Soil quality in urban forests under different understory management practices

• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.4504
• Publication Date: 2022-10-17T07:55:19Z
• Authors: Ze Wang; Tingting Tao; Yizhu Wang; Gaston E. Small; Jihui Chen; Xiao Sun
• Keywords: Understory; Groundcover; Soil Quality; Soil nutrients

Abstract Forest vegetation management plays an important role in maintaining soil quality and function. In highly managed urban forests, the clearing of understory has potential to cause loss nutrients, resulting stoichiometric imbalances a decrease Whether presence ornamental forests can mitigate negative influences on remains uncertain. Here, we collected samples from plantation forest Zijin Shan National Park two stands, each with three adjacent plots different practices: one natural (≥10 species), second understories groundcover [ Reineckea carnea (Andrews) Kunth or Ophiopogon bodinieri H.Lév], third cleared understory. Compared understories, found lower levels total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), microbial C N, no understories. Correspondingly, ratios C:phosphorus (P) N:P, C:N, were absence stands. The magnitude these effects differed between greater observed stand higher quality. These smaller plants both particularly O. H.Lév. While cannot rule out other properties, results offer support for hypothesis that is potentially detrimental quality, alleviate adverse forest.