Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2020, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (9): 1154-1160.doi: 10.19741/j.issn.1673-4831.2019.0897

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Responses of Litter Production and Its Quality in a Casuarina equisetifolia Plantation to the Distance From the Coastline

YUAN Feng1,2, WANG Yan-yan1,2, LIU He-na1,2, LI Mao-jin3, WU Cheng-zhen4, CHEN Can1,2   

  1. 1. College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    2. Collegiate Key Laboratory of Forest-Ecosystem Process and Management in Fujian, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    3. Fujian Chihu State-owned Forest Shelter Farm, Hui'an 362100, China;
    4. Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, China
  • Received:2019-11-07 Published:2020-09-17

Abstract: Assessing the dynamics of nutrient cycling across environmental gradients in an ecosystem accurately plays a key role in evaluating ecosystem function. This study aims to investigate the effects of environmental gradient produced by the distance from the coastline on litter quantity and quality in a Casuarina equisetifolia plantation in Chihu State-owned Protected Forest Farm in Hui'an, China. The results show that: (1) The annual litter production of Casuarina equisetifolia was (9.939±0.708) t·hm-2, and due to the influence of wind and stand density, the litter production of Casuarina equisetifolia conformed to a unimodal pattern rising first and then declining with the increasing distance from the coastline. (2) Nutrient contents of Casuarina equisetifolia litter were significantly affected by the distance of the trees from the coastline. The nutrient content and variation range of litter under different gradients were Ca>K> Mg>P. The contents of P, K and Mg decreased gradually, while the content of Ca increased first and then decreased with the increasing of distance from the coastline. There was a significant correlation between nutrient content (except Ca, P<0.01) and the distance from the coastline, which might be attributed to leaf nutrient reabsorption and spatial distribution of soil nutrients. (3) The distance from the coastline had little effects on the nutrients content of litter over time, and the nutrients content was significantly affected by monthly climate change. The temporal patterns of P, K and Mg content were similar across different gradients, increasing or decreasing in the same month and with higher contents in the autumn and winter than in the spring and summer. (4) The interaction between elements could affect the nutrient content of litter. The correlations between Ca and other elements were not significant (P>0.05). Litter P content was significantly positive correlated with K and Mg content (P<0.01), while there was a significant negative correlation between K and Mg (P<0.01). The findings provided a theoretical basis for the sustainable management and protection of Casuarina equisetifolia plantations in coastal area.

Key words: distance from the coastline, Casuarina equisetifolia, litter quantity, litter quality, dynamic change

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