黄土丘陵沟壑区红砂灌丛土壤种子库及其自然更新潜力评估

[目的]对黄土丘陵沟壑区红砂灌丛植被土壤种子库的特征及红砂灌丛植被自然更新潜力进行分析和评估,以说明红砂灌丛土壤种子库在植被恢复与重建中的重要作用。[方法]采用土壤种子库"萌发法"(每个地段10个2m×2m样方内分表土层0—2cm和2—5cm土层采集土样)及野外植被调查方法,对黄土丘陵沟壑不同坡位红砂灌丛土壤种子库进行研究。[结果]黄土丘陵沟壑区红砂灌丛植被土壤种子库发芽试验共观察到的4 251株幼苗,分属于9个物种。土壤种子库密度在100~1 000粒/m2,物种数在0.8~1.2种/0.01m2,下坡段的土壤种子库平均种子密度和平均物种数均比上坡段高。3个坡段的2个层次的平均种子密度和平均物种数均随土层加深而减小。3个坡段土壤种子库和地上植被的组成物种多为草本植物和红砂灌丛,地上植被与其土壤种子库的密度及物种数均呈不显著相关;物种组成的Sorensen相似性指数较高,均达到0.60以上,且土壤种子库比地上植被具有更高的物种丰富度。[结论]黄土丘陵沟壑区红砂灌丛具有依靠土壤种子库实现自然更新的潜力,但由于物种组成种类较少,现存灌丛植被一旦遭到破坏,仅靠土壤种子库恢复现存植被是困难的,需要在对自然恢复潜力评估的基础上,积极采取人工保护促进自然恢复的策略。     

汶川地震灾区典型区不同植被类型土壤种子库特征——以北川县苏保河、魏家沟流域为例

为了解汶川地震灾区典型区不同植被类型土壤种子库特征及其与灾害受损程度间的关系,采用野外调查取样和室内试验相结合的方法,研究了北川县苏保河与魏家沟流域4种植被类型(未受损林地、受损林地、灾后恢复草地和灾后裸地)土壤种子库的物种组成、种子密度、多样性及其与地上植物群落的关系。结果表明:4种植被类型样地中,土壤种子库密度为212.5~1 758.3个·m-2,每样带(200 m2)平均物种数为4.3~14.7个。4种植被类型土壤种子库的组成物种多为多年生或一年生草本植物,土壤种子库与相应地上植被的物种数仅受损林地与灾后恢复草地中呈显著相关;物种组成的Sorensen相似指数除裸地低于0.250外,其余均高于0.250。基于以上分析结果,在灾区进行植被恢复,需要考虑次生灾害对植被的持续破坏可能性,采用工程措施及人为引种的方式增加成活率和延续性。     

坝上草原退耕地植被不同恢复处理土壤种子库研究

采用野外调查取样和室内实验相结合的方法,研究坝上草原退耕地土壤种子库的物种组成、密度和物种多样性等特征.结果表明:自然恢复、浅耕处理和深耕处理3种不同恢复措施下,土壤种子库物种丰富度(种)大小为浅耕处理(18)>自然恢复(15)>深耕处理(14);自然恢复处理、浅耕处理和深耕处理土壤种子库密度分别为23 949粒·m-2、15746粒·m-2和10600粒·m-2,浅耕处理和深耕处理分别比自然恢复处理减少34.3%和55.7%;不同恢复方式下土壤种子库与地上植被的物种密度的对应关系可用三次曲线来表示.土壤种子库间有较高的相似系数,但随着干扰程度的增加而减少.     

Management effects on the vegetation and soil seed bank of calcareous grasslands: An 11-year experiment

Calcareous grasslands, most of which are man made and therefore depend on some kind of human interference for their maintenance, are among the most species-rich communities on Earth at a small scale. For many centuries, most of these grasslands have been used as extensive pasture. However, after 1900, and particularly from 1940 onwards, livestock grazing has declined throughout Europe leading to the abandonment of low intensity grasslands over large areas. To conserve the remaining grasslands or to restore recently abandoned grasslands, better insights about the effects of grassland management on above and belowground species diversity are needed. Here, we describe the results of an 11-year experiment to investigate the role of grassland management (grazing, mowing and abandonment) in determining species composition and diversity both in the aboveground vegetation and the seed bank of a calcareous grassland in Belgium. Species diversity declined by about 60% 11 years after abandonment, from 29 species m⁻² to as few as 12 species m⁻². Plots that were grazed remained constant in species richness, whereas mown sites lost about 20% of their original species. Abandoned plots were largely dominated by a few grass species, in particular Festuca rubra. Concomitant with changes in the aboveground vegetation, both the number of species found in the seed bank and seed density (number of seeds m⁻²) had changed significantly 11 years after abandonment. Species diversity and seed density were significantly lower in abandoned plots than in grazed or mown plots. We conclude that abandonment of calcareous grasslands may lead to rapid decline of plant species diversity both in the aboveground vegetation and in the seed bank. As a result, seed banks probably have a limited role to play in the restoration of recently abandoned grasslands.     

汶川地震生态治理区土壤种子库及其与地上植被的关系

为了比较地震灾区不同气候类型植被恢复区土壤种子库时空分布特征,采用野外调查取样和室内试验相结合的方法,研究了四川省汶川县威州镇和绵竹市汉旺镇4类生态治理区[干旱干暖河谷受损治理区(DHD)、干旱干暖河谷未受损区(DHU)、亚热带湿润季风气候受损治理区(HMD)、亚热带湿润季风气候未受损区(HMU)]土壤种子库的萌发动态、数量特征、物种组成、多样性特征及其与地上植被之间的关系。结果表明:未受损区具有2个萌发高峰期,受损治理区只有1个萌发高峰期,不同气候类型治理区土壤种子库在不同土壤深度表现出不同的萌发潜力;4类治理区土壤种子库平均密度为192~1 544粒·m?2,表层密度和平均密度均为未受损区受损治理区,干旱干暖河谷气候区亚热带湿润季风气候区;4类治理区共有50种植物萌发,草本植物占显著优势;HMU、HMD、DHU、DHD地上植被与土壤种子库物种组成的S?rensen相似性系数分别为26.23%、44.9%、30.77%、16.00%,Jaccard相似性系数分别为15.09%、28.95%、18.18%、9.09%;不同类型样地土壤种子库特有种和共有物种均表现出不同的生活型格局。基于以上分析结果,在灾区进行植被恢复时,应该考虑治理区的气候环境,因地制宜的进行人工引种和制定恢复措施。     

SOIL SEED BANK CHARACTERISTICS BENEATH AN AGE SEQUENCE OF CARAGANA MICROPHYLLA SHRUBS IN THE HORQIN SANDY LAND REGION OF NORTHEASTERN CHINA

To understand how shrub cover affects the spatiotemporal patterns of the soil seed bank and to assess the role of vegetation in the restoration of desertified land in a semi‐arid region of China, we investigated the species composition and seed density of the soil seed bank under and outside the canopies over two seasons for an age sequence of Caragana microphylla shrubs in the Horqin Sandy Land region, Inner Mongolia. The results showed that a total of 24 plant species seeds were present in the soil seed bank, of which 20 were annuals or biennials. The seed densities in the soil seed bank were in the range of 830 – 13882·5 seeds m⁻² at 10 cm depth. Species richness in the soil seed bank did not increase as the shrubs aged, whereas the seed densities increased significantly. Five annual species: Setaria viridis, Eragrostis pilosa, Chenopodium acuminatum, Chenopodium glaucum and Corispermum acuminatum, contributed above 90 per cent of the seeds to the soil seed bank. On the basis of seed characteristics and seed reduction amount during the growing season, we concluded that it represents a mixture of persistent and transient seeds in different proportions. More seeds accumulated under the canopies than outside the mature shrub cover, but no significant difference was found the younger cover. These results suggest that shrub size and age had an important role in augmenting seed abundance of the soil seed bank but not the species richness. We confirmed the important effects of shrub cover on seed accumulation and vegetation recovery, especially the value of more mature age vegetation for countering land degradation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

元谋干热河谷山地植被修复区土壤种子库研究

 为了解干热河谷不同植被修复方法的土壤种子库的变化模式,采用对不同处理地段(包括水平阶间坡面、自然坡面、沟底)和对照(放牧地)的土壤种子库组成、大小进行比较研究的方法,研究元谋干热河谷山地植被修复区的土壤种子库。结果表明:1)植被修复区土壤种子库密度、丰富度均大于对照区;2)修复区内第2年土壤种子库密度、丰富度均大于第1年;3)水平阶间坡面和各类型间的土壤种子库密度差异显著;4)种子库中草本植物占很大比例;5)孔颖草和扭黄茅是种子库2大优势种。研究项目所采取植被修复措施在很大程度上改善土壤种子库的数量结构和物种组成。     

子午岭天然柴松林土壤种子库

采取子午岭天然柴松林地3个坡位与1个对照区共4个大样地54个小样方的土壤样品,通过室内种子萌发和地上植被调查相结合的方法对其种子库进行研究,以揭示其土壤种子库特征及与地上植被的关系。结果显示：1）土壤种子密度平均为1 496.7粒/m^2,最小为1 240.0粒/m^2,最大为1 785.0粒/m^2,荒山对照区为510.0粒/m^2;2）种子库的垂直分布格局显示,近90%的种子储存于枯枝落叶层和0-7.5 cm土层中;3）研究中共统计到植物种32种,分属于20科,其中多年生草本和常绿灌木种子比例最高,分别占种子库种子总数的48.3%和41.9%;4）不同坡位的物种丰富度指数介于2.523-3.082之间,而物种多样性指数介于1.458-1.781之间,其中中坡物种丰富度指数最大而多样性指数最小,上坡多样性指数和均匀度指数都最大;5）各坡位地上植被主要建群植物种中,除白颖苔草、大披针苔草、胡枝子、唐松草在对应坡位的土壤种子库中出现且分别占该坡位种子库的19.7%、2.1%和0.8%、1.7%和3.1%0、.4%外,其他建群种如榛子、子、地榆等在种子库中均未出现,种子库不能很好地反映地上植被组成,部分未出现物种与其自身萌发性质有关;6）土壤种子库中柴松种子所占比例约为0.6%（地上植被调查发现）,柴松林下有更新幼苗,约5-7粒/m^2,说明种子库具有潜在萌发能力,森林具备一定的自我更新能力。     

风沙黄土区排土场不同恢复类型植物群落与土壤种子库特征

风沙黄土区排土场作为一种人造生态系统,自然条件恶劣,土壤贫瘠,植被恢复困难。为了探明有效的人工促进植被恢复措施,采用植被调查与种子库萌发试验相结合的方法,通过研究不同植被类型地上植物群落与土壤种子库特征及二者的关系,探讨了其植被恢复效益及潜力。结果表明:研究区人工植被恢复下地上植物群落中共47种植物,分属16科40属,土壤种子库共14种植物,分属5科13属,其中均以禾本科、菊科、藜科、豆科占主导地位; 灌木植被的地上植被和土壤种子库的物种多样性均表现为最优; 地上植被与土壤种子库密度的变化范围为88.48～495.47株/m²,74.74～1422.91粒/m²,且均在草地类型下最大。土壤种子库和地上植被的相似性普遍较低,相似性系数仅为0.16～0.23。因此,风沙黄土区排土场的植被恢复与重建需要加强保护与管理,可以考虑构建以草灌配置为主的人工植被恢复模式,保障群落的恢复潜力,并提高群落多样性与稳定性,亦可考虑引入外源种子库提升群落恢复的潜力。     

汶川地震不同次生地质灾害类型区土壤种子库特征

为了解地震后次生地质灾害土壤种子库特征及其植被恢复特点,在四川省北川县采用野外取样和在当地自然环境下萌发相结合的办法,研究了5种不同灾害类型(包括滑坡、崩塌、泥石流、落石及堰塞湖)土壤种子库大小、物种组成及其与地上植被之间的关系。研究结果表明,不同灾害类型土壤种子库密度介于30133.33±6776.03~93383.33±26499.81粒/m2方差分析显示,只有落石损毁类型种子库密度与其它几种灾害类型差异显著,各灾害类型土壤种子库种子密度在0-5cm和5-10cm土层之间无明显分层区别。土壤种子库中一年生和多年生草本所占比例为90.48%,灌木所占比例为9.52%,没有观察到乔木种。各土壤种子库之间Sorensen相似性指数较高,为0.529~0.714土壤种子库与相应样地地上植物之间相似性不高,相关性也不密切,其相似性指数介于0.167~0.292。建议灾害损毁地植被恢复以自然恢复为主,若采取简易的水土保持措施和适量客土措施,将会促进种子的萌发和植被的更新种子库中缺乏乔木种,快速乔木化需要人工输入种子雨。     

安塞黄土丘陵沟壑区退耕地的土壤种子库特征

 采用野外调查取样和室内实验相结合的方法,研究安塞黄土丘陵沟壑区退耕地土壤种子库的物种组成、密度特征、物种多样性以及相似性特征。结果表明:阴、阳坡12个样地的土样中,共萌发了28种2442株幼苗,隶属于11科23属;05 cm土层的土壤种子库密度变动于（900.1±351.3）6 466.8±1 708.4粒.m-2之间,510cm土层的值变动于（116.7±61.4）2466.7±914.4粒.m-2之间;随着退耕年限的增加,土壤种子库的总密度都呈明显的递减趋势;阳坡的土壤种子库密度为阴坡的2.23.4倍;猪毛蒿和臭蒿是退耕地阳坡样地土壤种子库的优势物种,阴坡样地的优势物种是猪毛蒿;随着退耕年限的增加,土壤种子库的均匀度与退耕年限呈显著正相关,丰富度和多样性基本上呈上升趋势,生态优势度则呈下降趋势,说明随着退耕年限的增加,优势种趋向不明显;样地种子库组成成分的相似性分析表明,退耕演替的过程基本上也是土壤种子库空间异质性加大的过程。     

The establishment of heathland vegetation on ex-arable land: the response of Calluna vulgaris to soil acidification

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan has identified the creation of lowland heathland as an important objective. Heathland restoration studies have identified soil pH, elevated soil nutrients and large weed seed banks as major problems in the restoration of heathland vegetation on ex-arable land. Heathland vegetation is usually found on nutrient-poor acidic soils. Creating acidic soil conditions on ex-arable sites thus may produce a suitable environment for the establishment of heath vegetation. Soil acidification by the addition of sulphur has been shown to reduce the soil pH and the availability of nutrients in arable soils. A series of experiments was established to investigate the effects of soil acidification using sulphur on the establishment of Calluna vulgaris and the development of weed vegetation. The application of sulphur at 0.24 kg m⁻² to an arable soil was found to increase the survival rate of C. vulgaris cuttings planted in it. The mechanism of increased C. vulgaris survival appeared to be by sulphur application significantly reducing the cover of arable weeds arising from the soil seed bank. Higher rates of sulphur application (0.36 and 0.48 kg m⁻²) resulted in the death of many C. vulgaris plants. However C. vulgaris seedlings were able to establish successfully on these ex-arable soils within 18-24 months following the addition of these levels of sulphur. The application of sulphur appears to offer a practical solution to heathland creation on ex-arable land. However, it may be necessary to provide an interval of between 18 and 24 months between the application of sulphur and the addition of C. vulgaris plants or seeds for the successful establishment of heathland vegetation.     

干旱荒漠区封育沙地植被群落特征变化研究

以天然植被围栏封育和人工种植+围栏封育措施下沙地植物群落为对象,以无封护的流动沙地做对照,研究了不同恢复措施对沙地群落物种组成及结构变化的影响.结果表明,(1)封育15 a后,人工种植+围栏封育区侵入物种的丰富度随演替的进展已达12种,其中猪毛菜7.562株/m~2,碟果虫实3.233株/m~2,雾冰藜3.017株/m~2,沙米1.615株/m~2,狗尾草1.112株/m~2.种类组成及生活型结构在向天然植被围栏封育区植物群落靠近,但两者间仍表现出较大差异.(2)在类型组成上,两种封育措施区差异主要表现在优势科及各科种类数量上.(3)在综合多样性特征上,两种措施区草被层的Shannon指数和丰富度指数存在显著差异,而其余各指数两者差异均不显著,但天然植被围栏封育区灌木层的生态优势度指数较高.(4)群落的相似性指数表明,两种封育措施间的植物群落差距较大,且2种封育措施下的植物群落与植被呈零星状分布的无封护措施的流动沙地相比,生态差距均十分显著,这表明封育可明显促进沙地植被的多样性恢复,其中人工种植对沙地植物群落物种多样性恢复的作用是相对缓慢而渐进的.     

库布齐沙漠植被恢复对风沙土壤碳通量与碳储量的影响

为阐明库布齐沙漠植被恢复过程中土壤碳通量的时空动态特征及主控因子，明确土壤有机碳含量和储量的变化趋势，本研究以流动沙地、半固定沙地、藻结皮固定沙地和地衣苔藓混合结皮固定沙地为研究对象，运用静态暗箱–气相色谱法对风沙土壤碳通量及水热因子进行观测，并对土壤有机碳含量和密度进行测定和计算。结果表明，生长季内风沙土壤碳通量变异较大，季节动态与土壤温度基本一致，且随植被恢复碳通量呈递增趋势：混合结皮固定沙地(210.28 mg/(m~2·h))>藻结皮固定沙地(177.45 mg/(m~2·h))>半固定沙地(117.34 mg/(m~2·h))>流动沙地(65.61mg/(m~2·h))；土壤碳通量与各层土壤温度均显著正相关，除流动沙地土壤碳通量与深层土壤含水量显著负相关外，其余样地碳通量均与表层土壤含水量显著负相关；风沙土壤有机碳含量和密度随植被恢复而递增：混合结皮固定沙地(1.32 g/kg,0.94 kg/m~2)>藻结皮固定沙地(1.03 g/kg,0.74 kg/m~2)>半固定沙地(0.45 g/kg,0.36 kg/m~2)>流动沙地(0.27...     

Spatial patterns of grasses influence soil macrofauna biodiversity in Amazonian pastures

Grasslands are often characterized by small-scale spatial heterogeneity due to the juxtaposition of grass tufts and bare ground. Although the mechanisms generating plant spatial patterns have been widely studied, few studies concentrated on the consequences of these patterns on belowground macrofauna. Our objective was to analyze the impact of grass tuft (Brachiaria bryzantha cv. marandu) spatial distribution on soil macrofauna diversity in Amazonian pastures, at a small scale (less than 9 m²). Soil macrofauna was sampled among B. bryzantha tufts, which showed a variable spatial distribution ranging from dense to loose vegetation cover. The vegetation configuration explained 69% of the variation in total soil macrofauna density and 68% of the variation in total species richness. Soil macrofauna was mainly found in the upper 10 cm of soil and biodiversity decreased with increasing distances to the nearest grass tuft and increased with increasing vegetation cover. The size of the largest grass tuft and the micro-landscape connectivity also had a significant effect on biodiversity. The density and species richness of the three principal soil ecological engineers (earthworms, ants and termites) showed the best correlations with vegetation configuration. In addition, soil temperature significantly decreased near the plants, while soil water content was not influenced by the grass tufts. We conclude that soil macrofauna diversity is low in pastures except close to the grass tufts, which can thus be considered as biodiversity hotspots. The spatial arrangement of B. bryzantha tussocks influences soil macrofauna biodiversity by modifying soil properties in their vicinity. The possible mechanisms by which these plants could affect soil macrofauna are discussed.     

不同植被恢复措施下高寒沙化草地植被与土壤变化特征

草地沙化是青藏高原草地生态环境恶化的显著问题之一，为研究不同恢复措施对高寒沙化草地植被与土壤的影响，以沙化草地（DG）、人工草本恢复草地（AG）、人工灌丛恢复草地（AS）以及天然草地（NG）为研究对象，基于植被群落和土壤特征的变化及两者的相互关系，评价了不同人工植被恢复措施对高寒沙化草地22年的恢复效果。结果表明：（1） AG和AS分别使DG的地上生物量增加至109.21，1 293.21 g/m²，但2种恢复措施的草本地上生物量均显著低于NG，而AG的植被群落物种丰富度比AS显著低31.48%（p<0.05）。（2）与DG的0—10 cm表层土壤相比，AG的土壤孔隙度、含水量、总碳和总氮含量分别显著提高7.94%，67.95%，22.09%和257.14%，AS的这些指标也分别显著提高6.41%，43.00%，17.18%和242.86%；但2种恢复措施的土壤碳氮养分含量均显著低于NG （p<0.05）。（3） AS和AG的土壤有机碳矿化总累积量分别比DG显著提高133.39%和116.96%，但均显著低于NG，2种恢复措施间无显著差异（p>0.05）。可见，人工植被恢复措施显著促进沙化草地植被以及土壤恢复，但灌丛恢复更有利于提高植被物种丰富度，而草本恢复更有利于增加沙化草地土壤水分。     

Land surface roughness impacted by typical vegetation restoration projects on aeolian sandy lands in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley,southern Tibetan plateau

Aeolian sandy lands are widespread and desertification is recognized as one of the main environmental issues in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley, southern Tibetan plateau. The surface microtopographic variations induced by the near soil surface characteristics of plant communities are important compositions of land surface roughness, which likely influence wind erosion. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of typical vegetation restoration on land surface roughness on the aeolian sandy lands, and to identify the main influencing factors of land surface roughness in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley. Two bare sandy lands (as controls) and eight vegetated sandy lands with different restoration communities and ages were selected, and land surface roughness (LSR), as represented by surface microtopographic variations in this study, was measured by photogrammetric surveys. The results showed that LSR significantly increased by 7.9–16.8 times after vegetation restoration on the aeolian sandy lands, and varied among different restoration communities and ages. The mostly restored communities of Sophora moorcroftiana and Populus L. had greater LSR as compared to Artemisia wellbyi and Hedysarum scoparium. With succession from 6 to over 30 years, LSR gradually increased in the Sophora moorcroftiana restored sandy lands, but decreased in the Populus L. restored sandy lands. The variations of LSR were mainly attributed to the differences in near soil surface characteristics of vegetation (plant stem diameter and coverage, and plant residue density) and biological soil crusts (coverage and thickness). Mixed plantation of Populus L. and Sophora moorcroftiana was considered as the best restoration communities because of their effectiveness in increasing land surface roughness on the aeolian sandy lands in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley. The results would facilitate the understanding of the benefits of vegetation restoration in controlling wind erosion on the aeolian sandy lands.     

Restoration of shrub communities elevates organic carbon in arid soils of northwestern China

Artificial restoration by shrub plantation in semi-arid sandy land can increase carbon sequestration. However, little information is available on the carbon flux input to soil resulted from fine roots turnover and leaf fallen during restoration. The present study relying on the ingrowth core and sequential core methods investigated the fine-root dynamics and fine-root production of three shrub stands (dominated by Artemisia halodendron, Caragana microphylla and Salix gordejevii respectively) which have different life-forms and root architectures. The soil carbon and nitrogen stock was also estimated in the restoration, and the relative contribution of carbon input related to fine root mortality and leaf fallen was assessed. The mean standing live and dead fine-root biomass in A. halodendron stand at the primary restoration were significantly less than in C. microphylla stand at moderate restoration and S. gordejevii stand in lowland. Consistent with leaf production, fine root production showed a positive correlation with soil water content and followed the order of A. halodendron < C. microphylla < S. gordejevii. In contrast, the fine-root turnover rate was quicker in primary restoration phase (2.12 year⁻¹) than in moderate restoration phase (1.55 year⁻¹) and lowland (1.28 year⁻¹). The annual carbon and nitrogen inputs via fine root mortality and leaf fallen increased from 74.78 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ and 1.25 g N m⁻² year⁻¹ in A. halodendron stand to 189.66 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ and 1.67 g N m⁻² year⁻¹ in S. gordejevii stand. Although the share of the fine roots of A. halodendron seized a relatively smaller proportion in the net primary production compared with those in C. microphylla and S. gordejevii, the relative contribution of carbon input related to fine roots mortality in primary restoration phase was higher than in the other two shrub stands. The present study proved that the carbon input to soil by fine-root mortality considerably contributed to the restoration of soil carbon and nitrogen stock in semi-arid degraded lands.     

Effects of two perennials, fallow and millet on distribution of phosphorous in soil and biomass on sloping loess land, China

Soil erosion causes sequential eco-environmental problems in the Loess Plateau of China. Therefore, vegetation restoration measures were adopted in this area by converting steep cropland into alternative land uses in order to remedy the erosion problem and alleviate land degradation. As part of the effort to understand the potential of this management practice in sequestering nutrients, the present study assessed the impact of vegetation restoration on the distribution of phosphorus (P) and aboveground biomass on a sloping land in this area. The study compared four land uses, Korshinsk Peashrub (KOP), alfalfa (ALF), natural fallow (NAF), and millet (MIL). KOP, ALF and NAF were adopted as vegetation restoration patterns, while MIL was an example of crop land. For the sampling time the average aboveground P pools of KOP, ALF, and MIL were 1.118, 0.406, and 0.091 g m^− 2, respectively. The magnitudes of the aboveground biomass and tissue P concentration of the three land uses followed the same order. Both vertical and horizontal distributions of soil Olsen P of KOP were relatively uniform. Soil Olsen P of ALF accumulated significantly at the down-slope position within the surface 60 cm soil profile. The down-slope accumulation of soil Olsen P was significant at the depth of 80 to 100 cm and 0 to 20 cm for NAF and MIL, respectively. The soil Olsen P concentrations in deeper soil layers of KOP and ALF were clearly lower than that of NAF, while MIL had apparent higher concentrations of soil Olsen P in the 0 to 20 cm layer of soil. Generally, the vegetation restoration did not present a significant effect on total soil P level, with the average values of 0.722, 0.751, 0.747, and 0.729 kg m^− 2 for KOP, ALF, NAF, and MIL, respectively. However, an apparent accumulation of total soil P at the down-slope position was observed for NAF and MIL treatments. For ALF and KOP, the soil Olsen P and the soil moisture content were correlated positively to the aboveground P pool. For MIL, however, the higher aboveground P corresponded to a higher soil Olsen P but to a lower soil moisture content. Results from the four years of data suggest that ALF is the fastest absorber of soil P, while KOP is the best vegetation to sequester soil P of the soil–plant systems in this study.     

Does forest type and vegetation patchiness influence horizontal distribution of soil Collembola in two neighbouring forest sites?

The influence of forest type and heterogeneity of understory vegetation on the horizontal distribution of soil living Collembola was studied in two neighbouring mountain forest sites—a 180-year old beech forest and a 70-year old natural spruce forest. Four homogenous patches with different understory vegetation were chosen within each forest site and sampled 12 times between 1997 and 1998. A total of 56 collembolan species were identified, 51 in the beech forest and 48 in the spruce site. Twenty-three species were rare—they were recorded with low constancy and density. Although both forest sites differed in soil type, humus form and soil chemical parameters, the species composition of their collembolan communities was quite similar (77% shared species). Nevertheless, soil collembolan communities of both forest sites were clearly delimited on both qualitative (presence–absence) and quantitative (in density of individual species) levels as well as in terms of total collembolan density. Mean collembolan density reached 26 650–44 030 ind/m² in the beech patches compared to 44 470–68 050 ind/m² found in the spruce patches. Considerably higher densities of several species in one forest site may indicate more suitable habitat. In spite of similar species composition and minor differences in qualitative parameters among different vegetation patches within one forest site, there was clear variation in density of individual species, particularly between patches with and without herb vegetation. This could reflect different microclimatic conditions, additional litter supply from herbs or indirect interactions of Collembola with their roots.