Primary succession of the warm-temperate broad-leaved forest on a volcanic island, Miyake-jima, Japan

The primary successional sere of a warm-temperate forest was inferred from an age sequence of four basaltic volcanic substrates (16-, 37- and 125-yr-old lava flows, and volcanic ejecta older than 800 years) at several altitudes (ranging from 30 to 550 m) on Miyake-jima Island. The DCA analysis of species composition indicated that the vegetation is patterned by substrate age and altitude. The vegetation successionally changed fromAlnus sieboldiana shrub, toMachilus thunbergii andPrunus speciosa forest, toCastanopsis sieboldii forest at all altitudes. The rate of succession seems to be slower at higher altitudes. The above-ground biomass was 20 kg/m² (160 m a.s.l.) and 12 kg/m² (300 m a.s.l.) on the 125-yr-old lava flow, and 54 kg/m² (100 m a.s.l.) and 16 kg/m² (350 m a.s.l.) on the old ejecta. However, the large difference of above-ground biomass between low versus high altitudes on the old ejecta might not only reflect climatic differences but also past human disturbances at the higher altitude. In spite of the colder climate of Miyake-jima the rate of above-ground biomass accumulation here was considerably faster than that of a Hawaiian montane tropical evergreen forest on the same basaltic lava substrate. We suggest that the faster above-ground biomass development is due to the facilitation effects of N-fixation byAlnus. The inorganic N soil concentration was extremely high on the 37- and 125-yr-old lava flows whereAlnus was dominant. The foliar N concentration inAlnus was 2% irrespective of substrate age. The deposition of N fromAlnus via litterfall would decrease the soil C/N ratio, which in turn facilitates net soil N mineralization and consequently provides an ample supply of inorganic N to plants. N limitation on vegetation development, which is prevalent during the early stage of succession on volcanic lava flows or similar substrates elsewhere, is thus alleviated.     

Primary plant successions of forest belt vegetation on the Tolbachinskii Dol volcanic plateau (Kamchatka)

Primary plant successions on volcanic deposits of the Tolbachinskii Dol Plateau (Central Kamchatka) were studied. The main factors determining the succession rate were revealed. The peculiarities of plant successions on lava flows and ash–scoria deposits differed significantly. Some common mechanisms for all volcanic regions of the world were revealed. The leading factors of plant succession on lava flows were the type of lava surface, the texture of lava, and the fine tephra accumulation rate. The main factors determining plant succession on ash–scoria deposits were wind and water erosion and the distance to the seed sources. The time of formation of a secondary permanent larch (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) forest should take about 1500–2000 years on lava flows and up to 1000 years (but not less than 300–500 years) on ash–scoria plains.     

Stabilization of recent soil carbon in the humid tropics following land use changes: evidence from aggregate fractionation and stable isotope analyses

Quantitative knowledge of stabilization- and decomposition processes is necessary to understand, assess and predict effects of land use changes on storage and stability of soil organic carbon (soil C) in the tropics. Although it is well documented that different soil types have different soil C stocks, it is presently unknown how different soil types affect the stability of recently formed soil C. Here, we analyze the main controls of soil C storage in the top 0.1 m of soils developed on Tertiary sediments and soils developed on volcanic ashes. Using a combination of fractionation techniques with ¹³C isotopes analyses we had the opportunity to trace origin and stability of soil carbon in different aggregate fractions under pasture and secondary forest. Soil C contents were higher in volcanic ash soils (47–130 g kg⁻¹) than in sedimentary soils (19–50 g kg⁻¹). Mean residence time (MRT) of forest-derived carbon in pastures increased from 37 to 57 years with increasing silt + clay content in sedimentary soils, but was independent from soil properties in volcanic ash soils. MRTs of pasture-derived carbon in secondary forests were considerably shorter, especially in volcanic ash soils, where no pasture-derived carbon could be detected in any of the four studied secondary forests. The implications of these results are that the MRT of recently incorporated organic carbon depends on clay mineralogy and is longer in soils dominated by smectite than non-crystalline minerals. Our results show that the presence of soil C stabilization processes, does not necessarily mean that recent incorporated soil C will also be effectively stabilized.     

Soil-nutrient availability and the nutrient-use efficiencies of forests along an altitudinal gradient on Yakushima Island,Japan

The vegetation on Yakushima Island, Japan, grows on soils derived from Akahoya volcanic ash, released from the Kikai Caldera about 7300 years ago. The eruption was devastating and it is believed that primary succession and soil formation reinitiated across all altitudes at this point. We hypothesize that the concentrations of soil total phosphorus (P) and labile P fractions increase with increasing altitude because the soil formation has progressed less in upslope areas as a result of the cooler temperature and because of the ample P source of the volcanic ash. Conversely, we hypothesize that the concentration of soil inorganic nitrogen (N) decreases with increasing altitude. Available soil P and N would result in increasing P limitation downslope and increasing N limitation upslope, respectively. We studied soil P fractions and soil inorganic N, and P- and N-use efficiencies of the seven forests on Yakushima along an elevation gradient (170–1550 m a.s.l.). Contrary to our hypotheses, soil total P, labile soil P fractions, and inorganic N decreased with increasing altitude. The P- and N-use efficiencies of the forests were negatively correlated with the concentration of soil total active P (total P minus occluded P) and inorganic N, respectively. We suggest that progressive soil acidity and slower decomposition under cooler and wetter environments upslope must have dissolved the P contained in volcanic ash and accelerated P leaching. Forest ecosystems on Yakushima that show a distinct altitudinal zonation are, therefore, characterized by increasing P and N shortage with increasing altitude.     

Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in forests along an altitudinal gradient in the eastern Himalayas and a meta‐analysis of global data

High‐altitude soils potentially store a large pool of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). The assessment of total C and N stocks in soils is vital to understanding the C and N dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we examined effects of altitude and forest composition on soil C and N along a transect from 317 to 3300 m a.s.l. in the eastern Himalayas. We used meta‐analysis to establish the context for our results on the effects of altitude on soil C, including variation with depth. Total C and N contents of soils significantly increased with altitude, but decreased with soil depth. Carbon and N were similarly correlated with altitude and temperature, and temperature was seemingly the main driver of soil C along the altitudinal gradient. Altitude accounted for 73% of the variation in C and 47% of the variation in N stocks. Soil pH and cation exchange capacity were correlated with both soil C and N stocks. Increases in soil C and N stocks were related to forest composition, forest basal area as well as quantity of leaf litter that were in turn influenced by altitude and temperature. Concentrations of C in foliage increased by 2.1% for every 1000 m rise in altitude, while that in leaf litter increased by 2.3%.     

Fire effects on ecosystem nitrogen cycling in a Californian bishop pine forest

Fire can cause severe nitrogen (N) losses from grassland, chaparral, and temperate and boreal forest ecosystems. Paradoxically, soil ammonium levels are markedly increased by fire, resulting in high rates of primary production in re-establishing plant communities. In a manipulative experiment, we examined the influence of wild-fire ash residues on soil, microbial and plant N pools in a recently burned Californian bishop pine (Pinus muricata D. Don) forest. Ash stimulated post-fire primary production and ecosystem N retention through direct N inputs from ash to soils, as well as indirect ash effects on soil N availability to plants. These results suggest that redistribution of surface ash after fire by wind or water may cause substantial heterogeneity in soil N availability to plants, and could be an important mechanism contributing to vegetation patchiness in fire-prone ecosystems. In addition, we investigated the impact of fire on ecosystem N cycling by comparing ¹⁵N natural abundance values from recently burned and nearby unburned P. muricata forest communities. At the burned site, ¹⁵N natural abundance in recolonising species was similar to that in bulk soil organic matter. By contrast, there was a marked ¹⁵N depletion in the same species relative to the total soil N pool at the unburned site. These results suggest that plant uptake of nitrate (which tends to be strongly depleted in ¹⁵N because of fractionation during nitrification) is low in recently burned forest communities but could be an important component of eco- system N cycling in mature conifer stands. Received: 29 June 1999 / Accepted: 24 October 1999     

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in volcanic soils following afforestation with native birch (Betula pubescens) and introduced larch (Larix sibirica) in Iceland

Afforestation has become an important tool for soil protection and land reclamation in Iceland. Nevertheless, the harsh climate and degraded soils are growth-limiting for trees, and little is know about changes in soil nutrients in maturing forests planted on the volcanic soils. In the present chronosequence study, changes in C, N and total P in soil (0–10 and 10–20 cm depth) and C and N in foliar tissue were investigated in stands of native Downy birch (Betula pubescens Enrh.) and the in Iceland introduced Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.). The forest stands were between 14 and 97 years old and were established on heath land that had been treeless for centuries. Soils were Andosols derived from basaltic material and rhyolitic volcanic ash. A significant effect of tree species was only found for the N content in foliar tissue. Foliar N concentrations were significantly higher and foliar C/N ratios significantly lower in larch needles than in birch leaves. There was no effect of stand age. Changes in soil C and the soil nutrient status with time after afforestation were little significant. Soil C concentrations in 0–10 cm depth in forest stands older than 30 years were significantly higher than in heath land and forest stands younger than 30 years. This was attributed to a slow accumulation of organic matter. Soil N concentrations and soil P_tot were not affected by stand age. Nutrient pools in the two soil layers were calculated for an average weight of soil material (400 Mg soil ha⁻¹ in 0–10 cm depth and 600 Mg soil ha⁻¹ in 10–20 cm depth, respectively). Soil nutrient pools did not change significantly with time. Soil C pools were in average 23.6 Mg ha⁻¹ in the upper soil layer and 16.9 Mg ha⁻¹ in the lower soil layer. The highest annual increase in soil C under forest compared to heath land was 0.23 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 0–10 cm depth calculated for the 53-year-old larch stand. Soil N pools were in average 1.0 Mg N ha⁻¹ in both soil layers and did not decrease with time despite a low N deposition and the uptake and accumulation of N in biomass of the growing trees. Soil P_tot pools were in average 220 and 320 kg P ha⁻¹ in the upper and lower soil layer, respectively. It was assumed that mycorrhizal fungi present in the stands had an influence on the availability of N and P to the trees. Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.     

Microbial Responses to Long-Term N Deposition in a Semiarid Grassland

Nitrogen (N) enrichment of the biosphere is an expanding problem to which arid ecosystems may be particularly sensitive. In semiarid grasslands, scarce precipitation uncouples plant and microbial activities, and creates within the soil a spatial mosaic of rhizosphere and cyanobacterial crust communities. We investigated the impact of elevated N deposition on these soil microbial communities at a grama-dominated study site located incentral New Mexico (USA). The study plots were established in 1995 and receive 10 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ of supplemental N in the form of NH₄NO₃. Soil samples were collected in July 2004, following 2 years of severe drought, and again in March 2005 following a winter of record high precipitation. Soils were assayed for potential activities of 20 extracellular enzymes and N₂O production. The rhizosphere and crust-associated soils had peptidase and peroxidase potentials that were extreme in relation to those of temperate soils. N addition enhanced glycosidase and phosphatase activities and depressed peptidase. In contrast to temperate forest soils, oxidative enzyme activity did not respond to N treatment. Across sampling dates, extracellular enzyme activity responses correlated with inorganic N concentrations. N₂O generation did not vary significantly with soil cover or N treatment. Microbial responses to N deposition in this semiarid grassland were distinct from those of forest ecosystems and appear to be modulated by inorganic N accumulation, which is linked to precipitation patterns.     

The effect of fire on nutrients in a pine forest soil

The effect of a hot summer fire on soil nutrient contents in the upper 2 cm of Aleppo pine forest with a dense woody understory was studied from September 1985 to May 1986. In comparison with the adjacent unburned forest, total nitrogen decreased by 25% but available forms of nitrogen were much higher. In burned and unburned soils there was a similar trend to increase and decrease in NH ₄ ⁺ −N, However, while (NO ₂ ⁻ +NO ₃ ⁻ −N decreased in the unburned soil it rose rapidly in the burned ash soil. Total phosphorus increased by 300% after the fire but decreased again 2 months later. Also water-soluble P increased up to November and then decreased to the levels of the unburned soils. The same was true for electrical conductivity and pH, increasing immediately after the fire and then leveling off again. This increase in nutrient levels in the “ash soil” was reflected in the striking increase in shoot and root biomass and in the content of N, P, Mg, K, Ca, Zn and Fe in wheat and clover plants grown in pots in these soils. These nutrient levels were much higher in the wheat plants, which also produced 12 times more seeds in the “ash soil.” It seems that fire in these pine forests causes a short-term flush of the mineral elements in the upper “ash soil” layer which is reverted gradually via the herbaceous post-fire to the ecosystem.     

Carbon cycling and sequestration in a Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) forest on lava flow of Mt. Fuji

Biometric-based carbon flux measurements were conducted in a pine forest on lava flow of Mt. Fuji, Japan, in order to estimate carbon cycling and sequestration. The forest consists mainly of Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) in a canopy layer and Japanese holly (Ilex pedunculosa) in a subtree layer. The lava remains exposed on the ground surface, and the soil on the lava flow is still immature with no mineral soil layer. The results showed that the net primary production (NPP) of the forest was 7.3 ± 0.7 t C ha^?1 year^?1, of which 1.4 ± 0.4 t C ha^?1 year^?1 was partitioned to biomass increment, 3.2 ± 0.5 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to above-ground fine litter production, 1.9 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to fine root production, and 0.8 ± 0.2 t C ha^?1 year^?1 to coarse woody debris. The total amount of annual soil surface CO₂ efflux was estimated as 6.1 ± 2.9 t C ha^?1 year^?1, using a closed chamber method. The estimated decomposition rate of soil organic matter, which subtracted annual root respiration from soil respiration, was 4.2 ± 3.1 t C ha^?1 year^?1. Biometric-based net ecosystem production (NEP) in the pine forest was estimated at 2.9 ± 3.2 t C ha^?1 year^?1, with high uncertainty due mainly to the model estimation error of annual soil respiration and root respiration. The sequestered carbon being allocated in roughly equal amounts to living biomass (1.4 t C ha^?1 year^?1) and the non-living C pool (1.5 t C ha^?1 year^?1). Our estimate of biometric-based NEP was 25 % lower than the eddy covariance-based NEP in this pine forest, due partly to the underestimation of NPP and difficulty of estimation of soil and root respiration in the pine forest on lava flows that have large heterogeneity of soil depth. However, our results indicate that the mature pine forest acted as a significant carbon sink even when established on lava flow with low nutrient content in immature soils, and that sequestration strength, both in biomass and in soil organic matter, is large.     

N uptake and N status in ponderosa pine as affected by soil compaction and forest floor removal

Soil compaction and forest floor removal influence fundamental soil processes that control forest productivity and sustainability. We investigated effects of soil compaction and forest floor removal on tree growth, N uptake and N status in ponderosa pine. Factorial combinations of soil compaction (non-compacted and compacted) and forest floor removal (forest floor present and no forest floor) were applied to three different surface soil textures. For studying N uptake, four trees from every treatment were ¹⁵N labeled with 130.6 mg m^–2 of ¹⁵N. Tree responses to compaction were dependent on the forest floor removal level. In loam and clay soils, non-compacted+no forest floor was beneficial to tree growth. Tree growth was depressed with compaction+no forest floor in clay soil. In sandy loam soil, compaction+no forest floor showed the best tree growth. No N deficiency was found in any soil type but a graphical method suggested correlation between N status and tree growth. In loam and clay soils, compaction+forest floor present increased N uptake. Nitrogen uptake was explained significantly by potential N mineralization in loam and clay soils. In sandy loam soil, the effects of compaction and forest floor removal were more complex, with the N uptake improved in the compaction+no forest floor treatment and reduced under compaction+forest floor present. Soil compaction may have influenced N tracer uptake because of improved unsaturated flow and root-soil contact. However, N immobilization may have restricted N uptake in compaction+forest floor present in the sandy loam soil. The study illustrates how soil properties and site preparation can potentially interact to affect N dynamics and forest productivity.     

A field study on the fate of 15N-ammonium to demonstrate nitrification of atmospheric ammonium in an acid forest soil

To demonstrate the contribution of atmospheric ammonium to soil acidification in acid forest soils, a field study with¹³N-ammonium as tracer was performed in an oak-birch forest soil. Monitoring and analysis of soil solutions from various depths on the¹³N-ammonium and¹⁵N-nitrate contents, showed that about 54% of the applied¹⁵N-ammonium was oxidized to nitrate in the forest floor. Over a period of one year about 20% of the¹⁵N remained as organic nitrogen in this layer. The percentage¹⁵N enrichment in ammonium and nitrate were in the same range in all the forest floor percolates, indicating that even in extremely acid forest soils (pH < 4) nitrate formation from ammonium can occur. Clearly, atmospheric ammonium can contribute to soil acidification even at low soil pH.     

青海省森林土壤有机碳氮储量及其垂直分布特征

森林土壤在调节森林生态系统碳、氮循环和减缓全球气候变化中起着关键的作用。但是,由于林型、林龄以及环境因子(海拔)的差异,至今对于森林土壤碳、氮储量的估算依然存在极大的不确定性。因此,利用森林土壤实测数据估算了青海森林土壤有机碳、氮密度和碳、氮储量,分析了土壤有机碳、氮密度的垂直分布格局。结果表明:1)土壤有机碳密度随海拔的增加呈单峰曲线变化,在海拔3100—3400 m达到最大34.33 kg/m~2;氮密度随海拔的增加而增加,范围为1.39—2.93 kg/m~2。2)在0—30 cm土层,土壤有机碳、氮密度均随土层的增加而降低,范围分别为3.84—4.63 kg/m~2、0.22—0.27 kg/m~2。3)青海省森林土壤碳储量为1098.70 Tg,氮储量为61.78 Tg。4)海拔与氮含量和密度之间存在极显著正相关关系(P0.01,P0.01)。土层深度与有机碳含量存在极显著负相关关系(P0.01);与有机碳密度、氮密度存在极显著正相关关系(P0.01,P0.01)。说明海拔和土层是影响青海省森林土壤有机碳、氮分布的关键因子。     

Photosynthetic rate,needle longevity,and nutrient contents in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea glehnii</Emphasis> growing on strongly acidic volcanic ash soil in northern Japan

Picea glehnii Masters can grow in strongly acidic volcanic ash soil (pH 3.6) in northern Japan. We compared needle longevity, photosynthetic rate, and concentrations of elements in needles, in mature trees of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil and in brown forest soil (pH 5.4). P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil showed suppressed photosynthetic rate and growth by the deficiency in nitrogen compared with its growth in brown forest soil. However, the younger needles of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil maintained a high photosynthetic rate, as a result of large amounts of remobilized nitrogen from senesced needles. Needles of P. glehnii growing in volcanic ash soil did not show deficiencies in Ca, Mg, or K. Moreover, Al was at low levels in the needles, suggesting that P. glehnii was able to avoid Al toxicity by Al exclusion. P. glehnii thus exhibits great ability to adapt to an acidic environment.     

Net nitrogen mineralization and net nitrification rates in soils following deforestation for pasture across the southwestern Brazilian Amazon Basin landscape

Previous studies of the effect of tropical forest conversion to cattle pasture on soil N dynamics showed that rates of net N mineralization and net nitrification were lower in pastures compared with the original forest. In this study, we sought to determine the generality of these patterns by examining soil inorganic N concentrations, net mineralization and nitrification rates in 6 forests and 11 pastures 3 years old or older on ultisols and oxisols that encompassed a wide variety of soil textures and spanned a 700-km geographical range in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon Basin state of Rondônia. We sampled each site during October-November and April-May. Forest soils had higher extractable NO₃ ^?-N and total inorganic N concentrations than pasture soils, but substantial NO₃ ^?-N occurred in both forest and pasture soils. Rates of net N mineralization and net nitrification were higher in forest soils. Greater concentrations of soil organic matter in finer textured soils were associated with greater rates of net N mineralization and net nitrification, but this relationship was true only under native forest vegetation; rates were uniformly low in pastures, regardless of soil type or texture. Net N mineralization and net nitrification rates per unit of total soil organic matter showed no pattern across the different forest sites, suggesting that controls of net N mineralization may be broadly similar across a wide range of soil types. Similar reductions in rates of net N transformations in pastures 3 years old or older across a range of textures on these soils suggest that changes to soil N cycling caused by deforestation for pasture may be Basin-wide in extent. Lower net N mineralization and net nitrification rates in established pastures suggest that annual N losses from largely deforested landscapes may be lower than losses from the original forest. Total ecosystem N losses since deforestation are likely to depend on the balance between lower N loss rates from established pastures and the magnitude and duration of N losses that occur in the years immediately following forest clearing.     

Bacterial Diversity of Terrestrial Crystalline Volcanic Rocks, Iceland

Bacteria inhabiting crystalline rocks from two terrestrial Icelandic volcanic lava flows of similar age and from the same geographical region, but differing in porosity and mineralogy, were characterised. Microarray (PhyloChip) and clone library analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of a diverse assemblage of bacteria in each lava flow. Both methods suggested a more diverse community at the Dómadalshraun site (rhyolitic/andesitic lava flow) than that present at the Hnausahraun site (basaltic lava flow). Proteobacteria dominated the clone library at the Dómadalshraun site, while Acidobacteria was the most abundant phylum in the Hnausahraun site. Although analysis of similarities of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles suggested a strong correlation of community structure with mineralogy, rock porosity may also play an important role in shaping the bacterial community in crystalline volcanic rocks. Clone sequences were most similar to uncultured microorganisms, mainly from soil environments. Of these, Antarctic soils and temperate rhizosphere soils were prominent, as were clones retrieved from Hawaiian and Andean volcanic soils. The novel diversity of these Icelandic microbial communities was supported by the finding that up to 46% of clones displayed <85% sequence identities to sequences currently deposited in the RDP database.     

Primary succession of Hawaiian montane rain forest on a chronosequence of eight lava flows

Abstract. The primary-successional sere of a Hawaiian montane rain forest was inferred from an age sequence of eight closely located ‘a’ ā flows (clinker type lava); 8, 50, 140, ca. 300, ca. 400, ca. 1400, ca. 3000 and ca. 9000 yr, on a windward slope of Mauna Loa, Hawaii. All study sites (0.2 ha each) were at 1120 — 1250 m a.s.l. with 4000 mm mean annual rainfall. The 400-yr, 1400-yr, and 9000-yr flows had younger volcanic ash deposits, while the others were pure lava. Comparisons of tree size and foliar nutrients suggested that ash increased the availability of nitrogen, and subsequently standing biomass. An Unweighted Pair Group Cluster Analysis on the samples (flows) using quantitative vascular species composition revealed that clusters were correlated with age regardless of the substrate types (pure lava vs. ash), and an indirect ordination on the samples suggested that the sequence of sample scores along axis 1 was perfectly correlated with the age sequence. Although ash deposits increased biomass, they did not affect the sequence of the successional sere. Both pubescent and glabrous varieties of Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae) dominated upper canopy layers on all flows ≥ 50 yr and ≤ 1400 yr, but the pubescent variety was replaced by the glabrous on the flows ≥ 3000 yr. Lower layers were dominated initially by a matted fern, Dicranopteris linearis, up to 300 yr, and subsequently by tree ferns, Cibotium spp., to 9000 yr. The cover of Cibotium declined slightly after 3000 yr, while other native herb and shrub species increased. A ‘climax’ stage in the conventional sense was apparently not reached on the observed age gradient, because the sere changed continuously in biomass and species; this divergent successional phenomenon may be unique to Hawaii where the flora is naturally impoverished and disharmonic due to its geographic isolation in contrast to more diverse and harmonic floras in continents.     

Biochar Effectively Reduces Ammonia Volatilization From Nitrogen-Applied Soils in Tea and Bamboo Plantations

Intensive practices in forest soils result in dramatic nitrogen (N) losses, particularly ammonia (NH₃) volatilization, to adjacent environmental areas. A soil column experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of bamboo biochar on NH₃ volatilization from tea garden and bamboo forest soils. The results showed that biochar amendment effectively reduced NH₃ volatilization from tea garden and bamboo forest soil by 79.2% and 75.5%, respectively. The soil pH values increased by 0.53-0.61 units after biochar application. The NH₄⁺-N and total N of both soils were 13.8-29.7% and 34.0-41.9% higher under the biochar treatments than under the control treatment, respectively. In addition, the soil water contents of the two biochar-amended soils were significantly higher (P < 0.05), by 10.7-12.5%, than that of the soils without biochar amendment. Therefore, biochar mitigates NH₃ volatilization from the tested forest soils, which was due to the increases in soil NH₄⁺-N, total N and water contents after biochar amendment. Our main findings suggest that biochar addition is an effective management option for sustainable forest management.     

Stem deformity inPinus radiata plantations in south-eastern Australia

Plantations of radiata pine (P. radiata D.Don) on soils previously under legume based pastures have a high incidence of stem deformity compared with forest soils. A comparison of soil properties and tree nutrition of 5 to 7 year-old radiata pine on former pastures in the first part of the study showed that stem deformity was strongly correlated with mineralisation of soil N and in particular with nitrification. Other soil properties that have changed as a result of pasture improvement, e.g. pH, available P and Mn, were only partially correlated with stem deformity. In the second part of the study, the role of N availability and other soil properties in the expression of deformity was further investigated in a separate field experiment on soils formerly under native eucalypt forest, tobacco cropping, and improved pasture. Young radiata pine plantings were treated with lime, phosphorus, and nitrogen applied as urea and sodium nitrate. Liming increased soil pH by around 1.5 units, raised exchangeable Ca²⁺ and decreased available Mn. Soil mineral N content was only marginally affected by liming. Superphosphate increased soil available P and raised levels of P in foliage. Changes in soil pH, availability of P, Mn, and B did not affect growth or stem deformity at any of the sites. In contrast, application of N fertilisers at 200 and 600 kg N ha^-1 increased mineral N content and stimulated nitrification, particularly at the forest site. The high rate of N fertiliser increased basal area at the forest site by 45%, but also raised the level of stem deformity from 12% to 56%. At the tobacco and pasture sites, this treatment did not increase growth and did not significantly raise stem deformity above the already high basic level of deformity (63%). Implications of stem deformity in young plantations of radiata pine on potential utilisation later in the rotation are discussed.     

五大连池新期火山熔岩台地不同植被类型土壤微生物群落的功能多样性

土壤微生物群落是陆地生态系统的重要生物活性成分,其结构和功能多样性直接影响到系统的碳、氮等生态过程,微生物群落功能多样性与地上植被类型变化密切相关,开展植被类型对土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响研究具有重要意义。以五大连池新期火山熔岩台地苔藓、草本、灌丛、矮曲林、针阔混交林5种典型植被类型为对象,利用BIOLOG微孔板法研究不同演替阶段植被类型土壤微生物群落功能多样性特征。结果表明：不同植被类型土壤微生物群落功能多样性存在显著差异。平均颜色变化率（AWCD）随培养时间延长而逐渐增加,大小顺序为：苔藓 > 针阔混交林 > 矮曲林 > 草本 > 灌丛。灌丛土壤微生物多样性指数与其他植被类型间差异显著。主成分分析结果表明,主成分1和主成分2分别能解释变量方差的56.24%和29.59%,不同植被类型下土壤微生物的碳源利用格局差异主要是由氨基酸类和带磷基糖类引起,二者合计解释总变异量的47.51%。冗余分析表明,速效磷、铵态氮、C：N和pH对微生物功能多样性具有显著的影响,羧酸类、氨基酸类、酯类和胺类的降解更易受到环境因素的影响。研究结果为进一步探讨植被类型与土壤微生物之间在植被演替过程中的关系提供参考。