Effect of Stand Density and Soil Layer on Soil Nutrients of a 37-year-old Cunninghamia lanceolata Plantation in Naxi, Sichuan Province, China

Jie Lei, Hailun Du, Aiguo Duan and Jianguo Zhang
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Jie Lei: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture of the State Forestry Administration, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Beijing 100091, China
Hailun Du: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture of the State Forestry Administration, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Beijing 100091, China
Aiguo Duan: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture of the State Forestry Administration, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Beijing 100091, China
Jianguo Zhang: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture of the State Forestry Administration, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Beijing 100091, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: In order to study the characteristics of soil nutrient elements and the changes in biomass under different densities and soil layers of forest stand, this paper considers Chinese fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) density test forests with five densities (A: 1667 trees·ha −1 ; B: 3333 trees·ha −1 ; C: 5000 trees·ha −1 ; D: 6667 trees·ha −1 ; E: 10,000 trees·ha −1 ) as the research objects, located in Naxi District, Sichuan Province, China. Eleven soil physical and chemical property indicators, understory vegetation, and litter biomass were measured. The results were as follows: (1) The stand density had a significant effect on the soil nutrient content, understory vegetation, and litter biomass. A low density is conducive to the accumulation of soil organic matter, hydrolytic N, available P, available K, and total Ca. (2) With the increase in soil depth, the contents of soil organic matter, total N, hydrolytic N, and total P decreased gradually; pH and total Ca decreased gradually; and available P showed a trend of decrease-up-decrease. The soil layers had no significant effect on the total K, total Fe, and total Mg concentrations. (3) Low density (density A or B) was found to be beneficial to the growth of undergrowth vegetation and forest trees, the return of nutrients, long-term soil maintenance, and the stable high yield of Chinese fir plantations.

Keywords: Chinese fir; planting density; soil layer; understory vegetation; litter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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