Responses of soil organic carbon and its labile fractions to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in subtropical China.

Abstract

A series of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition experiments using treatments of N0(0 kg N·hm-2·a-1), N1(50 kg N·hm-2·a-1), N2(100 kg N·hm-2·a-1), P (50 kg P·hm-2·a-1), N1P and N2P were conducted at Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in subtropical China. The responses of soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) to the nutrient addition treatments after 3 years were determined. The results showed that N and P additions had no significant effects on SOC concentration in 0-20 cm soil layer, while P addition significantly decreased soil POC content in 0-5 cm soil layer by 26.1%. The responses of WSOC to N and P addition were mainly found in 0-5 cm soil layer, and low level N and P addition significantly increased the WSOC content in 0-5 cm soil layer. Nitrogen addition had no significant effect on POC/SOC, while the POC/SOC significantly decreased by 15.9% in response to P addition in 0-5 cm soil layer. In 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers, POC/SOC was not significantly altered in N and P addition treatments. Therefore, the forest soil C stability was mainly controlled by P content in subtropical areas. P addition was liable to cause the decomposition of surface soil active organic C and increased the soil C stability in the short term treatment.