Abstract
This study evaluates the spatial heterogeneity of the soil chemical properties of surface soils across a 1 ha old-growth subtropical karst forest in southwest China.
Highlights
Soils are formed by physical, chemical, and biological processes that act upon the geological parent material and the continuous interaction of these processes with the biotic, climatic, and topographic components of the environment [1, 2]
The minimum, maximum, difference between median and average, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV) can describe the variability of a soil property
The current study showed that soil pH in the karst forest has low variability (CV = 5.5%)
Summary
Soils are formed by physical, chemical, and biological processes that act upon the geological parent material and the continuous interaction of these processes with the biotic, climatic, and topographic components of the environment [1, 2] These components often cause the heterogeneity in soil properties at the spatial and temporal scales [3,4,5]. The spatial variability of soil properties and the complex relationship between soil and topographic factors in different ecosystems or landscape types remain barely understood [12, 13] Soil properties, such as key factors, affect plant distribution, community dynamics, and even the structure and function of ecosystems [14, 15]. These analyses can explore the relationship between soil properties and plant diversity in an ecosystem
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