The below-ground carbon and nitrogen cycling patterns of different mycorrhizal forests on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Miaomiao Zhang; Shun Liu; Miao Chen; Jian Chen; Xiangwen Cao; Gexi Xu; Hongshuang Xing; Feifan Li; Zuomin Shi

doi:10.7717/peerj.14028

PeerJ (Sep 2022)

The below-ground carbon and nitrogen cycling patterns of different mycorrhizal forests on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Miaomiao Zhang,
Shun Liu,
Miao Chen,
Jian Chen,
Xiangwen Cao,
Gexi Xu,
Hongshuang Xing,
Feifan Li,
Zuomin Shi

Affiliations

Miaomiao 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
Shun Liu: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Miao Chen: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Jian Chen: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Xiangwen Cao: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Gexi 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
Hongshuang Xing: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Feifan Li: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Zuomin Shi: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14028
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10
p. e14028

Abstract

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Mycorrhizal fungi can form symbiotic associations with tree species, which not only play an important role in plant survival and growth, but also in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. However, the understanding of differences in soil C and N cycling patterns among forests with different mycorrhizal types is still incomplete. In order to determine the similarities and differences of soil C and N cycling patterns in different mycorrhizal forest types, three primary forests dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM), arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) trees respectively were studied on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Indicators associated with soil C and N cycling, including leaf litter quality, soil C and N contents, soil C and N fluxes, and soil microbial biomass C and N contents were measured in each mycorrhizal type forest. The results showed that leaf litter quality was significantly lower with high C:N ratio and lignin: N ratio in ErM forest than that in AM and EcM forests. Soil CO2 flux (508.25 ± 65.51 mg m−2 h−1) in AM forest was significantly higher than that in EcM forest (387.18 ± 56.19 mg m−2 h−1) and ErM forest (177.87 ± 58.40 mg m−2 h−1). Furthermore, soil inorganic N content was higher in the AM forest than that in EcM and ErM forests. Soil net N mineralization rate (−0.02 ± 0.03 mg kg−1 d−1) was lower in ErM forest than that in EcM and AM forests. We speculated that AM and EcM forests were relatively characterized by rapid soil C cycling comparing to ErM forest. The soil N cycling in EcM and ErM forests were lower, implying they were ‘organic’ N nutrition patterns, and the pattern in ErM forest was more obvious.

Published in PeerJ

ISSN: 2167-8359 (Online)
Publisher: PeerJ Inc.
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://peerj.com/

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