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Ecological Stoichiometry in Pinus massoniana L. Plantation: Increasing Nutrient Limitation in a 48-Year Chronosequence
| Content Provider | MDPI |
|---|---|
| Author | Ali, Ashfaq Hussain, Majid Ali, Saqib Akhtar, Kashif Muhammad, Mamoona Wali Zamir, Ahmad Ali, Arshad Nizami, Syed Moazzam Ahmad, Bilal Harrison, Matthew Tom Fahad, Shah Zhou, Zhixiang Yi, Shanjun |
| Copyright Year | 2022 |
| Description | Stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are considered indicators of nutrient status and ultimate ecosystem health. A detailed investigation of these elements in the leaves, branches, forest layer vegetation and soil, depending on stand age, was carried out. We investigated the effects of stand age (9-, 18-, 28-, and 48-year) on the aboveground plant parts (leaf, branch, herb, shrub, plant litter) and belowground pools (soil, roots) of P. massoniana plantations. The CNP stoichiometry of trees was affected by stand age. Mean N content in the aboveground parts in the nine-yr stand was greater than the other stands (18-, 28-, 48-yr), which decreased with increasing stand age. As stands aged, the nutrient demands of the plantations increased as well as their N:P ratios in soil. C content in the soil ranged from 30 to 105, the total N was 0.06 to 1.6, and the total P content ranged from 3.3–6.4 g $kg^{−1}$. Soil C, N and P contents were greatly influenced by both stand age and soil depth, because surface soil sequester C and N more actively compared to deeper horizons, and more nutrients are released to the topsoil by the plant litter layer. Similarly, the ratios of other layers had a similar pattern as CNP because more nutrients were taken up by the plantations, decreasing nutrient supply in the deeper soil horizons. The green leaves N:P ratios (16) indicate limited growth of P. massoniana, as the range for global nutrient limitation for woody plants oscillated between 14–16, indicating N and P limitation. Young stands were observed to have greater P content and P resorption efficiency (56.9%–67.3%), with lower C:P and N:P ratios (704.4; 14.8). We conclude that with stand development, the nutrient demands of the plantations also increase, and soil N:P stoichiometry shows that these improve soil quality. |
| Starting Page | 469 |
| e-ISSN | 19994907 |
| DOI | 10.3390/f13030469 |
| Journal | Forests |
| Issue Number | 3 |
| Volume Number | 13 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Publisher Date | 2022-03-17 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Forests Soil Science Stand Age Stoichiometry P. Massoniana Nutrient Resorption Soil Nutrients |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
