Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region
Karst forests are often located in mountainous regions, and because of various geological factors both soil and water loss are major conservation concerns. We investigated the water-holding characteristics of 3 typical karst forest types through field sampling and laboratory experiments. The results...
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International Mountain Society
2018-08-01
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doaj-49f1700f7da047f2bfd50fd29eacae2f2020-11-25T02:00:06ZengInternational Mountain SocietyMountain Research and Development0276-47411994-71512018-08-01383220229https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00002.1Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst RegionQiuwen Zhou0David M. Keith1Xu Zhou2Mingyong Cai3Xingfen Cui4Xiaocha Wei5Yaxue Luo6School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, China; State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification Control, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, China; State Key Laboratory Incubation Base for Karst Mountain Ecology Environment of Guizhou Province, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, China; zouqiuwen@163.comFisheries and Oceans Canada, PO Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada B2Y 4A2School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, ChinaSatellite Environment Center of Ministry of Environmental Protection, No. 4 Fengdedonglu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, ChinaSchool of Geographic and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, ChinaSchool of Geographic and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, ChinaSchool of Geographic and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, No. 116 Baoshan Road (N), Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, ChinaKarst forests are often located in mountainous regions, and because of various geological factors both soil and water loss are major conservation concerns. We investigated the water-holding characteristics of 3 typical karst forest types through field sampling and laboratory experiments. The results showed that (1) the total litter mass of the coniferous forest was significantly higher than that of either the mixed forest or the broadleaved forest; (2) the mass of semidecomposed litter was significantly higher than that of undecomposed litter; (3) the litter layers of the mixed and coniferous forests had similar maximum water-holding capacity, whereas the maximum water-holding capacity of the broadleaved forest was significantly lower; (4) the maximum water-retention capacity of both the mixed and coniferous forests was significantly higher than that of the broadleaved forest; and (5) water-absorption rate and maximum water-holding capacity varied significantly across forest and litter types, with the mixed forest and undecomposed litter layers tending both to hold more water and to absorb water more quickly than the other forest types or the semidecomposed litter layer. Because of the elevated water-holding capacity and absorption rate of the mixed forest in karst regions, special emphasis on the conservation of this complex forest ecosystem is critical from both hydrological and ecological perspectives.http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00002.1forestsleaf litterwater-holding capacitywater absorptionkarstChina |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Qiuwen Zhou David M. Keith Xu Zhou Mingyong Cai Xingfen Cui Xiaocha Wei Yaxue Luo |
spellingShingle |
Qiuwen Zhou David M. Keith Xu Zhou Mingyong Cai Xingfen Cui Xiaocha Wei Yaxue Luo Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region Mountain Research and Development forests leaf litter water-holding capacity water absorption karst China |
author_facet |
Qiuwen Zhou David M. Keith Xu Zhou Mingyong Cai Xingfen Cui Xiaocha Wei Yaxue Luo |
author_sort |
Qiuwen Zhou |
title |
Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region |
title_short |
Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region |
title_full |
Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region |
title_fullStr |
Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region |
title_full_unstemmed |
Comparing the Water-holding Characteristics of Broadleaved, Coniferous, and Mixed Forest Litter Layers in a Karst Region |
title_sort |
comparing the water-holding characteristics of broadleaved, coniferous, and mixed forest litter layers in a karst region |
publisher |
International Mountain Society |
series |
Mountain Research and Development |
issn |
0276-4741 1994-7151 |
publishDate |
2018-08-01 |
description |
Karst forests are often located in mountainous regions, and because of various geological factors both soil and water loss are major conservation concerns. We investigated the water-holding characteristics of 3 typical karst forest types through field sampling and laboratory experiments. The results showed that (1) the total litter mass of the coniferous forest was significantly higher than that of either the mixed forest or the broadleaved forest; (2) the mass of semidecomposed litter was significantly higher than that of undecomposed litter; (3) the litter layers of the mixed and coniferous forests had similar maximum water-holding capacity, whereas the maximum water-holding capacity of the broadleaved forest was significantly lower; (4) the maximum water-retention capacity of both the mixed and coniferous forests was significantly higher than that of the broadleaved forest; and (5) water-absorption rate and maximum water-holding capacity varied significantly across forest and litter types, with the mixed forest and undecomposed litter layers tending both to hold more water and to absorb water more quickly than the other forest types or the semidecomposed litter layer. Because of the elevated water-holding capacity and absorption rate of the mixed forest in karst regions, special emphasis on the conservation of this complex forest ecosystem is critical from both hydrological and ecological perspectives. |
topic |
forests leaf litter water-holding capacity water absorption karst China |
url |
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00002.1 |
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