A 10-year monitoring of soil properties dynamics and soil fertility evaluation in Chinese hickory plantation regions of southeastern China

Jin Jin; Luoqi Wang; Karin Müller; Jiasen Wu; Hailong Wang; Keli Zhao; Frank Berninger; Weijun Fu

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-02947-z

A 10-year monitoring of soil properties dynamics and soil fertility evaluation in Chinese hickory plantation regions of southeastern China

Sci Rep. 2021 Dec 7;11(1):23531. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02947-z.

Authors

Jin Jin¹, Luoqi Wang¹, Karin Müller², Jiasen Wu³, Hailong Wang⁴, Keli Zhao¹, Frank Berninger⁵, Weijun Fu^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
² The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag, Hamilton, 3123, New Zealand.
³ State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China. jswu@zafu.edu.cn.
⁴ Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China.
⁵ Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China. fuweijun@zafu.edu.cn.
⁷ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Sequestration, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, China. fuweijun@zafu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Monitoring the temporal and spatial variation of soil properties is helpful to understand the evolution of soil properties and adjust the management method in time. Soil fertility evaluation is an urgent need to understand soil fertility level and prevent soil degradation. Here, we conducted an intensive field investigation in Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) plantation to clarify the spatial and temporal variation of soil properties and its influencing factors, and to evaluate the change of soil fertility. The results showed that the soil pH and soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly increased from 2008 to 2018, while available nitrogen (AN) significantly decreased from 2008 to 2018. The semi-variance revealed that except available phosphorus (AP), the spatial dependencies of soil properties increased from 2008 to 2018. An increasing south-north gradient was found for soil AN, AP, available potassium (AK) and SOC and a decreasing south-north gradient was found for soil pH. The average soil fertility in the whole area was increased from 2008 to 2018. Our findings demonstrated that the changes of the management measures were the reason for the change of soil properties from 2008 to 2018. Therefore, rational fertilization strategies and sod cultivation are recommended to maintain the long-term development of the producing forest.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't