Article
Forestry
Dingyi Wang, Xiangyin Ni, Hongrong Guo, Wenyuan Dai
Summary: This study assessed humus accumulations in five foliar litters during decomposition and found that fresh litter had a high humus content, which consistently increased during decomposition. The accumulation of humic acid played a key role in this process. Additionally, the study found that reduced snow cover affected humus accumulation differently at different stages of decomposition, suggesting the sensitivity of this process to changing climate in seasonally snow-covered ecosystems.
Article
Forestry
Shu Liao, Kai Yue, Xiangyin Ni, Fuzhong Wu
Summary: This study found that acid hydrolysable components in plant litter are released not only in the early stages of decomposition but also in the very late stages. The content of these components significantly increased at the snowmelt stages. Reduced snow cover increased their content and remaining level during the four years of decomposition by altering leaching, microbial biomass, and stoichiometry. Therefore, considering the effects of changing environmental factors on chemical partitioning is important in studying litter decomposition.
Article
Soil Science
Aomiao Wu, Rui Yin, Zhenfeng Xu, Li Zhang, Chengming You, Yang Liu, Han Li, Lixia Wang, Sining Liu, Yunqi Zhang, Yong Wang, Bo Tan
Summary: This study investigated the influence of forest gap size on litter decomposition in alpine forest ecosystems. The results showed that forest gaps decelerated the decomposition processes of twig litter, but the gap size did not affect the decomposition rate. Gap-induced changes in litter chemistry and microclimate also had significant effects on the degradation of twig litter.
Article
Forestry
Han Li, Ting Du, Yulian Chen, Yu Zhang, Yulian Yang, Jiaping Yang, Qing Dong, Li Zhang, Qinggui Wu
Summary: This study conducted a four-year litterbag decomposition experiment in a subalpine forest in southwestern China and found that forest gaps contributed to increased litter mass loss and carbon release, especially at high elevations and during the winter season.
Article
Forestry
Jiaping Yang, Junpeng Mu, Yu Zhang, Changkun Fu, Qing Dong, Yulian Yang, Qinggui Wu
Summary: The study analyzed the variations in carbon quality of plant litter and found that fir, spruce, and willow had higher levels of recalcitrant carbon fractions compared to rosa. Rosa's litter showed lower levels of recalcitrant carbon fractions, suggesting a more stable and resistant structure.
Article
Forestry
Xingkai Xu, Haohao Wu, Jin Yue, Shuirong Tang, Weiguo Cheng
Summary: The presence of litter and snow cover can affect soil organic matter decomposition and d(13)C values of soil-respired CO2 in forest soils. This study investigated the impacts of light and heavy artificial snow cover on soil heterotrophic respiration and its d(13)C values using soil columns collected from temperate forests in Northeastern China. The results showed that the effects of snow cover on soil heterotrophic respiration and its d(13)C values varied with different seasons and the presence of litter.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Reza Naderpour, Mike Schwank, Derek Houtz, Charles Werner, Christian Maetzler
Summary: This article experimentally investigates the relationships between snow-ground state parameters and copol backscattering at a wide range of frequencies, finding an anticorrelation between snow wetness and backscattering coefficient. It assesses the relative strengths of the snow-ground system's primary scattering elements and how snow-ground SPs influence backscattering at different time scales. The study emphasizes the importance of multifrequency active microwave measurements for developing retrieval algorithms and understanding ongoing physical processes.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Xin Chen, Lu Gong, Jingjing Zhao, Haiqiang Zhu
Summary: Under the influence of seasonal snow cover, the decomposition of litter is significantly affected by soil microbial community characteristics and snow cover thickness. This study demonstrates the impact of seasonal snowfall on soil microbial communities and provides insights into the relationships between microbial diversity, material cycling, and ecological processes under global climate change.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Davide Fugazza, Veronica Manara, Antonella Senese, Guglielmina Diolaiuti, Maurizio Maugeri
Summary: Snow cover in the Alps is important for tourism and hydroelectric energy production. This study analyzed snow cover metrics from 2000 to 2019, finding differences in duration and patterns across subregions. Elevation was a key factor driving variability, with a significant negative trend observed above 3000 m a.s.l. due to various factors such as glacierized areas.
Article
Forestry
Xiangyin Ni, Chengfang Lin, Guangshui Chen, Jinsheng Xie, Zhijie Yang, Xiaofei Liu, Decheng Xiong, Chao Xu, Kai Yue, Fuzhong Wu, Yusheng Yang
Summary: The rapid conversion of natural broadleaved forests to plantations in subtropical China has led to a significant decline in soil fertility. This decline is primarily due to lower litter production and slow nutrient release in plantations compared to natural forests.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuan Su, Jiajia Le, Xiaofei Ma, Xiaolong Zhou, Yunxin Zhang, Yanming Gong, Wenxuan Han, Kaihui Li, Xuejun Liu
Summary: The experiment revealed that buried litter decomposed faster than surface litter, while standing litter decomposed slower. Nitrogen enrichment significantly impacted litter quality and decomposition rates.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lifeng Wang, Yamei Chen, Yu Zhou, Haifeng Zheng, Zhenfeng Xu, Bo Tan, Chengming You, Li Zhang, Han Li, Li Guo, Lixia Wang, Youyou Huang, Jian Zhang, Yang Liu
Summary: The study revealed that litter chemistry, nutrients, and stoichiometry play a vital role in litter quality degradation and release of carbon fractions. Differences in litter chemistry among different vegetation types lead to variations in litter removal rates, indicating the influence of vegetation type on litter decomposition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joschka Geissler, Lars Rathmann, Markus Weiler
Summary: Snow variability in forested environments is challenging to model due to its interactions with the environment. To better understand and validate snow models, reliable observation data at similar scales is required. This study presents a new extensive dataset of daily snow variability in a sub-alpine forest, Switzerland, obtained through a dense sensor network, high-resolution LiDAR data, and manual measurements. Machine learning algorithms are used to identify four spatial clusters with similar snow depth dynamics. By combining these clusters with observed snow depth time series, daily high-resolution maps of snow depth and snow water equivalent (SWE) are derived. These products are the first to provide continuous spatio-temporal snow depth and SWE based on field data.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ying Ma, Xiaodong Huang, Qisheng Feng, Tiangang Liang
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed the spatial and temporal variations in seasonal snow cover and the start of the growing season of alpine grasslands in the Tibetan Plateau in China from 2000 to 2020. The study found that the effects of seasonal snow cover on soil temperature and moisture indirectly influenced the start of the growing season of alpine grasslands.
Article
Agronomy
Youchao Chen, Shuqin Ma, Hongmao Jiang, Degyi Yangzom, Genwei Cheng, Xuyang Lu
Summary: The study found that litter mixing in alpine ecosystems has effects on decomposition, with antagonistic effects being dominant in the early stage and possibly shifting to synergistic effects as decomposition progresses; litter chemical traits, climatic factors, and decomposition time determine the direction and magnitude of non-additive effects.
Article
Soil Science
Yan Peng, Martin Holmstrup, Inger Kappel Schmidt, An De Schrijver, Stephanie Schelfhout, Petr Hedenec, Haifeng Zheng, Luciana Ruggiero Bachega, Kai Yue, Lars Vesterdal
Summary: Through field studies in six common gardens in Denmark, it was found that tree species identity and mycorrhizal association significantly affect soil fauna communities. Overall, AM tree species and lime tree species have positive effects on soil fauna abundance, biomass, as well as taxonomic and functional diversity. Tree species also significantly influence litter, forest floor, and soil properties.
Article
Forestry
Shu Liao, Kai Yue, Xiangyin Ni, Fuzhong Wu
Summary: This study found that acid hydrolysable components in plant litter are released not only in the early stages of decomposition but also in the very late stages. The content of these components significantly increased at the snowmelt stages. Reduced snow cover increased their content and remaining level during the four years of decomposition by altering leaching, microbial biomass, and stoichiometry. Therefore, considering the effects of changing environmental factors on chemical partitioning is important in studying litter decomposition.
Article
Limnology
Zemin Zhao, Fuzhong Wu, Yan Peng, Petr Hedenec, Yuan Wang, Wanrong Hu, Xiangyin Ni, Kai Yue
Summary: This study assessed the temporal and spatial storage dynamics of several common heavy metals in the fine sediments of a subtropical forest headwater stream. The results showed that the storage of heavy metals varied across different temporal and spatial scales, and the key factors controlling their storage were water alkalinity, temperature, pH, and monthly precipitation. These findings enhance our understanding of the role of headwater streams in storing and transferring materials in forest ecosystems.
Article
Ecology
Jing Yang, Fuzhong Wu, Xinyu Wei, Xiaoyue Zhang, Qiuxia Wu, Kai Yue, Xiangyin Ni
Summary: The effects of litter inputs on soil nitrogen (N) pools and fluxes are positive globally. Litter addition increased soil N pools and fluxes, while litter removal decreased them. The increases in soil N pools in response to leaf litter addition and root removal were greater than their decreases in response to leaf litter removal. Forest soils responded more positively to litter addition than grassland soils, and the negative effects of litter removal were stronger in regions with warmer and wetter climates and in soils with higher pH.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingjing Zhu, Qiuxia Wu, Fuzhong Wu, Xiangyin Ni
Summary: Soil respiration is the largest carbon flux from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere and partitioning the sources of soil carbon dioxide remains uncertain. Through observations and models, we determined that root + rhizosphere respiration, litter respiration, and soil organic matter-derived microbial respiration accounted for 20.1%, 21.8%, and 62.7% of total soil respiration, respectively. Precipitation was the most important factor influencing the proportions of these components, with higher root- and litter-derived soil CO2 fluxes in tropical forests compared to cold temperate and boreal forests. Accurate partitioning of the sources of soil CO2 flux will provide important insights for global carbon budgets.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiuxia Wu, Fuzhong Wu, Jingjing Zhu, Xiangyin Ni
Summary: This study quantitatively assessed the contributions of litter and roots to soil organic carbon (SOC) through plant input manipulations in different forest types. The results showed that plant inputs had similar contributions to SOC accumulation across forest types, with litter having a greater impact on SOC concentration than roots in broadleaved forests.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xia Jin, Fuzhong Wu, Qiqian Wu, Petr Hedenec, Yan Peng, Zheng Wang, Kai Yue
Summary: Irregular precipitation caused by climate changes has resulted in frequent events of soil drying-rewetting cycles (DWC), which can strongly affect soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, including the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, the quantitative assessment of the response of soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes to DWC events in different ecosystems is lacking.
Article
Soil Science
Ling Ai, Fuzhong Wu, Xuebo Fan, Ying Yang, Yu Zhang, Xiaping Zheng, Jingjing Zhu, Xiangyin Ni
Summary: Soil extracellular enzymes play a critical role in the decomposition of plant litter and soil organic matter, and their activities are vital for soil carbon and nutrient turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. This study evaluated changes in soil enzyme activities after the removal of litter, living roots, and both litter and living roots across different ecosystems. The results showed that litter addition increased soil enzyme activities, while removing both litter and root inputs had a similar but additive effect on enzyme activities. Overall, plant inputs were found to be important in enzymatically involved carbon and nutrient cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, and these enzymatic responses were controlled by edaphic factors rather than climatic factors.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Haifeng Zheng, Richard P. Phillips, Johannes Rousk, Kai Yue, Inger Kappel Schmidt, Yan Peng, Senhao Wang, Lars Vesterdal
Summary: Understanding the effects of tree species and their mycorrhizal association on soil processes is crucial for predicting the consequences of species shifts and forest management decisions. The activity of soil enzymes and enzymatic stoichiometry play critical roles in shaping the differences in the nutrient economy between different mycorrhizal tree species.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Xinyu Wei, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Kai Yue, Xiangyin Ni, Ellen Desie, Petr Hedenec, Jing Yang, Fuzhong Wu
Summary: Global warming and altered precipitation have significant effects on soil carbon pools. A meta-analysis of 657 observations from 34 published articles revealed that combined warming and increased precipitation led to an average increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 4.0% and 15.4%, respectively. However, combined warming and decreased precipitation resulted in an average decline in SOC and MBC by 8.2% and 12.3%, respectively. The responses were influenced by the magnitude of altered precipitation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Chaoxiang Yuan, Fuzhong Wu, Yan Peng, Qiqian Wu, Guiqing Zhu, Zemin Zhao, Yiqing Wang, Nannan An, Xiangyin Ni, Kai Yue
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of afforestation on soil pH at a global scale. By analyzing data from 2642 paired observations, we found that afforestation led to a significant decrease in soil pH, with the effects varying depending on the type of afforestation. Additionally, the driving factors behind these effects were identified, including plantation type, mycorrhizal association, and land use type.
Article
Forestry
Pingping Lian, Linglin Xu, Kai Yue, Liuming Yang
Summary: Exclusion of roots and mycorrhizal hyphae leads to a decrease in available carbon and nitrogen in the soil, resulting in a loss of microbial diversity. The exclusion of roots and mycorrhizal hyphae also alters the composition and function of the soil microbial community, thereby impacting microbial-driven nutrient cycling processes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiqi Li, Chaoxiang Yuan, Qiqian Wu, Yan Peng, Zemin Zhao, Yiqing Wang, Nannan An, Xiangyin Ni, Fuzhong Wu, Kai Yue
Summary: Vegetation restoration has a positive effect on the concentrations of nutrient elements in post-mining soils, but does not influence the concentrations of toxic elements. Vegetation type and soil depth have some impact on the vegetation restoration effects, while latitude, elevation, restoration year, climate, and initial soil properties are also important moderator variables.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Siyi Tan, Qing Dong, Xiangyin Ni, Kai Yue, Shu Liao, Fuzhong Wu
Summary: This study investigated the base cation levels in an expanded gap edge canopy and a closed canopy in a subalpine natural forest. The results showed that base cations were more concentrated in the closed canopy, and the net throughfall fluxes of K+, Na+, and Mg2+ were significantly lower in the gap-edge canopy compared to the closed canopy.
