Effects of Forest Vegetation Restoration on Soil Organic Carbon and Its Labile Fractions in the Danxia Landform of China

Bamboo forests (BF) exhibit the strongest carbon storage capacity among vegetation types in China's Danxia landform, outperforming Chinese fir forests (CFF), evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBF), mixed conifer–broadleaf forests (MCBF), and shrublands (SH). This finding is based on a study analyzing soil organic carbon (SOC) and its labile fractions—dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC)—across five vegetation restoration types. Researchers found that BF and CFF had higher SOC and EOC concentrations, while BF also led in DOC content. MBC was significantly greater in BF and EBF. Soil total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and invertase activity emerged as key drivers of carbon accumulation, with SOC and its fractions positively correlated with these factors but negatively affected by soil pH and bulk density (BD) in most cases. The study provides critical insights for ecosystem management and restoration strategies in Danxia regions.

Xiao, Y., Huang, Z., Ling, Y., Cai, S., Zeng, B., Liang, S., & Wang, X. (2022). Effects of Forest Vegetation Restoration on Soil Organic Carbon and Its Labile Fractions in the Danxia Landform of China. Sustainability, 14(19), 12283. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912283