Surface Litter of the Plant Community in Jiaozuo Longxiang Mountain and Its Influencing Factors
The litter is a vital component of ecosystems and its decomposition process profoundly affects soil carbon input and the soil respiration process.In this experiment,Longxiang Mountain in Jiaozuo was selected as the study area,which is located in the southern Taihang Mountains and belongs to the temperate hilly region of central China.Sample sites were established along altitudes ranging from 148 to 827 m and on both sunny and shady slopes.The study focused on the existing quantity of surface litter,carbon and nitrogen stoichiometric characteristics,and analyzed its potential nutrient return capacity and key influencing factors.The results showed that:1)The average value of the existing litter biomass on the surface of Longxiang Mountain is 540.81±388.00 g/m2,and there is no significant difference in the existing litter biomass among different altitude gradients below an altitude of 800m.Also,the existing litter biomass increased significantly above 800m(P＜0.05).2)Among the four vegetation types in Longxiang Mountain,temperate evergreen coniferous forests were mainly distributed above an altitude of 800 m,and their surface litter biomass was the highest[(1 038.95±289.31 g/m2)],which was the significantly higher than that of deciduous broad-leaved forests,scrubs and meadows(P＜0.01).Additionally,there is a highly significant positive correlation(r=0.96,P＜0.01)between surface litter biomass and the maximum nitrogen return from litter.3)The litter's maximum nitrogen and carbon return capacity,soil N content,and altitude were the main driving factors affecting the existing quantity of surface litter.In addition,vegetation type also has an important direct effect on the existing quantity of surface litter.In conclusion,the litter of the plant community in Longxiang Mountain in Jiaozuo is a critical factor,and the vegetation type plays an important role in its regulation process.
Jiaozuo Longxiang Mountainlitteraltitudeslope direction
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