Vertical distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon and vegetation types under different elevation gradients in Cangshan, Dali

Abstract

Background The Cangshan National Nature Reserve of Dali City was adopted as the research object to clarify the vertical distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and vegetation types at different elevations in western Yunnan. Methods The contents of SOC, light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the 0–30 cm soil layer at different elevations (2,400, 2,600, 2,800, 3,000, 3,200, 3,400, and 3,600 m) were determined, and the above-ground vegetation types at different elevations were investigated. Results Results showed that the SOC content was the highest in 0–20 cm surface soil and gradually decreased with the deepening of the soil layer. It increased then decreased with the increase in elevation, and it peaked at 3,000 m. The LFOC content was between 1.28 and 7.3515 g kg−1. It exhibited a decreasing trend and little change in profile distribution. The HFOC content ranged between 12.9727 and 23.3708 g kg−1; it increased then decreased with the increase in profile depth. The WSOC content was between 235.5783 and 392.3925 mg kg−1, and the response sensitivity to elevation change was weak. With the increase in elevation, WSOC/SOC and LFOC/SOC showed a similar trend, whereas HFOC presented an opposite trend. This observation indicates that the active organic carbon content at 3,600 m was lower than that at 2,400 m, and the middle elevation was conducive to the storage of active organic carbon. Meanwhile, the physical and chemical properties of soil affected the distribution of organic carbon to a certain extent. The vegetation type survey showed that the above-ground dominant species within 2,400–2,800 m were Pinus yunnanensis and Pinus armandii. Many evergreen and mixed coniferous broadleaf forests were distributed from 3,000 m to 3,200 m. Species of Abies delavayi were mainly distributed from 3,400 m to 3,600 m. This research serves as a reference for the study of forest soil carbon stability in high-elevation areas and plays an important role in formulating reasonable land use management policies, protecting forest soil, reducing organic carbon loss, and investigating the carbon sequestration stability of forest ecosystems.