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Forest Ecosystems 2020, 7(3): 32 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-020-00242-3
Research | Open Access | Issue | Published: 08 May 2020

Soil-plant co-stimulation during forest vegetation restoration in a subtropical area of southern China

Show Author's Information Chan Chen1,  Xi Fang1,2( ),  Wenhua Xiang1,2,  Pifeng Lei1,2,  Shuai Ouyang1,2,  Yakov Kuzyakov1,3,4
Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Huitong National Field Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Chinese Fir Plantation Ecosystem in Hunan Province, Huitong 438107, China
Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Georg-August University of Gottingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Department of Agricultural Soil Science, Georg-August University of Gottingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Keywords:
Soil organic carbon, Vegetation restoration, Soil physicochemical properties, Vegetation features, Driving factors
Cite this article:
Chen C, Fang X, Xiang W, et al. Soil-plant co-stimulation during forest vegetation restoration in a subtropical area of southern China. Forest Ecosystems, 2020, 7(3): 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-020-00242-3
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Abstract Full text About this article
Background

Soil and vegetation have a direct impact on the process and direction of plant community succession, and determine the structure, function, and productivity of ecosystems. However, little is known about the synergistic influence of soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features on vegetation restoration. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-evolution of soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features in the process of vegetation restoration, and to distinguish the primary and secondary relationships between soil and vegetation in their collaborative effects on promoting vegetation restoration in a subtropical area of China.

Methods

Soil samples were collected to 40?cm in four distinct plant communities along a restoration gradient from herb (4–5?years), to shrub (11–12?years), to Pinus massoniana coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (45–46?years), and to evergreen broadleaved forest (old growth forest). Measurements were taken of the soil physicochemical properties and Shannon–Wiener index (SD), diameter at breast height (DBH), height (H), and biomass. Principal component analysis, linear function analysis, and variation partitioning analysis were then performed to prioritize the relative importance of the leading factors affecting vegetation restoration.

Results

Soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features showed a significant trend of improvement across the vegetation restoration gradient, reflected mainly in the high response rates of soil organic carbon (SOC) (140.76%), total nitrogen (TN) (222.48%), total phosphorus (TP) (59.54%), alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen (AN) (544.65%), available phosphorus (AP) (53.28%), species diversity (86.3%), biomass (2906.52%), DBH (128.11%), and H (596.97%). The soil properties (pH, SOC, TN, AN, and TP) and vegetation features (biomass, DBH, and H) had a clear co-evolutionary relationship over the course of restoration. The synergistic interaction between soil properties and vegetation features had the greatest effect on biomass (55.55%–72.37%), and the soil properties contributed secondarily (3.30%–31.44%). The main impact factors of biomass varied with the restoration periods.

Conclusions

In the process of vegetation restoration, soil and vegetation promoted each other. Vegetation restoration was the cumulative result of changes in soil fertility and vegetation features.


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About this article

Soil-plant co-stimulation during forest vegetation restoration in a subtropical area of southern China

Show Author's information Chan Chen1, Xi Fang1,2( ), Wenhua Xiang1,2, Pifeng Lei1,2, Shuai Ouyang1,2, Yakov Kuzyakov1,3,4
Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Huitong National Field Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Chinese Fir Plantation Ecosystem in Hunan Province, Huitong 438107, China
Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Georg-August University of Gottingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Department of Agricultural Soil Science, Georg-August University of Gottingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Abstract

Background

Soil and vegetation have a direct impact on the process and direction of plant community succession, and determine the structure, function, and productivity of ecosystems. However, little is known about the synergistic influence of soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features on vegetation restoration. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-evolution of soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features in the process of vegetation restoration, and to distinguish the primary and secondary relationships between soil and vegetation in their collaborative effects on promoting vegetation restoration in a subtropical area of China.

Methods

Soil samples were collected to 40?cm in four distinct plant communities along a restoration gradient from herb (4–5?years), to shrub (11–12?years), to Pinus massoniana coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (45–46?years), and to evergreen broadleaved forest (old growth forest). Measurements were taken of the soil physicochemical properties and Shannon–Wiener index (SD), diameter at breast height (DBH), height (H), and biomass. Principal component analysis, linear function analysis, and variation partitioning analysis were then performed to prioritize the relative importance of the leading factors affecting vegetation restoration.

Results

Soil physicochemical properties and vegetation features showed a significant trend of improvement across the vegetation restoration gradient, reflected mainly in the high response rates of soil organic carbon (SOC) (140.76%), total nitrogen (TN) (222.48%), total phosphorus (TP) (59.54%), alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen (AN) (544.65%), available phosphorus (AP) (53.28%), species diversity (86.3%), biomass (2906.52%), DBH (128.11%), and H (596.97%). The soil properties (pH, SOC, TN, AN, and TP) and vegetation features (biomass, DBH, and H) had a clear co-evolutionary relationship over the course of restoration. The synergistic interaction between soil properties and vegetation features had the greatest effect on biomass (55.55%–72.37%), and the soil properties contributed secondarily (3.30%–31.44%). The main impact factors of biomass varied with the restoration periods.

Conclusions

In the process of vegetation restoration, soil and vegetation promoted each other. Vegetation restoration was the cumulative result of changes in soil fertility and vegetation features.

Keywords: Soil organic carbon, Vegetation restoration, Soil physicochemical properties, Vegetation features, Driving factors

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 18 November 2019
Accepted: 17 April 2020
Published: 08 May 2020
Issue date: September 2020

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2020.

Acknowledgements

We thank the administrative staff at the Dashanchong Forest Farm, Changsha County, Hunan Province, for their support.

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