Climate Factors Affect Above-Belowground Biomass Allocation in Broad-Leaved and Coniferous Forests by Regulating Soil Nutrients

Xing Zhang; Yongzhi Zhou; Yuhui Ji; Mengyao Yu; Xinyi Li; Jie Duan; Yun Wang; Jie Gao; Xiali Guo

doi:10.3390/plants12233926

Climate Factors Affect Above-Belowground Biomass Allocation in Broad-Leaved and Coniferous Forests by Regulating Soil Nutrients

Plants (Basel). 2023 Nov 22;12(23):3926. doi: 10.3390/plants12233926.

Authors

Xing Zhang^{1

2}, Yongzhi Zhou¹, Yuhui Ji², Mengyao Yu², Xinyi Li², Jie Duan², Yun Wang², Jie Gao^{2

3}, Xiali Guo¹

Affiliations

¹ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
² College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.

Abstract

The allocation of plant biomass above and below ground reflects their strategic resource utilization, crucial for understanding terrestrial carbon flux dynamics. In our comprehensive study, we analyzed biomass distribution patterns in 580 broadleaved and 345 coniferous forests across China from 2005 to 2020, aiming to discern spatial patterns and key drivers of belowground biomass proportion (BGBP) in these ecosystems. Our research revealed a consistent trend: BGBP decreases from northwest to southeast in both forest types. Importantly, coniferous forests exhibited significantly higher BGBP compared to broadleaved forests (p < 0.001). While precipitation and soil nutrients primarily influenced biomass allocation in broadleaved forests, temperature and soil composition played a pivotal role in coniferous forests. Surprisingly, leaf traits had a negligible impact on BGBP (p > 0.05). Climatic factors, such as temperature and rainfall, influenced biomass partitioning in both strata by altering soil nutrients, particularly soil pH. These findings provide valuable insights into understanding carbon sequestration dynamics in forest ecosystems and improving predictions of the future trajectory of this critical carbon cycle component.

Keywords: biomass allocation; forest type; precipitation; soil nutrient; temperature.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Xinjiang Normal University Young Top Talent Project (Impact of Soil Moisture and Fertilization on Biomass Allocation of Short-Lived Plants in Different Restoration Stages of Sand Dunes, No number), Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (No. 2022D01A213), Fundamental Research Funds for Universities in Xinjiang (No. XJEDU2023P071), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32201543), Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Project (No. 2021AC19325), Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students in 2023 (No. S202310762004), Xinjiang Normal University Landmark Achievements Cultivation Project (No. XJNUBS2301), Xinjiang Graduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project and Tianchi Talent Program.