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Forests
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Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System
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Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 10573

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stefano Carnicelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Science, University of Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Interests: soil ecology; pollution impacts on forests
Dr. Anna Andreetta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Science, University of Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Interests: soil science; soil organic carbon storage; impact of atmospheric deposition on forest soils; palaeosols; humus forms; mangrove soils

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The cycling of nutrients through the soil–plant community system is a basic reality of all vegetation-based terrestrial ecosystems, and is a necessity for their stable existence. Nevertheless, changing conditions of climate, soil and plant community autoecology enable such cycles to differentiate into a vastly different array of possible ‘solutions’, intended as combinations of processes that allow the persistence of the soil–vegetation system. It is a seductive idea to treat each ‘solution’ as a major ecosystem trait.

In the field of forests, the last few years have seen a large amount of research being published, contributing to the knowledge of nutrient fluxes from different approaches; yet, most publications were actually focused on different subjects. We feel that the time has now came to start a focused debate on forest nutrient cycles, aiming at a systematic approach.

Thus, we propose a Special Issue centering on this theme. In this Special Issue, we will not treat any approach as preferential to any other, and we are encouraging the submission of studies dealing with soil–forest nutrient cycles from different approaches.

Prof. Dr. Stefano Carnicelli
Dr. Anna Andreetta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forest soils
  • soil–plant interactions
  • nutrient source tracing
  • phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium
  • nutrient cycling and stores
  • element fluxes and budgets
  • forest humus forms

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3502 KiB  
Article
Soil Organic Nitrogen Components and N−Cycling Enzyme Activities Following Vegetation Restoration of Cropland in Danxia Degraded Region
by Chao Wang, Qiannan Yang, Chi Zhang, Bo Zhou, Xiangdong Li, Xiaolong Zhang, Jing Chen and Kexue Liu
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1917; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111917 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1423
Abstract
Soil organic nitrogen (SON) components are a key indicator of soil fertility and plant growth. The Danxia degraded region (DDR) is an ecologically fragile area in southern China, where the “Grain for Green” project has been implemented to prevent further land degradation. However, [...] Read more.
Soil organic nitrogen (SON) components are a key indicator of soil fertility and plant growth. The Danxia degraded region (DDR) is an ecologically fragile area in southern China, where the “Grain for Green” project has been implemented to prevent further land degradation. However, little is known about the effects of vegetation restoration on SON components in the DDR or the factors that influence them. We compared three vegetation restoration types, namely, grassland, shrubland, and arbor forest, with cropland to determine the relationship between SON components and N−cycling enzyme activities. Vegetation restoration increased the soil amino sugar N and amino acid N and reduced the proportion of non−hydrolyzable N. Compared with forest restoration measures, restoration to grassland was more beneficial to SON levels and N−fixation capacity. Vegetation restoration also increased soil nitrate reductase, denitrifying enzyme, protease, β−1,4−N−acetylglucosaminidase activities, and soil microbial biomass. Vegetation restoration in the DDR changed the SON components through the “mineralization−fixation” of organic matter via amorphous iron and proteases, which, in turn, affected the level of available soil N. Vegetation restoration improved the soil N structure and promoted the intrinsic soil N cycle, providing a scientific basis for soil quality restoration in the DDR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System)
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18 pages, 3261 KiB  
Article
Carbon Budget of Undrained and Drained Nutrient-Rich Organic Forest Soil
by Aldis Butlers, Andis Lazdiņš, Santa Kalēja and Arta Bārdule
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1790; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111790 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1361
Abstract
The impact of the moisture regime on the carbon budget of organic soils with different nutrient statuses has not been fully studied in hemiboreal forests thus far. This study evaluated soil carbon (C) stock changes in forests with drained and undrained nutrient-rich organic [...] Read more.
The impact of the moisture regime on the carbon budget of organic soils with different nutrient statuses has not been fully studied in hemiboreal forests thus far. This study evaluated soil carbon (C) stock changes in forests with drained and undrained nutrient-rich organic soils by estimating C loss through respiration and C input through the litter. The study sites included forest stands dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver birch (Betula pendula), black alder (Alnus glutinosa), and clear-cuts. Soil respiration was measured using the chamber method, and to estimate the soil C input by litter—the biomass and the C content of the foliar litter, ground vegetation, and fine-root production were measured. The soil in forest stands acted as a C sink. The carbon dioxide (CO2) removal rates of 0.4 ± 0.4 t C ha−1 year−1 and 0.1 ± 0.4 t C ha−1 year−1 were estimated for undrained and drained soil in forest stands, respectively. The soil in the clear-cuts acted as a CO2 source, and the annual emissions ranged from 0.4 ± 0.4 t C ha−1 year−1 in undrained to 0.9 ± 0.7 t C ha−1 year−1 in drained conditions. The reason for the soil in clear-cuts being a C source was increased C loss by respiration and reduced soil C input by litter. Furthermore, the mean soil C input by ground vegetation biomass in the clear-cuts was considerably higher than in the forest stands, which did not compensate for the increase in soil respiration and the absence of C input by foliar litter and the fine roots of trees. The results of the study on annual soil C stock changes can be used as an emission factor in national greenhouse gas inventories of forest land in the hemiboreal zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System)
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14 pages, 2296 KiB  
Article
Soil C:N:P Stoichiometric Characteristics and Soil Quality Evaluation under Different Restoration Modes in the Loess Region of Northern Shaanxi Province
by Rui Gao, Ning Ai, Guangquan Liu, Changhai Liu and Zhiyong Zhang
Forests 2022, 13(6), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060913 - 12 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
Vegetation restoration is essential for the stability of the ecological system structure and function in the loess region of North Shaanxi Province. Natural and artificial restoration are the primary modes for vegetation recovery and soil quality improvement in this region. In this study, [...] Read more.
Vegetation restoration is essential for the stability of the ecological system structure and function in the loess region of North Shaanxi Province. Natural and artificial restoration are the primary modes for vegetation recovery and soil quality improvement in this region. In this study, two adjacent watersheds with similar ecological environment conditions but different restoration modes were selected for research; one watershed is restored naturally (He Gou watershed), and the other is restored artificially (Chai Gou watershed). According to the study of soil stoichiometric characteristics and soil quality after the vegetation restoration in these two watersheds, the results showed: (1) Compared with the natural restoration, artificial restoration was more effective in increasing the content of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, however, the total phosphorus content of the soil in the natural restoration mode was higher than that in the artificial restoration mode. (2) The ratios of soil C:N, C:P, and N:P showed a decreasing trend with the increase of soil depth at these two restoration modes. (3) In the 0–60 cm soil layer, the soil quality under the artificial restoration mode was better than that of the natural restoration, especially for the soil layer beneath 20 cm. (4) The minimal data set on the soil quality evaluation in the study area included soil organic carbon, capillary water holding quantity, available potassium, soil water content and available phosphorus. It showed a linear relation with the total index data set (y = 0.829x + 0.058, R2 = 0.76) and can reflect the soil quality more sensitively than the total indicator data set. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System)
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19 pages, 3288 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Conversion from Natural Broadleaved Forests into Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) Plantations on Soil Microbial Communities and Nitrogen Functional Genes
by Jiahuan Guo, Huili Feng, Pierce McNie, Weifeng Wang, Changhui Peng, Lei Feng, Jiejie Sun, Chang Pan and Yuanchun Yu
Forests 2022, 13(2), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020158 - 20 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
The conversion of forests could change soil characteristics and, in turn, impact the microbial community. However, the long-term effect of forest transformation on bacterial and archaeal composition and diversity, especially on nitrogen functional communities, is poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the [...] Read more.
The conversion of forests could change soil characteristics and, in turn, impact the microbial community. However, the long-term effect of forest transformation on bacterial and archaeal composition and diversity, especially on nitrogen functional communities, is poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the response of soil bacterial and archaeal communities, as well as nitrogen functional groups, to the conversion from natural broadleaved forests to Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate (Lamb.) Hook.) plantations in subtropical China by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Except for soil bulk density (BD) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+–N) content, other soil properties all decreased with the conversion from natural forests to plantations. Alpha diversity of bacteria and archaea declined with the transformation from natural forests to plantations. The composition of bacteria and archaea was significantly different between natural forests and plantations, which could be mainly attributed to the change in the content of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−–N), and available phosphorus (AP). The conversion of natural forests to plantations decreased the gene copies of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and nifH (nitrogen fixation function) but increased denitrification gene copies (i.e., nirS, nirK, and nosZ). In summary, our study emphasizes the long-term negative effect of the conversion from natural broadleaved forests into Chinese fir plantations on the diversity and richness of soil microbial communities, thereby deeply impacting the cycling of soil nitrogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System)
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15 pages, 1895 KiB  
Article
Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Storages and Their Stoichiometry Due to Mixed Afforestation with Hippophae rhamnoides in the Loess Hilly Region, China
by Xu Wu, Yaobin Niu, Mengyao Xun, Junyi Jin, Yakun Tang and Yunming Chen
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1718; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121718 - 07 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2337
Abstract
Mixed-species tree plantations have additional ecological benefits over single-species tree plantations, such as habitat restoration and increasing biodiversity. However, changes in the soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storages and stoichiometry after mixed afforestation with the N-fixing tree species under the “Grain for Green [...] Read more.
Mixed-species tree plantations have additional ecological benefits over single-species tree plantations, such as habitat restoration and increasing biodiversity. However, changes in the soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storages and stoichiometry after mixed afforestation with the N-fixing tree species under the “Grain for Green Project” in the Loess Plateau of China are not well understood. Typical restoration types, including the mixed plantations of Pinus tabuliformis with Hippophae rhamnoides (HrPt) and Robinia pseudoacacia with H. rhamnoides (HrRp), as well as the pure forests of P. tabuliformis (Pt) and R. pseudoacacia (Rp), were chosen to examine changes in the storages and stoichiometry of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in 0–100 cm soil layers. The results showed that compared with the corresponding pure forest, HrRp significantly increased the SOC content in the 0–20 cm soil layer and the SOC storage in the 0–100 cm layer, while HrPt significantly increased the SOC content in the 0–10 cm layer, but there was no significant difference for SOC storage in the 0–100 cm layer between Pt and HrPt. Similarly, HrRp significantly increased the TN content in the 0–10 cm layer and the TN storage in the 0–100 cm layer, but there was no significant difference in TN storage between Pt and HrPt. Furthermore, HrRp significantly increased the TP content in the 0–100 cm layer and TP storage was higher than that of Rp, while there were no significant differences in TP content and storage between Pt and HrPt. In the 0–10 cm soil layer, HrRp significantly reduced C:N and increased N:P, but HrPt significantly increased C:P. In addition, compared with the pure forest, the soil physical and chemical properties had a stronger control effect on the soil storages and stoichiometric ratios in the mixed forests. In summary, compared with P. tabuliformis, the introduction of N-fixing tree species into the R. pseudoacacia forest was more conducive to the accumulation of SOC, TN, and TP reserves and the improvement of the N and P utilization efficiency. These results have important implications for the restoration of degraded vegetation and scientific management of mixed plantations on the Loess Plateau and can provide basic data for the assessment of soil quality at the regional scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient Cycling through the Forest and Soil System)
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