Improvements in Soil C and N Compositions After 40 and 80 Years of Reforestation in Subtropical Low Mountain Forests. Issue 9 (10th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shiau, Yo‐Jin; Chang, Ed‐Haun; Tian, Guanglong; Chen, Tsai‐Huei; Chiu, Chih‐Yu
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 125:Issue 9(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-09-10
• Subjects: reforestation -- coniferous forest -- broadleaf forest -- acid‐hydrolyzable C -- KCl‐extractable C and N -- hot water‐extractable C and N; Geobiology -- Periodicals; Biogeochemistry -- Periodicals; Biotic communities -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 577.14
• DOI: 10.1029/2019JG005598
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-8953

Abstract

Abstract: Reforestation is an important step toward recovering soil quality and wildlife habitats that are degraded due to deforestation. However, little is known about how soil C and N compositions in subtropical forests evolve after decades of reforestation. This study comprehensively evaluated the differences in soil C and N fractions in 40‐ and 80‐year‐old secondary (reforested) coniferous forests and a natural broadleaf forest. Although reforestation with coniferous plants appeared to increase soil organic matter and labile C levels, the ratio of soil labile C to total organic C was lower in the reforested coniferous forests than the natural broadleaf one. The trend in the labile N to total N ratio as coniferous reforestation progresses follows that of C. Furthermore, the percentage of recalcitrant C as total soil organic C was higher in the reforested coniferous forests than the natural broadleaf one. This feature of C composition in reforested coniferous forest causes environmental stress to microbes (as indicated by a high metabolic quotient) in the forest, even several decades after reforestation of a former broadleaf forest site. Results from this study demonstrate that it takes a very long time for reforestation with coniferous vegetation to restore the soil chemical properties of the previous natural forest. Key Points: Reforestation with conifers favored soil C and N buildup but decreased the soil labile C to total organic C ratio Microbial communities can still experience environmental stress from decomposition‐resistant coniferous litter, as evident from high q CO2, even after decades of reforestation