Stand spatial structure and microbial diversity are key drivers of soil multifunctionality during secondary succession in degraded karst forests.

Studying the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (the ability of ecosystems to provide multiple ecosystem functions) (BEMF) is a current hotspot in ecology research. Previous studies on BEMF emphasized the role of plant and microbial diversity but rarely mention stand spatial structure. To investigate the effect of stand spatial structure on BEMF, this study established 30 forest dynamic plots in three natural restoration stages (shrubbery, secondary growth forest, and old-growth forest) in Maolan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou province, China.

Variations in species diversity patterns and community assembly rules among vegetation types in the karst landscape.

The various vegetation types in the karst landscape have been considered the results of heterogeneous habitats. However, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of regional biodiversity patterns and the underlying ecological processes limits further research on ecological management. This study established forest dynamic plots (FDPs) of the dominant vegetation types (shrubland, SL; mixed tree and shrub forest, MTSF; coniferous forest, CF; coniferous broadleaf mixed forest, CBMF; and broadleaf forest, BF) in the karst landscape and quantified the species diversity patterns and potential ecological processes.

How do species richness and its component dependence vary along the natural restoration in extremely heterogeneous forest ecosystems?

Giant habitat heterogeneity is an important factor contributing to the high species richness (SR) in karst forests. Yet, the driving factor behind the alterations in SR patterns during natural restoration remains unclear. In this study, we established the forest dynamics plots along the natural restoration sequence (including shrub-tree mixed forest stage (SC), secondary forest stage (SG) and old-growth forest sage (OG)) in degraded karst forests to compare the SR and the dependence on its components (including total community abundance, species abundance distribution (SAD), and conspecific spatial aggregation (CSA)) among stages of natural restoration.

Dominant influence of plants on soil microbial carbon cycling functions during natural restoration of degraded karst vegetation.

The impacts of natural restoration projects on soil microbial carbon (C) cycling functions have not been well recognized despite their wide implementation in the degraded karst areas of southwest China. In this study, metagenomic sequencing assays were conducted on functional genes and microorganisms related to soil C-cycling at three natural restoration stages (shrubbery, TG; secondary forest, SG; old-growth forest, OG) in the southeast of Guizhou Province, China. The aims were to investigate the changes in microbial potentials responsible for soil C cycling and the underlying driving forces.

Soil capacity of intercepting different rainfalls across subtropical plantation: Distinct effects of plant and soil properties.

Forest management practices play an important role in soil water conservation. However, the soil water-holding capacity and associated drivers under different management practices remain uncertain, especially when the precipitation varies substantially at the regional scale. Here, we used hydrogen stable isotope to explore the contribution of rainfall to soil water (CRSW) under light, moderate and heavy precipitation in Pinus massoniana plantations with multiple management practices (pure stand, mixed stand, understory removal, light-intensity thinning and high-intensity thinning) in subtropical China.

[Effects of water vapor source and local environmental factors on the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of precipitation in Huitong, Hunan Province, China].

Deuterium (D) and oxygen-18 (O) are common environmental tracers in water. Understanding the isotopic compositions of precipitation is necessary for further studies on local and global water cycling processes. To reveal the mechanism of isotopic compositions of precipitation in subtropical monsoon region in response to environmental changes, we collected 49 precipitation samples and recorded related environmental factors from May 2017 to August 2019 in Huitong field station of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hunan Province.