Change in soil carbon and nutrient storage after human disturbance of a primary Korean pine forest in Northeast China

Abstract

The effects of human disturbance on soil carbon and nutrients storage are of great concern. We investigated changes in soil carbon and nutrients as a primary forest of mixed broad-leaved Korean pine was changed into seven ecosystems by local human disturbance. We also studied these changes due to brick manufacturing. The primary forest had higher total soil C than potato crop, wetland and plantation types, respectively. The total soil N was higher in grassland than it in the primary forest. The total soil P was lower in plantation type compared with it in the primary forest. The total soil K was higher in potato crop, wetland, secondary forests and plantation than it in the primary forest. More than 40% of soil S was lost as the primary forest was changed into potato crop, wetland and plantation. The ratios of C:N, C:P, C:K and C:S generally were higher in the primary forest than those in the other seven ecosystems. More than 80% of soil C, N and S were lost during brick making. Our study showed that human disturbance could greatly affect soil C and nutrient storage as the primary Korean pine forests were altered.