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Frontiers of Forestry in China

ISSN 1673-3517

ISSN 1673-3630(Online)

CN 11-5728/S

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Front. For. China    2008, Vol. 3 Issue (3) : 293-299    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11461-008-0040-9
Evolution of soil microbial biomass in restoration process of plantations in an eroded environment
XUE Sha1, LIU Guobin2, ZHANG Chao2, DAI Quanhou3, YU Na3
1.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University; Institute of Water Resources and Hydro-electric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology; 2.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University; 3.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Water Resources, Northwest A&F University; College of Forestry, Guizhou University
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Abstract Vegetation recovery is a key measure to improve ecosystems in the Loess Plateau in China. To understand the evolution of soil microorganisms in forest plantations in the hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, the soil microbial biomass, microbial respiration and physical and chemical properties of the soil of Robinia pseudoacacia plantations were studied. In this study, eight forest soils of different age classes were used to study the evolution of soil microbial biomass, while a farmland and a native forest community of Platycladus orientalis L. were chosen as controls. By measuring soil microbial biomass, metabolic quotient, and physical and chemical properties, it can be concluded that soil quality was improved steadily after planting. Soil microbial biomass of C, N and P (SMBC, SMBN and SMBP) increased significantly after 10 to 15 years of afforestation and vegetation recovery. A relatively stable state of soil microbial biomass was maintained in near-mature or mature plantations. There was an increase of soil microbial biomass appearing at the end of the mature stage. After 50 years of afforestation and vegetation recovery, compared with those in farmland, the soil microbial biomass of C, N and P increased by 213%, 201% and 83% respectively, but only accounting for 51%, 55% and 61% of the increase in P. orientalis forest. Microbial soil respiration was enhanced in the early stages, and then weakened in the later stage after restoration, which was different from the change of soil organic carbon. The metabolic quotient (qCO2) was significantly higher in the soils of the P. orientalis forest than that in farmland at the early restoration stage and then decreased rapidly. After 25 years of afforestation and vegetation recovery, qCO2 in soils of the R. pseudoacacia forest was lower than that in the farmland soil, and reached a minimum after 50 years, which was close to that of the P. orientalis forest. A significant relationship was found among soil microbial biomass, qCO2 and physical and chemical properties and restoration duration. Therefore, we conclude that it is possible to artificially improve the ecological environment and soil quality in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau; a long time, even more than 100 years, is needed to reach the climax of the present natural forest.
Issue Date: 05 September 2008
 Cite this article:   
LIU Guobin,XUE Sha,DAI Quanhou, et al. Evolution of soil microbial biomass in restoration process of plantations in an eroded environment[J]. Front. For. China, 2008, 3(3): 293-299.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/ffc/EN/10.1007/s11461-008-0040-9
https://academic.hep.com.cn/ffc/EN/Y2008/V3/I3/293
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