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ABSTRACT
Although the response of plant productivity and soil biogeochemical processes to nutrient addition has been widely investigated, little is known about the effects of N and P addition on soil aggregate fractions, an important indicator of soil organic C stability. We investigated the effects of exogenous N and P inputs on soil aggregates and their associated organic C in a 6-year fertilisation experiment in a subtropical Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation. A wet sieving method was used to determine the aggregate size distribution. Our results showed that the most abundant aggregate was the macroaggregate, ranging between 59% and 74%. The least abundant fraction was the smallest (silt and clay), ranging between 10% and 15%. Neither the soil aggregate fractions nor their associated organic C differed significantly after 6 years of N and P addition at the 0.05 level. In contrast, the oxalate-extractable iron Fe and pyrophosphate-extractable Fe of 0–10 cm soil were significantly decreased by P addition; this may alter aggregate formation over longer periods. Thus, future studies should examine the effects of nutrient addition on aggregates over a longer period. In particular, more attention should be paid to the effects of P addition in subtropical forests.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the [National Natural Science Foundation of China] under Grant [31700415], [Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province] under Grant [1808085QC60], and [Anhui Provincial Education Department] under Grant [KJ2017A322].
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Declaration of competing interest
Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
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Notes on contributors
Ye Yuan
Dr. Ye Yuan is a researcher in forest ecology at Anhui Normal University, China.
Shan Gao
Mr. Shan Gao is a postgraduate in forest ecology at Anhui Normal University, China.
Xiaoqin Dai
Dr. Xiaoqin Dai is a researcher in ecosystem carbon and nitrogen process at Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
Fusheng Chen
Professor Fusheng Chen is a researcher in forest cultivation at Jiangxi Agricultural University, China.
Huimin Wang
Professor Huimin Wang is a researcher in forest ecology at Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.