1. Tree diversity, growth status, and spatial distribution affected soil N availability and N2O efflux: Interaction with soil physiochemical properties.
- Author
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Cheng, Guanchao, Zhang, Xu, Zhu, Meina, Zhang, Zhonghua, Jing, Lixin, Wang, Lei, Li, Qi, Zhang, Xiting, Wang, Huimei, and Wang, Wenjie
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FOREST soils , *SOIL moisture , *NITROUS oxide , *SOILS , *FOREST biodiversity - Abstract
Soil nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for tree growth, and excessive N is a source of pollution. This paper aims to define the effects of plant diversity and forest structure on various aspects of soil N cycling. Herein, we collected soils from 720 plots to measure total N content (TN), alkali-hydrolyzed N (AN), nitrate N (NO 3 −-N), ammonium N (NH 4 +-N) in a 7.2 ha experimental forest in northeast China. Four plant diversity indices, seven structural metrics, four soil properties, and in situ N 2 O efflux were also measured. We found that: 1) high tree diversity had 1.3–1.4-fold NO 3 −-N, 1.1-fold NH 4 +-N, and 1.5–1.8-fold N 2 O efflux (p < 0.05). 2) Tree growth decreased soil TN, AN, and NO 3 −-N by more than 13%, and tree mixing and un-uniform distribution increased TN, AN, and NH 4 +-N by 11–22%. 3) Soil organic carbon (SOC) explained 34.3% of the N variations, followed by soil water content (1.5%), tree diameter (1.5%) and pH (1%), and soil bulk density (0.5%). SOC had the most robust linear relations to TN (R2 = 0.59) and AN (R2 = 0.5). 4) The partial least squares path model revealed that the tree diversity directly increased NO 3 −-N, NH 4 +-N, and N 2 O efflux, and they were strengthened indirectly from soil properties by 1%–4%. The effects of tree size-density (−0.24) and spatial structure (0.16) were mainly achieved via their soil interaction and thus indirectly decreased NH 4 +-N, AN, and TN. Overall, high tree diversity forests improved soil N availability and N 2 O efflux, and un-uniform spatial tree assemblages could partially balance the soil N consumed by tree growth. Our data support soil N management in high northern hemisphere temperate forests from tree diversity and forest structural regulations. We found that plant diversity directly increased NO 3 −-N, NH 4 +-N and N 2 O efflux in soil. Soil physicochemical properties played a strong mediating role in the effect of forest structure on soil nitrogen availability. Tree size-density indirectly decreased the soil N availability via soil physicochemical properties, but the forest spatial distribution (mixing and un-uniform distribution) balanced part of the negative effect on soil N. Our results provide new insights into forest management and deepen our understanding of plant diversity and forest structure on the N cycle. [Display omitted] • Four soil N parameters from 720 soils, and 18054 trees were measured in 720 plots in NE China. • High tree diversity accompanied with 1.3–1.4-fold nitrate-N, 1.1-fold ammonium-N, and 1.5–1.8-fold N 2 O efflux. • The best predictors for soil N were soil organic carbon, water content, and diameter at breast height. • Tree growth decreased soil N availability, and tree mixing and distribution patterns balance part of these declines. • Tree size-density and spatial distribution contrarily affect soil N availability via soil properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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