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Soil Amendment Improves Tree Growth and Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in Mongolian Pine Plantations on Post‐Mining Land in Northeast China
Author(s) -
Hu YaLin,
Niu ZhiXin,
Zeng DeHui,
Wang ChengYi
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.2386
Subject(s) - amendment , environmental science , agronomy , soil carbon , soil ph , forestry , basal area , nitrogen , agroforestry , soil water , geography , biology , soil science , chemistry , organic chemistry , political science , law
Mining activities leave large areas of post‐mining lands to be reclaimed. Increases in soil C and N pools and N availability are important to successfully reestablish trees on post‐mining land. In this study, we determined C and N concentrations and natural stable isotope of 13 C and 15 N in soil and plant in Mongolian pine ( Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.) plantations 8 years after establishment on non‐mined land (NM), post‐mining land without soil amendment (NAM), and post‐mining land with soil amendment (AM) in a placer gold mining region of Northeast China. We found that the growth of Mongolian pine was significantly slower on NAM as compared with NM (decreasing by 73% in tree height and 63% in basal diameter), but tree growth improved on AM. Soil C and N concentrations, plant N concentration, and soil δ 15 N value decreased in the order of NM > AM > NAM, implying that soil N availability decreased in post‐mining land, but soil amendment could increase soil N availability. However, the values of δ 15 N in plant tissues of Mongolian pine were higher on NAM than on NM and AM, suggesting that soil inorganic N form absorbed by trees might be changed when trees were directly planted on post‐mining land with lower soil N availability. In addition, the values of δ 13 C in 1‐ and 2‐year‐old leaves of Mongolian pine were lowest when planted on NAM, indicating a decrease in intrinsic water‐use efficiency of Mongolian pine. Our results suggest that soil amendment helps us establish forests successfully on post‐mining lands. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.