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Silong Wang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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litter quality mediated nitrogen effect on plant litter decomposition regardless of Soil Fauna presence
Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: Weidong Zhang, Lin Chao, Qingpeng Yang, Qingkui Wang, Yunting Fang, Silong WangAbstract:Nitrogen addition has been shown to affect plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. The way that nitrogen deposition impacts the relationship between plant litter decomposition and altered Soil nitrogen availability is unclear, however. This study examined 18 co-occurring litter types in a subtropical forest in China in terms of their decomposition (1 yr of exposure in the field) with nitrogen addition treatment (0, 0.4, 1.6, and 4.0 mol·N·m−2·yr−1) and Soil Fauna exclusion (litter bags with 0.1 and 2 cm mesh size). Results showed that the plant litter decomposition rate is significantly reduced because of nitrogen addition; the strength of the nitrogen addition effect is closely related to the nitrogen addition levels. Plant litters with diverse quality responded to nitrogen addition differently. When Soil Fauna was present, the nitrogen addition effect on medium-quality or high-quality plant litter decomposition rate was −26% ± 5% and −29% ± 4%, respectively; these values are significantly higher than that of low-quality plant litter decomposition. The pattern is similar when Soil Fauna is absent. In general, the plant litter decomposition rate is decreased by Soil Fauna exclusion; an average inhibition of −17% ± 1.5% was exhibited across nitrogen addition treatment and litter quality groups. However, this effect is weakly related to nitrogen addition treatment and plant litter quality. We conclude that the variations in plant litter quality, nitrogen deposition, and Soil Fauna are important factors of decomposition and nutrient cycling in a subtropical forest ecosystem.
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evaluating the applicability of phi coefficient in indicating habitat preferences of forest Soil Fauna based on a single field study in subtropical china
PLOS ONE, 2016Co-Authors: Yang Cui, Silong Wang, Shaokui YanAbstract:Phi coefficient directly depends on the frequencies of occurrence of organisms and has been widely used in vegetation ecology to analyse the associations of organisms with site groups, providing a characterization of ecological preference, but its application in Soil ecology remains rare. Based on a single field experiment, this study assessed the applicability of phi coefficient in indicating the habitat preferences of Soil Fauna, through comparing phi coefficient-induced results with those of ordination methods in charactering Soil Fauna-habitat(factors) relationships. Eight different habitats of Soil Fauna were implemented by reciprocal transfer of deFaunated Soil cores between two types of subtropical forests. Canonical correlation analysis (CCorA) showed that ecological patterns of Fauna-habitat relationships and inter-Fauna taxa relationships expressed, respectively, by phi coefficients and predicted abundances calculated from partial redundancy analysis (RDA), were extremely similar, and a highly significant relationship between the two datasets was observed (Pillai's trace statistic = 1.998, P = 0.007). In addition, highly positive correlations between phi coefficients and predicted abundances for Acari, Collembola, Nematode and Hemiptera were observed using linear regression analysis. Quantitative relationships between habitat preferences and Soil chemical variables were also obtained by linear regression, which were analogous to the results displayed in a partial RDA biplot. Our results suggest that phi coefficient could be applicable on a local scale in evaluating habitat preferences of Soil Fauna at coarse taxonomic levels, and that the phi coefficient-induced information, such as ecological preferences and the associated quantitative relationships with habitat factors, will be largely complementary to the results of ordination methods. The application of phi coefficient in Soil ecology may extend our knowledge about habitat preferences and distribution-abundance relationships, which will benefit the understanding of biodistributions and variations in community compositions in the Soil. Similar studies in other places and scales apart from our local site will be need for further evaluation of phi coefficient.
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predicting Soil Fauna effect on plant litter decomposition by using boosted regression trees
Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2015Co-Authors: Weidong Zhang, Shufen Yuan, Yilai Lou, Silong WangAbstract:Abstract Extensive studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of Soil Fauna on plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. However, scholars have reported inconsistent results on the direction and magnitude of the Soil Fauna effect. We present a global synthesis of 75 papers that cover 197 plant species with 543 cases of plant litter decomposition experiments and Soil Fauna effects on plant litter decomposition. By using a boosted regression tree model (BRT), we aim to provide a synthesis of existing data that comprehensively and quantitatively evaluates how climate, plant litter quality, and study methods interact with Soil Fauna in affecting plant litter decomposition. Global average effect size (ES) is −0.426, which indicates a 35% lower decomposition rate when Soil Fauna is excluded by physical or chemical exclusion techniques. The final model explains 32.3% of the variation in ES. The predictors that substantially account for the explained variation include mean annual temperature (MAT, 37.1%), mean annual precipitation (MAP, 9.7%), phosphorus (12.4%), nitrogen (5.6%), and lignin content (5.5%). By contrast, the heterogeneity of the study duration and Soil Fauna exclusion technique have negligible contributions (each
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impact of heavy snow storm and freezing rain disasters on Soil Fauna in chinese fir plantation in southern china
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2009Co-Authors: Shaokui Yan, Weidong Zhang, Yanxin Liu, Silong WangAbstract:In January 2008, southern China suffered an unusual heavy snowstorm and freezing rain over a large area for almost a month long. This catastrophic event was the worst one in past 50 years, which brought the area a serious impact on the infrastructure, ecology, and environment. To understand the long-term impact of this catastrophic event on the forest ecosystems in this area, a field investigation was conducted on the Soil Fauna in a pure Chinese fir plantation and a mixed Chinese fir plantation-alder plantation in Huitong County of Hunan Province on March 23, 2008, the date 40 days after the heavy snowstorm and freezing rain. With the abundance and community composition as the main parameters and the monitoring data from the two plantations on March 23, 2007 as the reference, the flexibility and resistance of Soil Fauna to the disturbances of the catastrophic event was preliminarily evaluated. The results showed that there was a significant deviation of Soil Fauna communities in the two plantations from the reference. An outbreak increase in microFauna nematode abundance was found from 12216.9 ind x m(-2) to 118343.9 ind x m(-2) in pure Chinese fir plantation and from 25435.9 ind x m(-2) to 84573.0 ind x m(-2) in mixed Chinese fir plantation-alder plantation, while a 27.0% and 85.6% decrease of macroFauna abundance was found in the two plantations, respectively, compared with the reference. MesoFauna abundance also had a significant decrease in litter layer but not in Soil. The abundance recovery displayed a trend from quick rate for microFauna to slow rate for macroFauna, which indicated that the Soil Fauna functional groups, in terms of body size, could be used as a vulnerable indicator in evaluating disturbance event and post-disturbance recovery. By using community ordinations, no shift in Soil Fauna community composition was detected 40 days after the catastrophic event, suggesting that the community composition of Soil invertebrate had a high resistance to catastrophic snowstorm and freezing rain disturbances.
Jian Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the effects of gap size and litter species on colonization of Soil Fauna during litter decomposition in pinus massoniana plantations
Applied Soil Ecology, 2020Co-Authors: Xu Yang, Yumei Huang, Danju Zhang, Jian ZhangAbstract:Abstract Litter decomposition is a major component of the nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems. It is generally accepted that higher initial quality and litter mixture contribute to increased mass loss, and the effects of Soil Fauna on litter decomposition is context-dependent. Meanwhile, the formation of gaps alters the hydrological and thermal conditions of the forest through the redistribution of light and precipitation, ultimately influencing the distribution and activity of the Soil biota. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either litter species or forest gaps on Soil microbes. However, the combined effects of litter species and gap size on the composition and structure of the Soil Fauna during litter decomposition have not been thoroughly examined. By analyzing litter collected over the course of one year from a Pinus massoniana plantation, shifts in the Soil Fauna, including indicator groups and guilds based on feeding habits, were correlated with changes of litter substrate, gap size, and incubation time. It was also observed that mesoFauna (including microarthropods, nematodes, etc.) were more susceptible to these examined factors than macroFauna. Furthermore, litter type has higher influence on the abundance and richness of Soil Fauna than litter diversity. In general, small to intermediate sized gaps improved Soil Fauna diversity, richness, and functional diversity of indicator taxa. The relative abundance of guilds varied with gap size, litter species, and incubation time. The relative abundance of carnivores increased with gap size, whereas fungivores and detritivores increased with incubation time. The observed relative abundance of herbivores was higher in P. massoniana leaf litter than in Cinnamomum camphora and mixed-species leaf litters. Overall, the data presented here indicated that the creation of small to intermediate sized gaps will increase the diversity of Soil Fauna and accelerate litter mass loss in P. massoniana plantations. The subsequent effects on the return of bioavailable nutrients and Soil carbon storage require additional long-term studies.
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higher Soil Fauna abundance accelerates litter carbon release across an alpine forest tundra ecotone
Scientific Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Yang Liu, Bo Tan, Li Zhang, Lifeng Wang, Yamei Chen, Jiujin Xiao, Peng Zhu, Lianghua Chen, Li Guo, Jian ZhangAbstract:Upward shifts of alpine treelines and shrub expansion are occurring under climate change, and Abies faxoniana (AF) and Rhododendron lapponicum (RL) may become distributed at higher altitudes. How do abiotic factors and litter quality modulate the effects of Soil Fauna on carbon release in this context? A field decomposition experiment involving the foliar litter of AF and RL was conducted along an elevation gradient encompassing coniferous forest, alpine shrubland and alpine meadow by using litterbags with different mesh sizes (3 and 0.04 mm). The objective was to determine the influences of Soil Fauna, litter quality and abiotic factors on species-specific carbon release and their contributions during litter decomposition. Our findings demonstrated that higher Soil Fauna abundance and diversity facilitated litter carbon release. The contribution rates of Soil Fauna to carbon release (Cfau) decreased with elevation increasing and decomposition time. Cfau are influenced by Soil Faunal diversity, dominant Fauna groups (Collembola, Oribatida, Mesostigmata), and abiotic factors (temperature). Soil Fauna significantly and directly regulated carbon release, abiotic factors indirectly regulated carbon release via altering Soil Fauna community composition and litter quality. This study improve our understanding in the mechanisms of decomposer contributions to carbon cycling in the context of global climate change.
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impacts of Soil Fauna on lignin and cellulose degradation in litter decomposition across an alpine forest tundra ecotone
European Journal of Soil Biology, 2018Co-Authors: Lifeng Wang, Jian Zhang, Yamei Chen, Lin Yang, Haifeng Zheng, Jiujin Xiao, Yang LiuAbstract:Abstract The degradation of lignin and cellulose is the primary ecological process in terrestrial ecosystems; these chemical changes have been associated with the subsequent colonization and activity of decomposer flora and Fauna. To evaluate the contribution of Soil Fauna on lignin and cellulose degradation during litter decomposition, we conducted a field experiment along an elevation gradient: coniferous forest, alpine timberline and alpine meadow, and monitored Abies faxoniana and Rhododendron lapponicum foliar litter decomposition with litterbags of different mesh sizes. We observed Soil Fauna significantly accelerated litter decay. Soil Fauna effect on cellulose degradation rate was significantly accelerated in the snowing period (213-320d), which were 19.3%, 12.36%, 27.96% in A. faxoniana litter and 9.2%, 32.65%, 22.11% in R. lapponicum litter in the coniferous forest, alpine timberline and alpine meadow, respectively. By contrast, lignin degradation rates by Soil Fauna were higher in the later stages (321-554d). In addition, the average monthly contribution of Soil Fauna effect on cellulose degradation rate mainly occurred during the first year. However, the contribution of lignin degradation by Soil Fauna was higher in coniferous forest and alpine meadow, where they were 13.84% and 18.06% in A. faxoniana, and 14.5% and 10.1% in R. lapponicum litter. Elevation gradient and seasonal dynamics will influence on activity of Soil Fauna, which may modify the impacts of Soil Fauna on lignin and cellulose degradation during litter decomposition. Elucidating the role of Soil Fauna in litter decomposition is important for understanding the formation of Soil organic matter in alpine ecosystems.
Bo Tan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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effects of Soil Fauna on microbial community during litter decomposition of populus simonii and fargesia spathacea in the subalpine forest of western sichuan china
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2019Co-Authors: Li Ying Lan, Wanqin Yang, Yu Wei Liu, Fan Yang, Cai Hong Guo, Ya Chen, Bo TanAbstract:To understand the relationship between Soil Fauna and microorganism in the detrital food chain during litter decomposition, leaf litters of poplar (Populus simonii) and fargesia (Fargesia spathacea) in a subalpine forest of western Sichuan were taken as study objects. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFAs) biomarker method was used to determine the effects of Soil Fauna on the abundance, structure and diversity of microbial community during the decomposition of leaf litter of two species from April 2016 to April 2018 with in situ control experiment. The results showed that the presence of Soil Fauna significantly affected the microbial PLFAs content during the decomposition of both species, reducing the PLFAs content in the first 240 days and increasing the PLFAs content in the 360 to 480 days. Soil Fauna participation reduced the ratio of fungi to bacteria in the decomposition of poplar litter, and increased the ratio of gram-positive bacteria (G+) to gram-negative bacteria (G-), which had the opposite effect on the ratio of fungi/bacteria and G+/G- in the decomposition of fargesia litter. Microbial diversity and evenness maintained a high level in 120th and 480th days of the decomposition, and decreased sharply in 360th and 720th days of decomposition. Soil Fauna participation significantly affected microbial diversity and evenness of poplar litter, but it had no signifi-cant effect on fargesia litter. The effects of Soil Fauna on the changes of litter PLFAs content were different with the decomposition days and tree species. The interaction between Soil Fauna and microbial community during litter decomposition in subalpine forest varied with seasons and tree species.
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higher Soil Fauna abundance accelerates litter carbon release across an alpine forest tundra ecotone
Scientific Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Yang Liu, Bo Tan, Li Zhang, Lifeng Wang, Yamei Chen, Jiujin Xiao, Peng Zhu, Lianghua Chen, Li Guo, Jian ZhangAbstract:Upward shifts of alpine treelines and shrub expansion are occurring under climate change, and Abies faxoniana (AF) and Rhododendron lapponicum (RL) may become distributed at higher altitudes. How do abiotic factors and litter quality modulate the effects of Soil Fauna on carbon release in this context? A field decomposition experiment involving the foliar litter of AF and RL was conducted along an elevation gradient encompassing coniferous forest, alpine shrubland and alpine meadow by using litterbags with different mesh sizes (3 and 0.04 mm). The objective was to determine the influences of Soil Fauna, litter quality and abiotic factors on species-specific carbon release and their contributions during litter decomposition. Our findings demonstrated that higher Soil Fauna abundance and diversity facilitated litter carbon release. The contribution rates of Soil Fauna to carbon release (Cfau) decreased with elevation increasing and decomposition time. Cfau are influenced by Soil Faunal diversity, dominant Fauna groups (Collembola, Oribatida, Mesostigmata), and abiotic factors (temperature). Soil Fauna significantly and directly regulated carbon release, abiotic factors indirectly regulated carbon release via altering Soil Fauna community composition and litter quality. This study improve our understanding in the mechanisms of decomposer contributions to carbon cycling in the context of global climate change.
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impacts of Soil Fauna on nitrogen and phosphorus release during litter decomposition were differently controlled by plant species and ecosystem type
Journal of Forestry Research, 2019Co-Authors: Yan Peng, Wanqin Yang, Kai Yue, Bo TanAbstract:The dynamics of litter nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release could be affected by Soil Fauna and environmental conditions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of Soil Fauna on the dynamics of N and P during foliar litter decomposition in three types of ecosystems (i.e., montane forest, ecotone, and dry valley) along an elevation gradient. A field experiment using litterbags with two different mesh sizes (0.04 and 3 mm) was conducted from November 2013 to October 2014. Nitrogen and P release rates in decomposing foliar litter from fir (Abies faxoniana) and birch (Betula albosinensis) in montane forest, oak (Quercus baronii) and cypress (Cupressus chengiana) in ecotone, and cypress and clovershrub (Campylotropis macrocarpa) in dry valley were investigated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Soil Fauna strongly affected N and P release across different decomposition periods and ecosystem types. The average release rate of N mediated by Soil Fauna across the entire year was higher in the dry valley (15.6–37.3%) than in the montane forest (0.5–6.4%) and the ecotone (− 3.7–4.9%). The effects of Soil Fauna on P release rate were manifest in both the montane forest and the dry valley. Moreover, the impacts of Soil Fauna can vary substantially among different decomposition periods. Our results indicated that Soil Fauna can significantly affect N and P release during litter decomposition. The N release rate mediated by Fauna was likely to be more sensitive to the effects of plant species (i.e., initial litter chemical traits), while the P release rate mediated by Soil Fauna might be subject to the effects of local-scale environmental factors (e.g., temperature) to a greater extent .
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Soil Fauna affects the optical properties in alkaline solutions extracted (humic acid-like) from forest litters during different phenological periods
NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing), 2019Co-Authors: Yu Tan, Bo Tan, Yang Wanqin, Ni Xiangyin, Yue Kai, Cao Rui, Liao Shu, Wu FuzhongAbstract:The formation of Soil organic matter via humification of plant litter is important for long-term carbon sequestration in forests; however, whether Soil Fauna affects litter humification is unclear. In this study, we quantified the effects of Soil Fauna on the optical properties (i.e., ΔlogK and E4/E6) of the alkaline-extracted humic acid-like solutions of four foliar litters by removing Soil Fauna via litterbags with different mesh sizes in two subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Litterbags were collected at the leaf falling, budding, expanding, maturation, and senescence stages from November 2013 to October 2015 to assess whether the effects of Soil Fauna on litter humification vary in different plant phenology periods. The results showed that Soil Fauna significantly reduced the ΔlogK and E4/E6 values in the leaf expanding stage of oak litter and in the leaf falling stage of camphor and fir litters. The richness index of Soil Fauna explained 21%, 55%, 19%, and 45% of the variations in the E4/E6 values for oak, fir, camphor, and pine litters, respectively. The effects of litter water content on these optical properties were greater than that of temperature. These results indicated that Soil Fauna plays a key role in litter humification in the leaf expanding and falling stages and are potentially involved in Soil carbon sequestration in these subtropical forests.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Roma Ogaya - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Nutrient scarcity strengthens Soil Fauna control over leaf litter decomposition in tropical rainforests
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2019Co-Authors: Guille Peguero, Jordi Sardans, Dolores Asensio, Marcos Fernández-martínez, Albert Gargallo-garriga, Oriol Grau, Joan Llusia, Olga Margalef, Laura Márquez, Roma OgayaAbstract:Soil Fauna is a key control of the decomposition rate of leaf litter, yet its interactions with litter quality and the Soil environment remain elusive. We conducted a litter decomposition experiment across different topographic levels within the landscape replicated in two rainforest sites providing natural gradients in Soil fertility to test the hypothesis that low nutrient availability in litter and Soil increases the strength of Fauna control over litter decomposition. We crossed these data with a large dataset of 44 variables characterizing the biotic and abiotic microenvironment of each sampling point and found that microbe-driven carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses from leaf litter were 10.1 and 17.9% lower, respectively, in the nutrient-poorest site, but this among-site difference was equalized when meso- and macroFauna had access to the litterbags. Further, on average, Soil Fauna enhanced the rate of litter decomposition by 22.6%, and this contribution consistently increased as nutrient availability in the microenvironment declined. Our results indicate that nutrient scarcity increases the importance of Soil Fauna on C and N cycling in tropical rainforests. Further, Soil Fauna is able to equalize differences in microbial decomposition potential, thus buffering to a remarkable extent nutrient shortages at an ecosystem level.
Weidong Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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litter quality mediated nitrogen effect on plant litter decomposition regardless of Soil Fauna presence
Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: Weidong Zhang, Lin Chao, Qingpeng Yang, Qingkui Wang, Yunting Fang, Silong WangAbstract:Nitrogen addition has been shown to affect plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. The way that nitrogen deposition impacts the relationship between plant litter decomposition and altered Soil nitrogen availability is unclear, however. This study examined 18 co-occurring litter types in a subtropical forest in China in terms of their decomposition (1 yr of exposure in the field) with nitrogen addition treatment (0, 0.4, 1.6, and 4.0 mol·N·m−2·yr−1) and Soil Fauna exclusion (litter bags with 0.1 and 2 cm mesh size). Results showed that the plant litter decomposition rate is significantly reduced because of nitrogen addition; the strength of the nitrogen addition effect is closely related to the nitrogen addition levels. Plant litters with diverse quality responded to nitrogen addition differently. When Soil Fauna was present, the nitrogen addition effect on medium-quality or high-quality plant litter decomposition rate was −26% ± 5% and −29% ± 4%, respectively; these values are significantly higher than that of low-quality plant litter decomposition. The pattern is similar when Soil Fauna is absent. In general, the plant litter decomposition rate is decreased by Soil Fauna exclusion; an average inhibition of −17% ± 1.5% was exhibited across nitrogen addition treatment and litter quality groups. However, this effect is weakly related to nitrogen addition treatment and plant litter quality. We conclude that the variations in plant litter quality, nitrogen deposition, and Soil Fauna are important factors of decomposition and nutrient cycling in a subtropical forest ecosystem.
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predicting Soil Fauna effect on plant litter decomposition by using boosted regression trees
Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 2015Co-Authors: Weidong Zhang, Shufen Yuan, Yilai Lou, Silong WangAbstract:Abstract Extensive studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of Soil Fauna on plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. However, scholars have reported inconsistent results on the direction and magnitude of the Soil Fauna effect. We present a global synthesis of 75 papers that cover 197 plant species with 543 cases of plant litter decomposition experiments and Soil Fauna effects on plant litter decomposition. By using a boosted regression tree model (BRT), we aim to provide a synthesis of existing data that comprehensively and quantitatively evaluates how climate, plant litter quality, and study methods interact with Soil Fauna in affecting plant litter decomposition. Global average effect size (ES) is −0.426, which indicates a 35% lower decomposition rate when Soil Fauna is excluded by physical or chemical exclusion techniques. The final model explains 32.3% of the variation in ES. The predictors that substantially account for the explained variation include mean annual temperature (MAT, 37.1%), mean annual precipitation (MAP, 9.7%), phosphorus (12.4%), nitrogen (5.6%), and lignin content (5.5%). By contrast, the heterogeneity of the study duration and Soil Fauna exclusion technique have negligible contributions (each
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impact of heavy snow storm and freezing rain disasters on Soil Fauna in chinese fir plantation in southern china
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2009Co-Authors: Shaokui Yan, Weidong Zhang, Yanxin Liu, Silong WangAbstract:In January 2008, southern China suffered an unusual heavy snowstorm and freezing rain over a large area for almost a month long. This catastrophic event was the worst one in past 50 years, which brought the area a serious impact on the infrastructure, ecology, and environment. To understand the long-term impact of this catastrophic event on the forest ecosystems in this area, a field investigation was conducted on the Soil Fauna in a pure Chinese fir plantation and a mixed Chinese fir plantation-alder plantation in Huitong County of Hunan Province on March 23, 2008, the date 40 days after the heavy snowstorm and freezing rain. With the abundance and community composition as the main parameters and the monitoring data from the two plantations on March 23, 2007 as the reference, the flexibility and resistance of Soil Fauna to the disturbances of the catastrophic event was preliminarily evaluated. The results showed that there was a significant deviation of Soil Fauna communities in the two plantations from the reference. An outbreak increase in microFauna nematode abundance was found from 12216.9 ind x m(-2) to 118343.9 ind x m(-2) in pure Chinese fir plantation and from 25435.9 ind x m(-2) to 84573.0 ind x m(-2) in mixed Chinese fir plantation-alder plantation, while a 27.0% and 85.6% decrease of macroFauna abundance was found in the two plantations, respectively, compared with the reference. MesoFauna abundance also had a significant decrease in litter layer but not in Soil. The abundance recovery displayed a trend from quick rate for microFauna to slow rate for macroFauna, which indicated that the Soil Fauna functional groups, in terms of body size, could be used as a vulnerable indicator in evaluating disturbance event and post-disturbance recovery. By using community ordinations, no shift in Soil Fauna community composition was detected 40 days after the catastrophic event, suggesting that the community composition of Soil invertebrate had a high resistance to catastrophic snowstorm and freezing rain disturbances.
