Soil properties influencing Hg vertical pattern in temperate forest podzols

Plant-soil interactions are a major determinant of changes in forest ecosystem processes and functioning. We conducted a trait-based study to quantify the contribution of plant traits and soil properties to above- and below-ground ecosystem properties in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Nine plant traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf water content, leaf dry matter content, leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), leaf C/N, and leaf N/P) and eight soil properties (pH, moisture, available N, P, potassium (K), total C, N, P) were selected for determination of their contribution to major ecosystem processes (above-ground biomass C, soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration) in temperate forest. Among the plant traits studied, leaf C, N, P, and leaf N/P ratio proved to be the main contributors to above-ground biomass, explaining 20-27% of variation. Leaf N, P, and leaf N/P were the main contributors to below-ground soil organic C, soil microbial biomass C, N, and P, and soil respiration (explaining 33% of variation). Together, the soil properties pH, available P, total N and C explained 60% of variation in above-ground biomass, while pH and total C explained 56% of variation in soil organic C. Other soil properties (available P, total C and N) also explained much of the variation in soil microbial biomass C (52%) and N (67%), while soil pH explained some of variation in soil microbial biomass N (14%). Available P, total N, and pH explained soil microbial biomass P (81%), while soil respiration was only explained by soil total C (70%). Thusleaf traits and soil characteristics make a significant contribution to explaining variations in above- and below-ground ecosystem processes and functioning in temperate forest in the Indian Himalayas. Consequently, tree species for afforestation, restoration, and commercial forestryshould be carefully selected, as they can influence the climate change mitigation potential of forest in terms of C stocks in biomass and soils.

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Influence of soil properties on the heartwood colour of Juglans mandshurica var. sachalinensis in a cool temperate forest

Journal of Wood Science ◽

10.1186/s10086-021-01981-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kobayashi Makoto ◽

Elizaveta Susloparova ◽

Ikutaro Tsuyama ◽

Takuya Shimase ◽

Satoshi Nakaba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Intraspecific Variation ◽

Temperate Forest ◽

Temperate Forests ◽

Local Scale ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Juglans Mandshurica ◽

Cool Temperate ◽

Cool Temperate Forest

AbstractHeartwood colour is often an important factor in determining timber prices. However, the determinants of intraspecific variation in heartwood colour, which is useful information for sustainable wood marketing, are little understood, especially at the local scale in cool temperate forests. Because heartwood is produced as a secondary compound and photosynthesis is regulated by nitrogen (N) in cool temperate forests, we hypothesized that (1) soil conditions determine heartwood colour even at a local scale within a tree species and (2) N, specifically, can be an important driver of the intraspecific variation in heartwood colour in the trees of cool temperate forests. To test these hypotheses, we investigated the relationship between the colour values (luminescence, redness, and yellowness) of heartwood from Juglans mandshurica var. sachalinensis and the soil parameters in a cool temperate forest. Among the soil properties, not soil N but soil magnesium (Mg) contents alone had a significant influence on the redness and yellowness of the heartwood. Higher soil Mg contents resulted in increased redness and yellowness of the heartwood in our study, probably due to the increase in phenolics and the colouring of the tannins in the heartwood with Mg. Our results indicate that even at a local scale, soil condition can determine the intraspecific variation in heartwood colour and that forest managers can utilize edaphic information to predict heartwood colour for timber marketing.

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