Tree Species Diversity and Tree Growth Affected Element Compositions in Glomalin-Related Soil Protein–Soil pH Interaction

Qianru Ji, Guanchao Cheng, Xu Zhang, Wenjie Wang, Xiaorui Guo () and Huimei Wang ()
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Qianru Ji: Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-Based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Guanchao Cheng: Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-Based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Xu Zhang: Bayannur Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Food Crop Research Center, Bayannaoer Academy of Agricultural and Animal Sciences, Bayannaoer 015100, China
Wenjie Wang: State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Xiaorui Guo: Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-Based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Huimei Wang: State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), a glycoprotein derived from mycorrhizal fungal hyphae, is a mixture of substances rich in various elements essential for plant growth. However, the impacts of tree diversity and forest structure on the element content and storage of GRSP are not well understood. To investigate this, we collected soil samples from 720 plots (10 m × 10 m) and determined the relative content and storage of elements (C, N, O, Si, P, Fe, Al, Na, Mg, Ca, and K) in GRSP. Additionally, the tree diversity, tree size and density, tree assemblage, and soil physicochemical properties were determined. The results show the following: (1) Plots with lower diversity had 1.27 times higher storage of 11 elements in GRSP compared to those with higher diversity. Plots with higher soil electrical conductance (EC) plots had 28–35% higher storage of 11 elements in GRSP. (2) The relative content of Na, C, and N in GRSP showed a positive relationship with pH, while they exhibited a negative relationship with soil EC, available phosphorus (AP), and tree density. Other elements generally showed contrasting patterns. (3) Path analysis reveals that tree diversity and tree growth had stronger effects on the elemental composition of GRSP than tree spatial assemblage. The magnitude of the driving path coefficients depended on the factors closely related to soil pH. This study demonstrates that the elemental composition of GRSP can be dynamically affected by tree diversity and stand structure, with soil pH playing a crucial interactive role.

Keywords: glomalin-related soil protein; tree diversity; community structure; soil properties; glomalin element storage and relative content (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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