Spatial Distribution of Organic Matter and Total Phosphorous in Marsh soils With Different Plant Communities in Xianghai Wetland
Contents of organic matter and total phosphorous in surface and subsurface soils with eight different plant communities in Xianghai wetland were measured in order to study the spatial variability of soil organic matter and total phosphorous in marsh soils with different plant communities. Results showed that contents of soil organic matter and total phosphorous were higher in surface soils with these communities such as Phragaites cmmunis ,Phragmites-Salix community and Typha community than those in other vegetation communities. They were lower in subsurface soils with Aneurolepidium chinense, Suaeda acuca, Sparganium stotoniferum with shallower root systems, and significantly lowest in surface soils with Suaeda acuca communities. Except these soils with Phragmites cmmunis and Polygonum hydropiper,soil organic matter contents were higher in surface soils with other plant communities than those in subsurface soils.Similarly,total phosphorous contents were higher in surface soils than those in subsurface soils except those soils with Polygonum hydropiper communities. Total phosphorous contents increased by power function with increasing soil organic matter contents. Also, soil organic matter contents increased by power function with the increases in C/N ratios and they exponentially decreased with the increases in soil pH values. However, the relationships between total phosphorous and C/N ratios and pH values did not show significant levels.
Xianghai wetlandplant communitieswetland soilsoil organic mattertotal phosphorousspatial distribution