Seasonal dynamics of soil nitrogen availability and phosphorus fractions under urban forest remnants of different vegetation communities in Southern China

Abstract

Urban forest remnants are a useful tool to study forest response to global change with urbanization. Soil nutrient status in urban forests has not been well understood, especially under the pressure of rapid urbanization in developing countries. In this study, ion-exchange resin bags and a modified Hedley P fractionation procedure were used to measure seasonal dynamics of soil N forms (ammonium and nitrate) and P fractions (available, labile, slow, occlude and weathered mineral P) under urban forest remnants across a successional sequence and non-forest land in the city of Nanchang, Southern China. Results showed that soil N availability varied with season and vegetation community (P<0.05). Soil P fractions showed minimal seasonal variation except available P, while their averages generally increased with forest development from non-forest land to coniferous forest to conifer-broadleaf mixed forest to evergreen broad-leaved forest. The ratios of fresh soil N forms to P fractions generally decreased with forest development, while N forms absorbed by resins to P fractions generally increased from non-forest land to coniferous forest, then decreased from conifer-broadleaf mixed forest to evergreen broad-leaved forest. It is suggested that urban older forest remnants could easily move to N saturation status and soil P enrichment, causing urban water pollution due to the accumulative effect of elevated atmospheric N deposition and exogenous P input with urbanization.