中国东北样带(NECT)土壤碳、氮、磷的梯度分布及其与气候因子的关系

 以中国东北样带(NECT)为依托,基于沿样带的野外观测和土壤实测数据,分析了沿样带的土壤碳、氮、磷的空间分布格局及其与年降水、年均温之间的关系。结果表明：样带内土壤有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤有效氮、土壤全磷、土壤有效磷沿经度均呈现出东高西低的分布趋势;降水量和温度对土壤碳、氮、磷的作用强度顺序分别为土壤有效氮、土壤有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤全磷和土壤有效磷;并建立了土壤有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤有效氮、土壤全磷、土壤有效磷与年降水、年均温之间的多项式回归方程,为样带陆地碳收支评估及养分循环提供基础资料。     

毛竹入侵常绿阔叶林对土壤活性有机碳氮的动态影响

在中国南方,毛竹向周边森林入侵已是较为突出的生态学现象。毛竹与周围森林原有物种的性状特征存在差异,将不可避免地改变原有森林的土壤养分循环。为了揭示毛竹入侵对土壤活性有机碳、氮的影响,在毛竹入侵样带上,选择常绿阔叶林、竹阔混交林、毛竹纯林为研究对象,以土壤水溶性有机碳、氮含量和微生物生物量碳、氮为指标,分析毛竹入侵对常绿阔叶林土壤活性有机碳、氮含量的影响及其季节规律。结果表明:3种林分之间年平均水溶性有机碳、氮含量和微生物生物量碳、氮差异显著,总体表现为阔叶林混交林毛竹林(P0.05); 3种林分的水溶性有机碳、氮含量和微生物生物量碳、氮均有相似的季节变化,其中土壤水溶性有机碳含量与微生物生物量碳最高值出现在秋季,最低值出现在夏季,且其含量在大多数季节3种林分差异与年平均含量差异一致,均表现为阔叶林混交林毛竹林(P0.05);皮尔森相关分析显示,土壤活性有机碳、氮各组分间存在着显著相关性(P0.01);毛竹入侵常绿阔叶林后通过降低土壤中活性有机碳、氮含量与微生物生物量碳、氮,进而降低原有土壤养分,最终改变原有的土壤有机碳库与氮库的结构。研究结果可以为合理管控抛荒毛竹林提供启发,为毛竹入侵对土壤性质的影响研究提供基础数据。     

土壤活性有机碳

土壤活性有机碳是土壤中活跃的化学组分,能显著影响土壤化学物质的溶解、吸附、解吸、吸收、迁移乃至生物毒性等行为,近年来土壤活性有机碳已成为土壤、环境和生态科学领域所关注的焦点和研究的热点。本文从土壤活性有机碳的来源、组成、含量、影响因素以及环境意义等方面做了简要的论述。一般认为,土壤活性有机碳来源于植物凋落物的分解、根系分泌物、土壤有机质的水解、土壤微生物本身及其代谢产物,因为来源的不同土壤活性有机碳含量也不同;影响土壤活性有机碳的因素有很多,研究表明,土壤活性有机碳随季节和湿度的变化呈现十分强烈的变异趋势;土地利用方式改变对土壤活性有机碳的影响在不同的研究中有不同的结果;土地管理措施如耕作、施有机肥和化肥、改变土壤pH值等对土壤活性有机碳也有很大的影响。土壤活性有机碳的生态环境效应主要表现在它对调节土壤养分流有很大影响,与土壤内在的生产力高度相关;它作为重金属的有机配体,对土壤溶液中的微量重金属的可移动性和迁移过程以及金属复合物的形成过程有着重要作用;它的存在影响农药在土壤中的截留、增加农药的水溶性,并影响农药在土壤中的运动;它对温室气体的排放、水体富营养化、岩石圈溶蚀都有很重要的作用。同时指出了未来的研究方向。     

鄱阳湖典型湿地土壤微生物活性对季节性水位变化的响应

为探究湿地土壤微生物对季节性水位变化的响应关系,以鄱阳湖湿地土壤为研究对象,在2014年3、6、10及2015年1月4个季节采集了3个不同高程样带的土壤样品,对土壤微生物基础呼吸、生物量及胞外酶等活性进行了测定。研究结果表明:(1)季节性水位变化不仅显著改变了土壤有机碳、溶解性有机碳、有效磷等含量,也使得微生物量碳和4种水解酶β-葡萄糖苷酶、β-木糖苷酶、N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶、磷酸酶活性表现出夏冬季较高、秋季最低的动态变化,而2种氧化酶酚氧化酶和过氧化氢酶的表现正好相反。(2)水位高程和地上植被类型同样对土壤微生物产生了显著影响,表现为南荻样带有较高营养元素含量和微生物活性。(3)一些土壤理化指标(含水量、铵态氮、有机碳、有效磷等)与微生物活性(微生物量、基础呼吸、酶活)显著相关;季节水位变化对微生物活性的影响大于高程差异。研究结果表明水位波动对湿地土壤微生物活性产生了重要影响,鄱阳湖水文节律的改变将影响到湿地土壤的正常生态功能。     

江西官山常绿阔叶林土壤有机碳组分沿海拔的变化

对江西官山国家级自然保护区不同海拔(400、600、800、1000、1200 m)常绿阔叶林土壤总有机碳、惰性有机碳和活性有机碳进行分析,研究土壤有机碳的海拔分布特征。结果表明: 土壤总有机碳、惰性有机碳及活性有机碳含量在土壤表层最高,随土层加深而逐渐下降。随海拔升高,土壤总有机碳、惰性有机碳、易氧化有机碳、微生物生物量碳及0～20 cm土层土壤颗粒有机碳含量均出现先增后降的趋势, 且在海拔1000 m达到峰值,而土壤水溶性有机碳及20～40 cm土层土壤颗粒有机碳含量无明显变化。在0～10 cm土层,土壤惰性有机碳占总有机碳的比例在海拔800和1200 m显著高于海拔400和1000 m,而土壤活性有机碳占总有机碳的比例在海拔400 m最高;土壤惰性有机碳和活性有机碳占总有机碳的比例在10～40 cm土层随海拔的增加均呈先增加后降低的趋势,峰值分别在1000和600 m处。各组分有机碳与土壤湿度、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮均呈显著正相关,而且活性有机碳与铵态氮呈显著正相关。海拔显著影响常绿阔叶林土壤有机碳组分的分布,惰性有机碳、易氧化有机碳和微生物生物量碳对海拔变化的响应更敏感。高海拔土壤惰性有机碳和活性有机碳在水分和氮素充足条件下易发生分解与转化,降低土壤碳库的稳定性。在全球气温持续升高背景下,要加强高海拔地区森林土壤有机碳的动态变化研究。     

土地利用方式转变对赣中地区土壤活性有机碳的影响

选取江西省安福县15年撂荒地和3种林地(毛竹林人工林、木荷次生林、杉木人工林),研究土地利用方式改变对土壤有机碳库以及活性有机碳的影响.结果表明：不同样地的土壤总有机碳、微生物生物量碳、热水浸提有机碳和易氧化态碳均表现为毛竹人工林>杉木人工林>木荷次生林>撂荒地;与对照(撂荒地)相比,3种林地的土壤有机碳含量、碳储量及活性有机碳含量均随土壤深度增加而递减,表层富集现象明显;不同土壤活性有机碳的分配比例明显不同,其中,土壤易氧化态碳占总有机碳的比例最大,微生物生物量碳所占比例最小,土壤总有机碳、微生物生物量碳、热水浸提有机碳和易氧化态碳间的相关性均达到极显著水平.后三者表征了土壤中活性较高部分碳的含量,对土地利用方式的响应较敏感,可以作为评价赣中地区土壤质量和肥力的指标之一.     

马尾松(Pinus massoniana)人工林林窗对土壤不同形态活性有机碳的影响

研究了四川盆地低山丘陵区马尾松人工林不同大小林窗对表层土壤活性有机碳(水溶性有机碳、微生物量碳、易氧化碳)含量、分配比例及碳库管理指数的影响。结果表明:(1)林窗下土壤微生物量碳含量与分配比例较林下土壤有所升高,而水溶性有机碳与易氧化碳含量及水溶性有机碳分配比例有所降低。(2)林窗大小显著影响林窗中心土壤活性有机碳含量与分配比例。随林窗面积增大,水溶性有机碳、微生物量碳与易氧化碳含量呈现较为一致的升高趋势;水溶性有机碳和微生物量碳分配比例也升高,易氧化碳分配比例先下降后升高,稳定态碳先升高后降低;总体表现为较大林窗(900—1225m2)微生物活性强,活性有机碳含量高,且有机碳库稳定性较好。(3)土壤碳库管理指数随林窗面积增大无显著变化,但与各形态活性有机碳含量及总有机碳含量显著相关,说明土壤碳库管理指数能够相对全面地反映林窗大小对土壤碳库的影响。     

六盘山林区几种土地利用方式下土壤活性有机碳的比较

 应用KMnO4氧化法测定分析了六盘山林区天然次生林（杂灌林、山杨（Populus davidanda）和辽东栎（Querces liaotungensis）林）、农田、草地和人工林（13、18和25年华北落叶松（Larix principis-rupprechtii））土壤活性有机碳含量及分配比例的差异。结果表明：农田和草地土壤活性有机碳含量比天然次生林分别低60%和36%,差异主要在0～70 cm土层;人工林比农田和草地分别高129%和29%,差异主要在0～50 cm土层。农田和草地土壤活性有机碳分配比例比天然次生林分别低11%和4%以上, 差异主要在0～20 cm与70～110 cm土层;人工林比农田和草地分别高13.3%和5.3%,差异主要在0～110 cm土层。土壤活性有机碳含量和分配比例随土层加深而递减,其中天然次生林和人工林土壤活性有机碳含量随土层加深而递减的幅度比农田和草地中大,农田土壤活性有机碳分配比例随土层加深而递减幅度较大。不同土地利用方式间土壤活性有机碳含量的差异比活性有机碳分配比例的差异大,土壤活性有机碳含量随土层加深而递减的幅度比分配比例随土层加深而递减的幅度大。这可能由土壤有机碳的输入、稳定性、质量和根系分布等差异所致。结果说明土壤活性有机碳含量和分配比例随天然次生林变成农田或草地而降低,随农田或草地中造林而增加,且土壤活性有机碳含量的变化幅度比分配比例大。另外,土壤活性有机碳含量和分配比例在土壤剖面的分布也随土地利用变化而改变,其中活性有机碳含量的变化幅度比分配比例大。     

太湖湖滨带土壤活性有机碳沿水分梯度的变化特征

湖滨带等水陆交错区土壤碳循环是全球碳循环的一个重要的组成部分,但相关方面的研究还相当缺乏.本研究选择位于苏州渔阳山保存较为良好的典型的太湖湖滨带作为实验地,并根据距离水体的远近,将湖滨带从近水体到高岗地分别设置3个实验区,对湖滨带湿地土壤水溶性有机碳(WSOC)、轻组有机碳(LFOC)2种活性有机碳进行研究,分析土壤活性有机碳与土壤因子的关系.结果表明:土壤水分明显影响土壤表层活性有机碳的含量,湖滨带土壤WSOC、LFOC在表层(0～10 cm)沿土壤水分梯度的降低而减小,表现为近水区＞中水区＞远水区,且下层土壤沿水分梯度的差异变小;表层土壤活性有机碳各组分显著高于下层土壤,这与土壤有机碳和氮素变化趋势一致;WSOC、LFOC均与土壤总有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤含水率呈显著或极显著正相关;沿水分梯度土壤有机碳、全氮和土壤湿度是调控土壤活性有机碳沿水分梯度变化的主要因子.     

喀斯特山区土地利用对土壤团聚体有机碳和活性有机碳特征的影响

通过选取喀斯特山区火龙果园、草丛、花椒林、乔木林和灌草丛为研究对象,对其土壤团聚有机碳和团聚体活性有机碳分布与积累特征进行研究,结果表明:各土地利用方式下的团聚体组成均以＞0.5 mm团聚体为主,其含量可占团聚体总量的82.57％-94.79％;各粒级团聚体中有机碳和活性有机碳的含量均以乔木林最高,花椒林和火龙果园相对居中,而以草丛和灌草丛较低,随土壤团聚体粒径降低,有机碳和活性有机碳的峰值基本出现在＜0.25 mm粒级团聚体,但该粒径对土壤有机碳和活性有机碳的贡献率却不足6％和4％;土壤有机碳和活性有机碳的累积均受5-1 mm团聚体中有机碳和活性有机碳含量增加的影响,该粒级团聚体对有机碳和活性有机碳的贡献率也分别达28.70％-49.47％和34.13％-47.47％,可将5-1 mm粒径团聚体作为喀斯特山区的土壤有机碳固定的特征团聚体;土壤团聚体活性有机碳含量与土壤团聚体总有机碳含量呈极显著正相关关系(r=O.8768),表明团聚体活性有机碳可以作为衡量喀斯特山区土壤团聚体有机碳动态的一个敏感性指标.     

Linking woody species diversity with plant available water at a landscape scale in a Brazilian savanna

Question: How is the diversity of woody species in a seasonally dry savanna related to plant available water (PAW)? Location: Savannas in central Brazil. Methods: Two‐dimensional soil resistivity profiles to 10‐m depth previously measured along three 10 m × 275 m replicate transects revealed differences in belowground water resources among and within transects: (1) driest/most heterogeneous; (2) wettest/least heterogeneous; and (3) PAW‐intermediate. All woody plants along these transects were identified to species, and height and basal circumference measured. Species diversity was evaluated for the whole transect (total diversity), 100‐m² plots (alpha‐diversity) and dissimilarity among 100‐m² plots within transects (beta‐diversity). Correlation analyses were conducted between PAW and vegetation variables at the 100‐m² scale. Results: The driest/most heterogeneous transect had the lowest total species diversity, while the wettest/least heterogeneous transect showed the lowest beta‐diversity. Floristic variation was correlated with PAW in all transects. In the most heterogeneous transect, species density was positively correlated with PAW in the 0‐400 cm soil layer. Evenness and Simpson's diversity were negatively correlated with PAW in the 700‐1000 cm soil layer. Conclusion: Woody species diversity was related to PAW at a fine spatial scale. Abundant PAW in the top 4 m of soil may favour many species and increase species total diversity. Conversely, abundant PAW at depth may result in lower evenness and total diversity, probably because the few species adapted to obtaining deep soil water can become dominant. Environmental changes altering soil water availability and partitioning in soil layers could affect the diversity of woody plants in this savanna.     

Environmental variation,vegetation distribution,carbon dynamics and water/energy exchange at high latitudes

Abstract. The responses of high latitude ecosystems to global change involve complex interactions among environmental variables, vegetation distribution, carbon dynamics, and water and energy exchange. These responses may have important consequences for the earth system. In this study, we evaluated how vegetation distribution, carbon stocks and turnover, and water and energy exchange are related to environmental variation spanned by the network of the IGBP high latitude transects. While the most notable feature of the high latitude transects is that they generally span temperature gradients from southern to northern latitudes, there are substantial differences in temperature among the transects. Also, along each transect temperature co‐varies with precipitation and photosynthetically active radiation, which are also variable among the transects. Both climate and disturbance interact to influence latitudinal patterns of vegetation and soil carbon storage among the transects, and vegetation distribution appears to interact with climate to determine exchanges of heat and moisture in high latitudes. Despite limitations imposed by the data we assembled, the analyses in this study have taken an important step toward clarifying the complexity of interactions among environmental variables, vegetation distribution, carbon stocks and turnover, and water and energy exchange in high latitude regions. This study reveals the need to conduct coordinated global change studies in high latitudes to further elucidate how interactions among climate, disturbance, and vegetation distribution influence carbon dynamics and water and energy exchange in high latitudes.     

Terrestrial transects for global change research

The International Geosphere-Biosphere Program has proposed a set of large-scale terrestrial transects to study the effects of changes in climate, land use, and atmospheric composition (global change) on biogeochemistry, surface-atmosphere exchange, and vegetation dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. The transects ( 1000 km) will be located along existing environmental and land use intensity gradients that span transitions between biomes in regions likely to be widely affected by forcing from components of global change or where the impacts of global change are likely to feed back to affect atmospheric, climatic, or hydrologic systems. Experimental studies on the transects will examine short-term changes in ecosystem function and biosphere-atmosphere interaction in response to variation in primary controlling variables. A hierarchy of modeling approaches will develop predictions of long-term changes in biome boundaries and vegetation distribution. The proposed initial set of IGBP terrestrial transects are located in four key regions: (1) humid tropical forests undergoing land use change, (2) high latitudes including the transition from boreal forest to tundra, (3) semi-arid tropical regions including transitions from dry forest to shrublands and savannas, and (4) mid latitude semi-arid regions encompassing transitions from shrubland or grassland to forests. We discuss here the rationale and general research design of transect studies proposed for each of these priority regions.GCTE Focus 1 Office     

中国东北样带土壤氮的分布特征及其对气候变化的响应

根据2001年中国东北样带土壤全氮和有效氮的实测数据,结合CO₂浓度倍增与不同土壤湿度的模拟试验数据,对土壤全氮和有效氮的梯度分布、影响因子分析及其对气候变化的响应进行研究.结果表明,样带土壤表层全氮和有效氮的梯度分布与土壤有机碳的分布基本一致:沿经度呈现东高西低的趋势,局部由于土壤退化而出现低谷.土壤全氮的剖面分布和土壤有机碳相似,而土壤有效氮则有所不同.样带土壤全氮和有效氮与土壤pH、有机碳、全磷、全硫、全锌、土壤活性碳、有效磷、有效钾、有效锰、有效锌、土壤容重、田间持水量、土壤总孔度等因子均呈显著或极显著的相关关系.样带土壤全氮和有效氮与降雨量之间呈极显著的正相关关系(r=0.682,P＜0.001和0.688,P＜0.001).短期培养试验中,CO₂浓度倍增和不同土壤湿度下土壤全氮和有效氮的变异较小(变异系数分别是5.55%和3.84%),但可反映一定的变化趋势.     

Assessment of soil aluminium pools along three mountainous elevation gradients

Anthropogenic soil acidification in mountain forests and consequent Al release still present a significant problem in many regions. The effect of deposition may differ according to stand conditions, including altitude. This contribution is focused on three elevation transects, two in the Jizera Mountains strongly influenced by acid deposition, one in the less affected Novohradske Mountains. Quantification of pools of different Al forms and related soil characteristics (organic carbon, exchangeable hydrogen cations, sorption characteristics, etc.) is evaluated. In the Novohradske Mountains, the pool of both organically bound and water-soluble Al increases with increasing altitudes. In the Jizera Mountains, the distribution is more complicated; it is strongly affected by different forest type (beech vs. spruce), deforestation, and other local differences. Higher amounts of Al are bound in the mineral horizons compared to the surface organic horizons, even in the case of organically bound Al pools. Further differences between different altitudes and between soil horizons in Al distribution were revealed by detailed Al speciation using HPLC/IC method.     

Elevational Ranges of Montane Birds and Deforestation in the Western Andes of Colombia

Deforestation causes habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, and can ultimately cause extinction of the remnant species. Tropical montane birds face these threats with the added natural vulnerability of narrower elevational ranges and higher specialization than lowland species. Recent studies assess the impact of present and future global climate change on species’ ranges, but only a few of these evaluate the potentially confounding effect of lowland deforestation on species elevational distributions. In the Western Andes of Colombia, an important biodiversity hotspot, we evaluated the effects of deforestation on the elevational ranges of montane birds along altitudinal transects. Using point counts and mist-nets, we surveyed six altitudinal transects spanning 2200 to 2800m. Three transects were forested from 2200 to 2800m, and three were partially deforested with forest cover only above 2400m. We compared abundance-weighted mean elevation, minimum elevation, and elevational range width. In addition to analysing the effect of deforestation on 134 species, we tested its impact within trophic guilds and habitat preference groups. Abundance-weighted mean and minimum elevations were not significantly different between forested and partially deforested transects. Range width was marginally different: as expected, ranges were larger in forested transects. Species in different trophic guilds and habitat preference categories showed different trends. These results suggest that deforestation may affect species’ elevational ranges, even within the forest that remains. Climate change will likely exacerbate harmful impacts of deforestation on species’ elevational distributions. Future conservation strategies need to account for this by protecting connected forest tracts across a wide range of elevations.     

太白山林线附近太白红杉种群的生态特征

高山林线对外界环境的变化和干扰异常敏感,已成为全球气候变化研究的热点。太白红杉(Larix chinensis)是太白山的高山林线树种,对高海拔生态环境的保护起着重要的作用。在太白山林线附近采用样方调查的方法,对太白红杉种群的生态特征进行了研究,结果表明:(1)林线附近不同海拔区域,种群的平均基径、平均胸径、平均树高等基本特征随着海拔的升高明显降低。(2)太白红杉的胸径与年龄存在着较明显的回归关系,而树高与年龄相关性较低。随着海拔的升高,回归方程的拟合优度呈下降趋势。(3)林线附近不同海拔区域,太白红杉种群的径级结构与年龄结构均存在一定的波动。表明该区域存在着波形的更新,可能与太白红杉的年龄结构受外界环境的影响较大有关。(4)太白红杉种群各龄级的空间格局基本上是聚集型。随着取样尺度的增加,聚集强度呈增加的趋势。随年龄增加,种群分布由聚集型向随机型过渡,聚集强度减弱。     

Invasion of woody species into temperate grasslands: Relationship with abiotic and biotic soil resource heterogeneity

Question: Invasion of woody species into grasslands is a global phenomenon. This is also topical in semi‐natural temperate grasslands that are no longer profitable for agricultural management. Trees and grasses interact through harsh root competition, but below‐ground processes have been neglected in the dynamics of semi‐natural grasslands. Trees are thought to have a competitive advantage in resource‐rich and heterogeneous soils. We tested whether soil resource quantity and heterogeneity differ between paired temperate semi‐natural grasslands and forests (former grasslands), and whether this was caused abiotically by varying soil depth or biotically by fine roots. Location: Thin‐soil calcareous alvar grasslands with overgrown parts (young Pinus sylvestris forests) in W. Estonia. Methods: The quantity and spatial heterogeneity of soil resources (moisture and nutrients), soil depth, and root parameters (mass, length and specific length) were measured in 1‐m transects of 11 samples in 26 paired grasslands and forests. The quantity and heterogeneity of soil resources were compared between vegetation types and related to soil depth and root parameters. Results: Soil resources were lower and more heterogeneous in forests than in grasslands. The invasion of woody species was enhanced abiotically by deeper soil. Root mass was larger in the forests, but root length was longer in the grasslands. Both root mass and specific root length were more heterogeneous in the forests. Forest root length was negatively correlated with transient soil moisture patches and positively correlated with more persistent nutrient‐rich patches. No such relationship was found in grasslands. Conclusions: Abiotic soil heterogeneity (local deep‐soil patches) supports woody species invasion, but the trees themselves also biotically make soils more heterogeneous, which further enhances woody species invasion. Large trees use soil resources patchily, making soils biotically poorer and more heterogeneous in resources. The dynamics of temperate semi‐natural grasslands are strongly linked to below‐ground ecological processes, and high soil heterogeneity can be both the cause and the outcome of woody species invasion.     

Local-scale genetic structure in the peatmoss Sphagnum fuscum

Sphagnum (peatmoss) dominates huge areas of the Northern Hemisphere and acts as a significant carbon sink on a global scale, yet little is known about the genetic structure of Sphagnum populations. We investigated genetic structure within a population of the common peatmoss Sphagnum fuscum, to assess local patterns of genetic diversity and the spatial extent of clones. One hundred seventeen shoots were sampled from five transects in Fuglmyra, central Norway, and sequenced for three anonymous DNA regions. Five neighbourhood patches were marked along each transect, and from each patch, five stems were sampled for molecular analyses. Seventeen haplotypes could be distinguished and two major groups of haplotypes differed by 12 mutational steps. The two major haplotype groups differed significantly in microhabitat association along the distance to groundwater table and the pH gradients, indicating microhabitat differentiation. The haplotypes within these groups were all genetically similar, differing by one or two mutations. The most common haplotype occurred in four transects separated by 250-m distance. Most of the molecular variation in the population was found among transects, and within patches. Large dominating clones within each transect resulted in low variation explained by the among-patch-within-transect component of spatial structure. Mutation appears to account for a larger proportion of the population variation than recombination. Within the population, vegetative growth and asexual reproduction from gametophyte fragments dominate as the main reproductive mode.     

Spatial variation in vegetation structure coupled to plant available water determined by two-dimensional soil resistivity profiling in a Brazilian savanna

Tropical savannas commonly exhibit large spatial heterogeneity in vegetation structure. Fine-scale patterns of soil moisture, particularly in the deeper soil layers, have not been well investigated as factors possibly influencing vegetation patterns in savannas. Here we investigate the role of soil water availability and heterogeneity related to vegetation structure in an area of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). Our objective was to determine whether horizontal spatial variations of soil water are coupled with patterns of vegetation structure across tens of meters. We applied a novel methodological approach to convert soil electrical resistivity measurements along three 275-m transects to volumetric water content and then to estimates of plant available water (PAW). Structural attributes of the woody vegetation, including plant position, height, basal circumference, crown dimensions, and leaf area index, were surveyed within twenty-two 100-m² plots along the same transects, where no obvious vegetation gradients had been apparent. Spatial heterogeneity was evaluated through measurements of spatial autocorrelation in both PAW and vegetation structure. Comparisons with null models suggest that plants were randomly distributed over the transect with the greatest mean PAW and lowest PAW heterogeneity, and clustered in the driest and most heterogeneous transect. Plant density was positively related with PAW in the top 4 m of soil. The density-dependent vegetation attributes that are related to plot biomass, such as sum of tree heights per plot, exhibited spatial variation patterns that were remarkably similar to spatial variation of PAW in the top 4 m of soil. For PAW below 4 m depth, mean vegetation attributes, such as mean height, were negatively correlated with PAW, suggesting greater water uptake from the deep soil by plants of larger stature. These results are consistent with PAW heterogeneity being an important structuring factor in the plant distribution at the scale of tens of meters in this ecosystem.