title: [Short-term effects of understory vegetation removal on nutrient cycling in litter layer of Chinese fir plantation].
abstract: A short-term understory vegetation removal experiment was conducted at three experimental sites of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation in Huitong of Hunan Province, South-central China to examine the short-term effects of the absence of understory vegetation on litter decomposition. In the plantation, the standing stock of the litter in L layer (un-decomposed litter), F layer (semi-decomposed litter), and H layer (decomposed litter) under understory intact condition was (123.7 +/- 46.3) g m(-2), (204.2 +/- 79.1) g m(-2), and (187.1 +/- 94.8) g m(-2), and the corresponding nutrient storage was (447.51 +/- 16.75) g kg(-1), (418.89 +/- 35.75) g kg(-1), and (376.11 +/- 47.33) g kg(-1) for carbon, (4.87 +/- 1.24) g kg(-1), (6.4 +/- 2.38) g kg(-1), and (4.66 +/- 2.64) g kg(-1) for nitrogen, and (0.14 +/- 0.01) g kg(-1), (0.16 +/- 0.03) g kg(-1), and (0.16 +/- 0.02) g kg(-1) for phosphorus, respectively. At sites DL87 and MS90, understory vegetation removal had significant effects on the standing stock of litter and the corresponding storage of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in F layer, though the effects varied with sites (e. g., the storage of litter carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus decreased by more than 55% at DL87 while increased by about 1 time at MS90). Across the three sites, understory vegetation removal had little effects on the standing stock and nutrient storage of the litter in L layer and H layer. In addition, the removal had little effects on the litter decomposition at its early stage, but showed significant inhibitory effects after 150 days elapsed, with the decomposition rate decreased by 20.8%. These results suggested that the short-term effects of understory vegetation removal on the litter nutrient cycling could be depended on the forest site condition and the duration after the understory vegetation removal.
authors.affiliation: Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China. yuanliang_li@126.com
authors.forename: Yuan-liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Si-long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shao-kui
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D028202:Abies / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D016468:Forestry / Q000379:methods*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen