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Yang Y, Jing L, Li Q, Liang C, Dong Q, Zhao S, Chen Y, She D, Zhang X, Wang L, Cheng G, Zhang X, Guo Y, Tian P, Gu L, Zhu M, Lou J, Du Q, Wang H, He X, Wang W. Big-sized trees and higher species diversity improve water holding capacities of forests in northeast China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163263. [PMID: 37028669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
High water-holding forests are essential for adapting to drought climates under global warming, and a central issue is which type of forests could conserve more water in the ecosystem. This paper explores how forest structure, plant diversity, and soil physics impact forest water-holding capacities. We investigated 720 sampling plots by measuring water-holding capacities from 1440 soil and litter samples, 8400 leaves, and 1680 branches and surveying 18,054 trees in total (28 species). Water-holding capacities were measured as four soil indices (Maxwc, maximum water-holding capacity; Fcwc, field water-holding capacity; Cpwc, soil capillary water-holding capacity; Ncpwc, non-capillary water-holding capacity), two litter metrics (Maxwcl, maximum water-holding capacity of litters; Ewcl, effective water-holding capacity of litters), and canopy interception (C, the sum of estimated water interception of all branches and leaves of all tree species in the plot). We found that water-holding capacity in the big-sized tree plots was 4-25 % higher in the litters, 54-64 % in the canopy, and 6-37 % in the soils than in the small-sized plots. The higher species richness increased all soil water-holding capacities compared to the lowest richness plot. Higher Simpson and Shannon-Wiener plots had 10-27 % higher Ewcl and C than the lowest plots. Bulk density had the strongest negative relations with Maxwc, Cpwc, and Fcwc, whereas field soil water content positively affected them. Soil physics, forest structure, and plant diversity explained 90.5 %, 5.9 %, and 0.2 % of the water-holding variation, respectively. Tree sizes increased C, Ncpwc, Ewcl directly (p < 0.05), and richness increased Ewcl directly (p < 0.05). However, the direct effects from the uniform angle index (tree distribution evenness) were balanced by their indirect effect from soil physics. Our findings highlighted that the mixed forests with big-sized trees and rich species could effectively improve the water-holding capacities of the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lixin Jing
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qi Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chentao Liang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Quanxing Dong
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Shuting Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yuwen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Danqi She
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guanchao Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xiting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Yufeng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Panli Tian
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lin Gu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Meina Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Jing Lou
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qian Du
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Huimei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xingyuan He
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Wenjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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Sun Z, Feng M, Zhang X, Zhang S, Zhang W, Li Y, Huang Y, Qi P, Wang W, Zou Y, Jiang M. A healthier water use strategy in primitive forests contributes to stronger water conservation capabilities compared with secondary forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158290. [PMID: 36030869 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water conservation is an important ecological function of forest ecosystems, plant water use strategy is a key factor in regulating forest ecosystem water balance. However, there are still insufficient studies on the water conservation capacity and water use strategies of different forest types, especially in climate-sensitive areas. In this study, we determined the stable isotope values (δD, δ18O and d-excess) of plant water, soil water and precipitation from two typical stand types (primary forest and secondary forest) on Changbai Mountain to reveal plant water use and evaluated the water conservation capacity. The results indicated that rainwater infiltrated into the soil combined with piston flow and preferential flow in the primary forest, and preferential flow was the only form of flow in the secondary forest. The main tree species in the primary forest formed a relatively stable water use niche. Among them, the water use pattern of Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb (Qm.) was transformed between shallow and deep soil layers with strong ecological plasticity. The dominant species in secondary forest derived water from similar soil layers with intense interspecific competition. By comparing the water use patterns, the secondary forest conformed to the hypothesis of "two water worlds", while the primary forest conformed to the hypothesis of one reservoir. The primary forest ecosystem had stronger water conservation capacity than secondary forest ecosystem due to the regulable water use strategies of plants and the stable water conservation capacity of the soil. These results will provide theoretical support and a reference for plan future forest management strategies in the climate-sensitive areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China; School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, PR China
| | - Mingming Feng
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
| | - Xinyan Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, PR China
| | - Shaoqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
| | - Wenguang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China.
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China; College of Geogragpy and ocean Science, Yanbian University, Yanbian 133002, PR China
| | - Yiqiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China; College of Geogragpy and ocean Science, Yanbian University, Yanbian 133002, PR China
| | - Peng Qi
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
| | - Wenjuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
| | - Yuanchun Zou
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology (IGA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun 130102, PR China; Jilin Provincial Joint Key Laboratory of Changbai Mountains Wetland and Ecology, Changchun 130102, PR China
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Gao Y, He Z, Zhu X, Chen L, Du J. Light thinning can improve soil water availability and water holding capacity of plantations in alpine mountains. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1032057. [PMID: 36311144 PMCID: PMC9597321 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1032057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of large-scale forest plantations in the arid and semi-arid area of the Qilian Mountains in China has effectively protected water and soil resources and enhanced carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. However, the effects of different management practices in these plantations on soil water holding capacity (SWHC) and soil water availability (SWA) are uncertain in this fragile ecosystem. Here, we investigated the effects of no thinning (NT), light thinning (LT, 20% thinning intensity), and heavy thinning (HT, 40% thinning intensity) on SWHC and SWA in different soil depths of a forest plantation, and compared them to those in a natural Picea crassifolia forest (NF). Our results revealed that at low soil water suction stage, SWHC in the plantations (LT, HT, and NT) was greater in the topsoil layer (0-40 cm) than that in the NF site, while SWHC in the subsoil layer (40-80 cm) in NF was significantly greater than that in the thinning stands. At medium and high-water suction stage, SWHC in LT and NF stands was greater than that in HT and NT. Soil water characteristic curves fitted by VG model showed that the relative change in soil water content in LT topsoil layer was the smallest and SWHC was greatest. Changes in soil physicochemical properties included higher bulk density and lower total porosity, which reduced the number of macropores in the soil and affected SWHC. The bulk density, total porosity, silt content, and field capacity were the main factors jointly affecting SWA. High planting density was the main reason for the low SWA and SWHC in NT, but this can be alleviated by stand thinning. Overall, 20% thinning intensity (light intensity thinning) may be an effective forest management practice to optimize SWHC and SWA in P. crassifolia plantations to alleviate soil water deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhibin He
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xi Zhu
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Longfei Chen
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jun Du
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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Zhang Y, Xu Q, Zhang B, Gao D, Wang T, Xu W, Ren R, Wang S. Contrasting water-use patterns of Chinese fir among different plantation types in a subtropical region of China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:946508. [PMID: 36186060 PMCID: PMC9520624 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.946508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plantation cultivation plays an important role in improving terrestrial ecosystem functions and services. Understanding the water-use patterns of major afforestation species is vital for formulating ecological restoration strategies and predicting the response of plantation to climate change. However, the impacts and drivers of forest types on water-use patterns of key tree species are poorly understood. Here, the combined methods of dual stable isotope of δD and δ 18O and Bayesian mixed framework (MixSIAR) were employed to investigate the water-use patterns of Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese fir) in a monoculture, mixed forest with Cinnamomum camphora, and mixed forest with Alnus cremastogyne under different rainfall events in subtropical China. Furthermore, the relative contribution of different soil and plant factors to the water-use patterns of Chinese fir was quantified using a random forest model. Our results showed that Chinese fir in the mixed forests (with C. camphora or with A. cremastogyne) utilized less water from shallow soil compared to that in a monoculture but significantly improved the proportion of water absorbed from deep soil with the increase of 55.57%-64.90% and 68.99%-108.83% following moderate and heavy rainfall events, respectively. The most important factors contributing to the differences in water-use patterns of Chinese fir among monoculture and mixed forests were tree attributes (i.e., leaf biomass, eco-physiological regulation, and fine root biomass). These findings reveal that Chinese fir in mixed forests could optimize water-use patterns by adjusting plant properties for interspecific niche complementarity, improving the utilization of deep soil water. Overall, this study suggests that mixed-species plantations could improve water-use efficiency and reduce the sensitivity of tree species to precipitation change, indicating they are better able to cope with expected climate variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Deqiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Ranran Ren
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Silong Wang
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
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Plastic Responses in Growth, Morphology and Biomass Allocation of Five Subtropical Tree Species to Different Degrees of Shading. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13070996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how different degrees of shading affected growth, morphology, and biomass allocation in seedlings from two coniferous and three broadleaved species. The experiment was conducted in a shade house over a 1-year period. Our results showed that under increasing shade, seedlings from most species exhibited lower total biomass, net assimilation rates, relative growth rates, root mass ratios, and root/shoot ratios. In contrast, the slenderness quotients, leaf area ratios, and specific leaf areas increased with increasing shade. For coniferous species, growth traits were relatively more plastic (responsive to shade) than morphology or biomass allocation traits, whereas for broadleaved species, growth and biomass allocation were the mostshade-sensitive traits. When comparing coniferous versus broadleaved species, the former had a higher growth plasticity index and lower allocation plasticity than the latter. Root biomass and stem mass ratio were the most and least plastic traits in response to shading. Our results indicate that shade differentially affects coniferous and broadleaved species in terms of their growth, morphology, and biomass allocation. These findings have important implications for the establishment and maintenance of mixed-species stands.
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