JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (2): 134-142.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202311032

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Assessment of different Karst plantation types on soil quality based on a minimum data set

CHENG Caiyun1(), XUE Jianhui1,2,*(), MA Jie3   

  1. 1. College of Ecology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
    2. Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
    3. Jiangsu Shunde Ecological Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210043, China
  • Received:2023-11-26 Accepted:2024-03-05 Online:2025-03-30 Published:2025-03-28
  • Contact: XUE Jianhui E-mail:caiyuncheng5280@foxmail.com;jhxue@cnbg.net

Abstract:

【Objective】This study evaluated soil quality under different types of plantation vegetation restoration in Karst areas, aiming to provide guidance on selecting suitable tree species and improving soil quality. 【Method】Three types of plantation forests—Cupressus duclouxiana forest, Robinia pseudoacacia forest, and C. duclouxiana-R. pseudoacacia mixed forest—along with unplanted land (control) in Guizhou Province, were selected for the study. The soil physical, chemical, and enzymatic characteristics were analyzed. Redundancy analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to assess soil fertility quality, while total data set (TDS), minimum data set (MDS), and gray correlation degree method (GRA) were employed to evaluate soil fertility. 【Result】(1) Compared with unplanted land, soil water content, porosity, organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus content were significantly higher in plantation forests. Conversely, soil bulk density, pH, total potassium, and available potassium were significantly lower. (2) Except for alkaline phosphatase, the activities of urease, polyphenol oxidase, sucrase, and catalase were the highest in the C. duclouxiana-R. pseudoacacia mixed forest. Urease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase activities were higher in plantations than those in unplanted land. (3) The minimum data set derived from PCA was suitable for soil quality evaluation in Karst plantations. This data set included soil total nitrogen, total potassium, available potassium content, non-capillary porosity, alkaline phosphatase, and polyphenol oxidase activities. (4) Soil quality evaluations based on MDS align with those based on TDS and grey correlation degree. The soil quality order was as follows: C. duclouxiana-R. pseudoacacia mixed forest > R. pseudoacacia forest > C. duclouxiana forest > unplanted land. The mixed forest demonstrated significantly better soil quality than the pure forests. 【Conclusion】 During vegetation restoration and plantation development in Karst areas, following the principles of tree adaptation and site suitability, and focusing on constructing mixed forests, can enhance overall soil quality and improve the ecological benefits of artificial vegetation restoration.

Key words: Karst area, evaluation of soil quality, principal component analysis(PCA), minimum data set(MDS)

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