Influence of Vegetation Types on the C, N, and P Stoichiometric Characteristics of Litter and Soil and Soil Enzyme Activity in Karst Ecosystems

Abstract

Analyzing the ecological stoichiometric characteristics and soil enzyme activity of litter and soil in different vegetation types within karst areas can help to clarify the nutrient cycles and element abundance in those areas, in addition to providing basic data for vegetation restoration and reconstruction. In this study, the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of litter and soil and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP), sucrase (Suc), urease (Ure), and catalase (CAT) activity of soil were measured in grassland (GR), shrubland (SR), arbor and shrub compound forest (AS), and arbor forest (AR). The correlation between litter and soil stoichiometry and soil enzyme activity was analyzed to reveal the effects of different vegetation types on the C, N, and P stoichiometric characteristics of litter and soil, soil enzyme activity, and their driving mechanisms. The results showed that the C, N, and P contents of litter in the study area were 366.2–404.48 g/kg, 12.37–15.26 g/kg, and 0.76–1.05 g/kg, respectively. The C, N, and P contents of soil in the study area were 27.69–42.4 g/kg, 2.38–4.25 g/kg, and 0.56–0.68 g/kg, respectively. The litter N content and soil C and N contents were highest in the arbor forest (p < 0.05), while those in the grassland were the lowest (p < 0.05). The C:P and N:P ratios of the litter and soil in the arbor forest and arbor and shrub compound forest were higher than those in the other two vegetation types; however, the C:N ratio of the litter and soil in the arbor forest was lower than that in the other three vegetation types. The N element had a strong coupling relationship between litter and soil, while the P element had a weak relationship. The activity of the four soil enzymes in the four vegetation types were ranked as follows: arbor forest > arbor and shrub compound forest > shrubland > grassland. In general, the arbor forest communities were more conducive to nutrient cycling and accumulation. This information could help to guide the restoration and management of vegetation in karst areas.