Abstract:
Objective The responses of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) stoichiometric characteristics and enzyme activities on different land-use types are explored, in order to provide decision support for land use regulation and ecological restoration in the karst, southwest China.
Method Soils from subtropical forest (SUF), sparse forest (SPF), shrub forest (SHF), grassland (GL), corn land (CL), bare land (BL) and abandoned land (AL) were selected as research objects in karst plateau valley (Huajiang research area, Guanling county, Guizhou province), by collecting 0-15 cm soil layer samples, to analyze differences in soil C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics and enzyme activities.
Result ① Soil organic C (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents showed SPF > AL > BL > SHF > CL > SUF > GL, soil total phosphorus (TP) content showed AL > BL > CL > SPF > GL > SHF > SUF. C∶N showed SUF > AL > SPF > SHF > CL > BL > GL, C∶P showed SPF > SUF > SHF > CL > AL > GL > BL, N∶P showed SPF > SHF > SUF > CL > GL > AL > BL. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) content was SPF > SHF > CL > AL > SUF > BL > GL. ② Urease (URE) activities showed SUF > CL > SPF > SHF > AL > GL > BL, sucrase (SUC) activities showed BL > AL > SPF > CL > SHF > GL > SUF, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities showed SUF > BL > SHF > SPF > AL > CL > GL, catalase (CAT) activities showed CL > AL > BL > SHF > SPF > GL > SUF. ③ URE was extremely significantly positively correlated with C∶P, N∶P, and MBC, URE was significantly positively correlated with C∶N and significantly negatively correlated with TP; SUC was extremely significantly positively correlated with TP, SUC was significantly positively correlated with SOC and TN; ALP was significantly positively correlated with C∶N and C∶P; CAT was extremely significantly positively correlated with TP, significantly positively correlated with TN and significantly negatively correlated with C∶P. ④ In the first two statistics, soil physicochemical factors cumulatively explained 84.83% of the changes in soil enzyme activities, the order of importance was pH > soil temperature > TP > C∶P > TN > bulk density > SOC > C∶N > N∶P > MBC.
Conclusion There are significant differences in soil C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics and enzyme activities in different land-use types. Soil N∶P less than 14 indicates that soil nutrients are mainly limited by nitogen. Soil enzymes are mainly affected by soil pH, soil temperature and total phosphorus.