Biomass production, nutrient cycling and distribution in age-sequence Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate) plantations in subtropical China

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhou ◽  
Addo-Danso Daniel Shalom ◽  
Pengfei Wu ◽  
Zongming He ◽  
Chunhua Liu ◽  
...  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yameng Pei ◽  
Pifeng Lei ◽  
Wenhua Xiang ◽  
Shuai Ouyang ◽  
Yiye Xu

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 10359-10387 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Y. Dong ◽  
X. Y. Zhang ◽  
X. Y. Liu ◽  
X. L. Fu ◽  
F. S. Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions to forest ecosystems are known to influence various above-ground properties, such as plant productivity and composition, and below-ground properties, such as soil nutrient cycling. However, our understanding of how soil microbial communities and their functions respond to nutrient additions in subtropical plantations is still not complete. In this study, we added N and P to Chinese fir plantations in subtropical China to examine how nutrient additions influenced soil microbial community composition and enzyme activities. The results showed that most soil microbial properties were responsive to N and/or P additions, but responses often varied depending on the nutrient added and the quantity added. For instance, there were more than 30 % greater increases in the activities of β-Glucosidase (βG) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) in the treatments that received nutrient additions compared to the control plot, whereas acid phosphatase (aP) activity was always higher (57 and 71 %, respectively) in the P treatment. N and P additions greatly enhanced the PLFA abundanceespecially in the N2P treatment, the bacterial PLFAs (bacPLFAs), fungal PLFAs (funPLFAs) and actinomycic PLFAs (actPLFAs) were about 2.5, 3 and 4 times higher, respectively, than in the CK. Soil enzyme activities were noticeably higher in November than in July, mainly due to seasonal differences in soil moisture content (SMC). βG or NAG activities were significantly and positively correlated with microbial PLFAs. There were also significant relationships between gram-positive (G+) bacteria and all three soil enzymes. These findings indicate that G+ bacteria is the most important microbial community in C, N, and P transformations in Chinese fir plantations, and that βG and NAG would be useful tools for assessing the biogeochemical transformation and metabolic activity of soil microbes. We recommend combined additions of N and P fertilizer to promote soil fertility and microbial activity in this kind of plantation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 216 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 216-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Sheng Yang ◽  
Jianfen Guo ◽  
Guangshui Chen ◽  
Jinsheng Xie ◽  
Ren Gao ◽  
...  

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taimoor Farooq ◽  
Wenjing Wu ◽  
Mulualem Tigabu ◽  
Xiangqing Ma ◽  
Zongming He ◽  
...  

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb) Hook) is a commercially valuable timber species that is widely planted in southern China and accounts for 6.1% of the global plantation forests. However, appropriate planting density that ensures high plantation productivity is largely unexplored in this species. The aim of the study was to examine tree growth, biomass production, and its allocation among different organs in relation to initial planting density, and to examine whether planting density has an impact on root development. Mortality, diameter at breast height and tree-height of all trees were determined and measured in wider (2.36 × 2.36 m), intermediate (1.83 × 1.83 m) and narrow (1.44 × 1.44 m) spacing with stand density of 1450 trees ha−1, 2460 trees ha−1 and 3950 trees ha−1, respectively. In each stand, three plots of 20 × 20 m at a distance of 500 m were delineated as the sampling unit. Biomass was determined by destructive sampling of trees in each stand and developing allometric equations. Root morphological traits and their spatial distribution were also determined by carefully excavating the root systems. The results showed an increase in diameter of trees with decreasing stand density while tree height was independent of stand density. Biomass production of individual trees was significantly (p < 0.05) less in high-density stand (32.35 ± 2.98 kg tree−1) compared to low-density stand (44.72 ± 4.96 kg tree−1) and intermediate-density stand (61.35 ± 4.78 kg tree−1) while stand biomass production differed significantly in the order of intermediate (67.63 ± 5.14 t ha−1) > high (57.08 ± 3.13 t ha−1) > low (27.39 ± 3.42 t ha−1) stand density. Both average root length and root volume were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the high-density stand than stands with low and intermediate density. Analysis of spatial distribution of root systems revealed no overlap between roots of neighboring trees in the competition zone in low-density stand, a subtle overlap in the intermediate density stand and larger overlap in the high-density stand. It can be concluded that better growth and biomass production in intermediate density stand could be explained by better root structural development coupled with minimal competition with understory vegetation and between trees; thus intermediate stand density can be optimal for sustaining long-term productivity and may reduce the management cost in the early phase of the plantation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2942-2950 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I Forrester ◽  
Jürgen Bauhus ◽  
Annette L Cowie

A doubling of aboveground biomass production has been observed in mixtures of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Acacia mearnsii de Wildeman when compared with monocultures after 11 years of growth. This study examined to what extent increased nitrogen (N) availability and accelerated rates of nutrient cycling may contribute to increased growth in mixtures. Monocultures of E. globulus (E) and A. mearnsii (A) and mixtures of these species were planted in a species replacement series: 100% E, 75% E + 25% A, 50% E + 50% A, 25% E + 75% A, and 100% A. Litterfall mass increased with aboveground biomass production and was highest in 50:50 mixtures and lowest in monocultures. Owing to higher N concentrations of A. mearnsii litter, N contents of annual litterfall were at least twice as high in stands containing A. mearnsii (32-49 kg·ha–1·year–1) as in E. globulus monocultures (14 kg·ha–1·year–1). Stands with A. mearnsii also cycled higher quantities of phosphorus (P) in annual litterfall than E. globulus monocultures. This study demonstrated that mixing A. mearnsii with E. globulus increased the quantity and rates of N and P cycled through aboveground litterfall when compared with E. globulus monocultures. Thus, mixed-species plantations appear to be a useful silvicultural system to improve nutrition of eucalypts without fertilization.


2010 ◽  
Vol 333 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 249-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianfen Guo ◽  
Yusheng Yang ◽  
Guangshui Chen ◽  
Jinsheng Xie ◽  
Ren Gao ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Rusdi Evizal ◽  
Tohari Tohari ◽  
Irfan D. Prijambada ◽  
Jaka Widada ◽  
Donny Widianto

Shade trees are significant in certification scheme of sustainable coffee production. They play an importance role on ecosystem functioning. This research is aimed to study ecosystem service of shade trees in some coffee agro-ecosystems particularly on nutrient cycling and land productivity. Four agro-ecosys tems of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora), namely sun coffee (without shade trees), coffee shaded by Michelia champaca, coffee shaded by Gliricidia sepium, and coffee shaded by Erythrina indica are evaluated during 2007—2008. Smallholder coffee plantation in Sumberjaya Subdistrict, West Lampung, which managed under local standard were employed using Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications. The result showed that litter fall dynamic from shade trees and from coffee trees was influenced by rainfall. Shade trees decreased weed biomass while increased litter fall production. In dry season, shade trees decreased litter fall from coffee shaded by M. champaca. G. sepium and E. indica shaded coffee showed higher yield than sun coffee and M. champaca shaded coffee. Except for M. champaca shaded coffee, yield had positive correlation (r = 0.99) with litter fall production and had negative correlation (r = —0.82) with weed biomass production. Biomass production (litter fall + weed) of sun coffee and shaded coffee was not significantly different. Litter fall of shade trees had significance on nutrient cycle mainly to balance the lost of nitrogen in coffee bean harvesting.Key Words: Coffea canephora, Michelia champaca, Gliricidia sepium, Erythrina indica, litter production, nutrient cycle, coffee yield.


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