Effects of vertical forest stratification on precipitation material redistribution and ecosystem health of Pinus massoniana in the Three Gorges Reservoir area of China.

Vertical stratification of forest plays important roles in the local material balance and in maintaining forest health by distributing and redistributing precipitation materials through adsorption, fixation, and release. Differences in runoff nutrient concentrations among vertical layers are closely related to vertical stratification (factors such as the trunk, canopy, forest litter, and soil physical and chemical properties). Long-term forest observations revealed significant spatial differences in Pinus massoniana (Pinus massoniana Lamb.