Tree traits and soil environment in a mixed stand of Schima superba and Pinus massoniana are mainly influenced by stand age
Yao, Shushu (Fujian Normal University)
Xu, Chaobin (Fujian Normal University)
Peñuelas, Josep (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Liang, Fengna (Fujian Normal University)
Zhang, Xue (Fujian Normal University)
Chen, Yuanwang (Fujian Normal University)
Tang, Lei (Fujian Normal University)
Cheng, Dongliang (Fujian Normal University)
Zhong, Quanlin (Fujian Normal University)

Additional title:	The effect of mixing Schima superba and Pinus massoniana on the growth of stands of both species was less than stand age
Date:	2025
Abstract:	The selection of suitable mixed species is key to optimizing the effects of interspecies mixing and regulating interspecific relationships. The mixing effects of species can vary at different stages of growth, influencing the underlying mechanisms of growth. Leaves, fine roots, soil, and microorganisms are the important factors affecting mixed forest growth. Therefore, we selected three ages of pure stands of Pinus massoniana Lamb. (P. massoniana), Schima superba Gardner & Champ. (S. superba), and mixed forests of S. superba-P. massoniana in southeastern China as research subjects. We measured 21 traits of leaves, fine roots, and soil in response to mixing, focusing on the relationship between soil and microorganisms. Compared to pure forests, our results suggested that the mixing did not significantly affect the growth of S. superba and P. massoniana. Leaf, fine root, and soil traits did not consistently respond to mixing at different ages in the two species. Mantel analyses revealed that bacterial and fungal communities had different implications on the soil properties of the three stands. Redundancy analyses showed that leaf, fine root, and soil nutrients differed among tree species on forest growth. Structural equation modeling showed that mixing mainly affects soil microorganisms, fine roots, and leaves nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients of S. superba, whereas, mixing effects of P. massoniana growth were primarily mediated by stand age and indirectly through effects on surface soil nutrients, microorganisms, and some leaf traits. Our study provides a theoretical framework for efficiently managing S. superba and P. massoniana mixed forests, enhancing our overall understanding of the impact of species mixing on plants.
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Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Mixed forest ; Stand age ; Schima superba ; Pinus massoniana ; Plant functional traits
Published in:	European journal of forest research, Vol. 144, Issue 5 (October 2025) , p. 1023-1041, ISSN 1612-4677

DOI: 10.1007/s10342-025-01793-2

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
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