Seasonal response of soil enzyme activity to thinning intensity of aerial seeded Pinus tabulaeformis stands

Abstract

Aerial seeding is one of the most important vegetation restoration patterns in remote hilly areas, and studies concerning soil quality and its management have practical value. In 2000, a study of the effect of thinning intensities at five different treatments levels, 0 (CK), 30% (slight thinning), 48.75% (medium thinning), 53.75% (intense thinning) and 65.6% (super intense thinning) on soil enzyme activity was carried out on 9-year-old aerial seeded Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) stands with an initial density of 8000 trees/hm2, in the Wang-jiapu Aerail Seeding Center, Yanqing County, Beijing. Five years later, the activities of five kinds of soil enzymes, soil urease, alkaline phosphatase, inertase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase in the first 20 cm of soil layer were compared during four seasons. Relationships among soil enzymes and soil physiochemical properties were also analyzed to examine the possibility of using soil enzymes to evaluate thinning intensities. The results showed that the maximum enzyme activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase occurred in June, those of soil urease and alkaline phosphatase occurred in October, and soil invetase had its maximum in April. In addition, the five soil enzymes were affected differently by thinning intensities. Soil catalase, urease and invertase showed the highest response to a slight thinning, followed by medium thinning, which is the opposite experienced with polyphenol oxidase and alkaline phosphatase. There are statistically significant and positive relationships between soil enzymes and organic matter and available K. It should be noted that soil water was a limiting factor to soil enzyme activity. Compared with soil physicochemical characteristics, soil enzymes were more sensitive to levels of thinning intensities. Among the enzymes, soil alkaline phosphatase and catalase could be regarded as indicators to assess soil quality. It is concluded that a suitable thinning intensity benefits the development of undergrowth and soil enzymes. Generally, when the stand with initial density of 8000 trees/hm2 grows up to nine years old, the most suitable thinning intensity should be about 50%.