects of herbivore density on landscapes. Two important points come forward from the model. Maximum herbivore abundance shows a hump-shaped curve along a soil fertility gradient. At higher soil fertility, light competition becomes more important. Herbivory interferes with plant competition, giving the tall, less palatable species a competitive advantage and thereby reducing the food quality and availability and hence the carrying capacity of the area. At a landscape scale, herbivory leads to increased heterogeneity. This increased heterogeneity may increase carrying capacity. The implications of these points for nature management are discussed. Received 13 May 1998; accepted 23 November 1998.     

不同土地利用方式对黄河三角洲土壤物理特性的影响

黄河三角洲是我国成土最快的河口三角洲之一,探索其土地利用过程中不同土地利用方式对土壤物理性质的影响,对该区土壤肥力保持和土地资源的持续利用具有重要意义。选择黄河三角洲棉田、麦田、苇地、碱蓬地和裸地等5种不同的土地利用方式,通过野外调查与室内分析,研究不同土地利用方式下土壤主要物理特性的变异特征及影响因素。结果显示,与裸地土壤相比,有植被土地利用方式土壤容重降低,土壤孔隙度、团聚体水稳性、饱和含水量与毛管含水量也有相应的提高;土壤有机碳和速效氮、有效磷含量均有显著增加,土壤总盐分含量呈显著降低趋势。在所研究土壤中,土壤物理性质依麦田-棉田-苇地-碱蓬地-裸地的次序从最佳向最差过渡。逐步回归分析和相关分析表明土壤容重、团聚体平均重量直径和毛管孔隙度是土壤毛管含水量的主要影响因子,团聚体水稳性主要由大于0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量和毛管孔隙度决定,土壤总盐分含量影响土壤饱和导水率;大于0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量分别与土壤有机碳含量(r=0.8323)、速效氮含量(r=0.7558)和有效磷含量(r=0.9049)具有正相关关系。因此,黄河三角洲地区土地利用应以增加有机质的投入,提高土壤水稳性团聚体形成为基础,促进土壤良好结构形成。这些结果为该区土壤肥力提高和土壤资源可持续利用提供参考依据。     

盐城海滨湿地盐沼植被及农作物下土壤酶活性特征

在盐城海滨湿地盐沼植被和农田内采集土壤样品,测定了4种土壤酶(脲酶、转化酶、过氧化氢酶和碱性磷酸酶)的活性,分析了盐沼植被、农作物及土壤理化因子对土壤酶活性的影响。结果表明:由海滨湿地滩涂围垦形成的各类农田其土壤酶活性较高,且均高于湿地盐沼植被;湿地盐沼植被下4种土壤酶活性均高于无植被生长的光滩,且不同类型植被间土壤酶活性差异显著;4种酶的活性大小总体表现为大豆(Glycine max)地棉花(Gossypium hirsutum)地玉米(Zea mays)地互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)滩白茅(Imperata cylindrica var.major)滩碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)滩光滩。相关分析表明,4种土壤酶之间及其与土壤有机碳、全氮均表现出显著正相关,而与土壤盐分、pH值之间存在显著负相关。海滨湿地盐沼植被的发育扩展不仅增加了土壤中的养分含量,也提高了土壤酶活性。     

不同栽培管理模式对农田土壤团聚体组成及其碳、氮分布的影响

在两种肥力条件下设置超高产栽培模式(SH)、高产高效栽培模式(HH)、农民习惯处理(FP)和不施肥对照处理(CK)4种栽培管理模式的定位试验,研究了以肥料投入为主要影响因素的不同栽培管理模式对黄淮海区域不同肥力农田耕层土壤团聚体组成及其碳、氮分布的影响,为通过培肥土壤实现小麦-玉米周年可持续增产增效提供技术支持.结果表明: 与低肥力田块(LSF)相比,高肥力田块(HSF)耕层土壤团聚体的平均质量直径和几何平均直径高、分形维数低,有利于大团聚体的形成与稳定,各级团聚体的有机碳和全氮含量较高.优化施用氮磷钾肥、配施有机肥可增加耕层土壤团聚体的粒径、降低其分形维数,促进大团聚体的形成与稳定,对高肥力田块的影响大于低肥力田块;二者亦可提高有机碳和全氮在大团聚体中的含量与分布,其中,对＞5 mm团聚体的贡献率的影响在低肥力田块大于高肥力田块,对5～0.5 mm的各粒级团聚体的贡献率的影响在高肥力田块优于低肥力田块.     

黄河三角洲贝壳堤土壤微生物生物量对不同生境因子的响应

从土壤微生物生物量角度分析黄河三角洲贝壳堤不同生境的土壤肥力状况,基于黄河三角洲贝壳堤植被类型,以4种不同生境的土壤为研究对象,测定了微生物生物量碳、氮、磷和相关的土壤理化性质。结果表明,不同生境中土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、土壤微生物生物量(MBN)、土壤微生物生物量(MBP)均值均为滩脊背海侧高潮线向海侧,且表现出明显的垂直分布特征:0—5 cm5—10 cm10—20 cm20—40 cm40—60 cm。土壤MBC、MBN、MBP占土壤有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)百分比变化范围分别为1.09%—3.48%、2.62%—7.27%、0.78%—2.86%,滩脊、背海侧和高潮线处MBC/SOC无显著差异(P0.05),但显著高于向海侧MBC/SOC(P0.05)。土壤MBN/TN、MBP/TP的变化趋势为滩脊和背海侧向海侧和高潮线。滩脊和背海侧土壤微生物碳、氮、磷的非生物限制性因子为土壤含水量、p H值、含盐量;向海侧和高潮线区域土壤微生物碳、氮、磷的非生物限制性因子为含水量和pH值。滩脊、背海侧和高潮线土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷及土壤养分间的相关关系显著或极显著,且协同性和稳定性高,表明土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷可以作为判断黄河三角洲贝壳堤土壤肥力状况的生物学指标,这为黄河三角洲贝壳堤的土壤肥力管理和植被恢复提供一定的理论依据。     

Microbial mediation of biogeochemical cycles revealed by simulation of global changes with soil transplant and cropping

Despite microbes'' key roles in driving biogeochemical cycles, the mechanism of microbe-mediated feedbacks to global changes remains elusive. Recently, soil transplant has been successfully established as a proxy to simulate climate changes, as the current trend of global warming coherently causes range shifts toward higher latitudes. Four years after southward soil transplant over large transects in China, we found that microbial functional diversity was increased, in addition to concurrent changes in microbial biomass, soil nutrient content and functional processes involved in the nitrogen cycle. However, soil transplant effects could be overridden by maize cropping, which was attributed to a negative interaction. Strikingly, abundances of nitrogen and carbon cycle genes were increased by these field experiments simulating global change, coinciding with higher soil nitrification potential and carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux. Further investigation revealed strong correlations between carbon cycle genes and CO₂ efflux in bare soil but not cropped soil, and between nitrogen cycle genes and nitrification. These findings suggest that changes of soil carbon and nitrogen cycles by soil transplant and cropping were predictable by measuring microbial functional potentials, contributing to a better mechanistic understanding of these soil functional processes and suggesting a potential to incorporate microbial communities in greenhouse gas emission modeling.     

Long‐term fertilizer regimes have both direct and indirect effects on arthropod community composition and feeding guilds

Vegetation species composition and structure are known to affect taxonomic composition and life‐history characteristics of arthropod communities. Soil conditions alter vegetation composition and structure, and thus, soils have indirect effects on arthropods. Whilst grassland management affects soil properties, and hence vegetation, the direct effects of soil on arthropod communities within the sward are less clear. We used a long‐term hay meadow experiment to assess both direct and indirect effects of various fertilizer regimes on arthropod community composition and feeding guilds. Arthropods were sampled via pitfall traps and sweep nets and then analysed using principal components and redundancy analyses (RDA) to determine relationships between soil properties, vegetation community, forage quality and arthropod community. Vegetation community composition, measured by the first vegetation principal component, was used as a constraining variable in partial RDA, to estimate direct effects of soil on the arthropods. Variance partitioning quantified the relative roles of vegetation and soil on the arthropod community. Our results indicate that available soil nitrogen and carbon–nitrogen ratios are important determinants of arthropod community composition. Once the effects of the vegetation were removed, it was found the soil acidity and the available potassium altered arthropod community composition. Further research is required to determine the mechanisms by which these soil properties affect arthropod communities.     

Interactions with successional stage and nutrient status determines the life‐form‐specific effects of increased soil temperature on boreal forest floor vegetation

The boreal forest is one of the largest terrestrial biomes and plays a key role for the global carbon balance and climate. The forest floor vegetation has a strong influence on the carbon and nitrogen cycles of the forests and is sensitive to changes in temperature conditions and nutrient availability. Additionally, the effects of climate warming on forest floor vegetation have been suggested to be moderated by the tree layer. Data on the effects of soil warming on forest floor vegetation from the boreal forest are, however, very scarce. We studied the effects on the forest floor vegetation in a long‐term (18 years) soil warming and fertilization experiment in a Norway spruce stand in northern Sweden. During the first 9 years, warming favored early successional species such as grasses and forbs at the expense of dwarf shrubs and bryophytes in unfertilized stands, while the effects were smaller after fertilization. Hence, warming led to significant changes in species composition and an increase in species richness in the open canopy nutrient limited forest. After another 9 years of warming and increasing tree canopy closure, most of the initial effects had ceased, indicating an interaction between forest succession and warming. The only remaining effect of warming was on the abundance of bryophytes, which contrary to the initial phase was strongly favored by warming. We propose that the suggested moderating effects of the tree layer are specific to plant life‐form and conclude that the successional phase of the forest may have a considerable impact on the effects of climate change on forest floor vegetation and its feedback effects on the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and thus on the climate.     

Soil phosphorus does not keep pace with soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation following woody encroachment

Soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles are strongly interlinked and controlled through biological processes, and the phosphorus cycle is further controlled through geochemical processes. In dryland ecosystems, woody encroachment often modifies soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stores, although it remains unknown if these three elements change proportionally in response to this vegetation change. We evaluated proportional changes and spatial patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations following woody encroachment by taking spatially explicit soil cores to a depth of 1.2 m across a subtropical savanna landscape which has undergone encroachment by Prosopis glandulosa (an N₂ fixer) and other woody species during the past century in southern Texas, USA. SOC and TN were coupled with respect to increasing magnitudes and spatial patterns throughout the soil profile following woody encroachment, while TP increased slower than SOC and TN in topmost surface soils (0–5 cm) but faster in subsurface soils (15–120 cm). Spatial patterns of TP strongly resembled those of vegetation cover throughout the soil profile, but differed from those of SOC and TN, especially in subsurface soils. The encroachment of woody species dominated by N₂‐fixing trees into this P‐limited ecosystem resulted in the accumulation of proportionally less soil P compared to C and N in surface soils; however, proportionally more P accrued in deeper portions of the soil profile beneath woody patches where alkaline soil pH and high carbonate concentrations would favor precipitation of P as relatively insoluble calcium phosphates. This imbalanced relationship highlights that the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic mechanisms controlling C and N vs. P accumulation following vegetation change may vary with depth. Our findings suggest that efforts to incorporate effects of land cover changes into coupled climate–biogeochemical models should attempt to represent C‐N‐P imbalances that may arise following vegetation change.