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The potential influence of understory management patterns on soil nutrients and C:N:P stoichiometry in an urban forest
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  • Tingting Tao,
  • Ze Wang,
  • Yizhu Wang,
  • Gaston E. Small,
  • Jihui Chen,
  • Xiao Sun
Tingting Tao
Nanjing Agricultural University

Corresponding Author:2019120008@njau.edu.cn

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Ze Wang
Nanjing Agricultural University
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Yizhu Wang
Nanjing Agricultural University
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Gaston E. Small
University of St Thomas
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Jihui Chen
Guizhou University
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Xiao Sun
Nanjing Agricultural University
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Abstract

Forest vegetation management plays an important role in maintaining soil health and function. In highly-managed urban forests, the clearing of understory vegetation has potential to cause loss of soil nutrients, resulting in stoichiometric imbalances and a decrease in soil function. Therefore, studying how to effectively manage understory to improve soil quality is critical for stability and function of urban forest. Here, we collected soil samples from a plantation forest in Zijin Shan National Forest Park in two stands, each with three adjacent plots with different understory management practices: one with high diversity natural understory vegetation, another with low diversity managed understories of ornamental groundcover (Reineckia carnea (Andr.) Kunth or Ophiopogon bodinieri Levl.), and a third with cleared understory. Compared to plots with natural understories, we found lower levels of soil total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and some their fractions especially microbial C and N, in plots with no understories. Correspondingly, ratios of soil C: phosphorus (P) and N:P, and microbial C:N, were lower in the absence of understories in one of the two stands. These influences were smaller with ground-cover plants in both stands, particularly O. bodinieri. The magnitude of these effects differed between the two stands, with greater effects observed in the stand with higher soil C. While we cannot rule out the effects of other influences on soil properties, these results offer support for the hypothesis that human management practices affect urban forest soil properties and microorganisms, and that appropriate understory managements can alleviate these adverse influences.
18 Oct 2021Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
19 Oct 2021Submission Checks Completed
19 Oct 2021Assigned to Editor
18 Feb 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Mar 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
28 Mar 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
25 Apr 20221st Revision Received
27 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
27 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
20 Jun 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Jun 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
26 Jun 20222nd Revision Received
26 Jun 2022Submission Checks Completed
26 Jun 2022Assigned to Editor
10 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 Oct 2022Editorial Decision: Accept