We studied how soils vary between cohune palm and non-cohune forests and assessed whether the forests differed in soil fertility. We sampled soil profiles from six cohune palm forests and eleven non-cohune forests. Our laboratory analyses included soil organic matter (SOM), extractable phosphorous, and the total concentration of 10 elements. Each soil characteristic was subjected to a mixed-effects model with depth, forest type, and the interaction between the two as factors that were grouped by excavation. Total phosphorous, sulfur, and SOM differed significantly between the two forest types, with higher values in non-cohune forests, on average. SOM, extractable phosphorous, and nine elements showed statistically significant changes with depth. The interaction between depth and forest type was significant for eight elements and SOM. The elemental concentrations were consistently maintained with depth in the cohune forests. Meanwhile, the elemental concentrations in non-cohune forest soils decreased with depth for all elements except calcium and magnesium, which increased concentration with depth. Cohune forest soils and non-cohune forest soils differ in distinct ways but these differences do not relate to key measures of soil fertility. Cohune palm forest soils exhibit consistent elemental concentrations with depth, which suggests bioturbation or another phenomenon that redistributes nutrients.

中文翻译：

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与伯利兹西北部的非 cohune 森林相比，cohune 棕榈（Attalea cohune）优势森林的土壤肥力

我们研究了 cohune 棕榈和非 cohune 森林之间的土壤如何变化，并评估了森林的土壤肥力是否不同。我们从 6 个 cohune 棕榈林和 11 个非 cohune 森林中采样了土壤剖面。我们的实验室分析包括土壤有机质 (SOM)、可提取磷和 10 种元素的总浓度。每个土壤特征都受到混合效应模型的影响，该模型以深度、森林类型和两者之间的相互作用作为按开挖分组的因素。两种森林类型之间的总磷、硫和 SOM 存在显着差异，平均而言，非 Cohune 森林的值更高。SOM、可提取磷和九种元素随着深度的变化显示出统计学上的显着变化。对于八种元素和 SOM，深度和森林类型之间的相互作用是显着的。在 cohune 森林中，元素浓度始终保持在深度。同时，除钙和镁以外的所有元素在非cohune森林土壤中的元素浓度都随着深度的增加而降低，随着深度的增加而增加。Cohune 森林土壤和非 Cohune 森林土壤在不同方面存在明显差异，但这些差异与土壤肥力的关键指标无关。Cohune 棕榈林土壤显示出随深度一致的元素浓度，这表明存在生物扰动或其他重新分配养分的现象。Cohune 森林土壤和非 Cohune 森林土壤在不同方面存在明显差异，但这些差异与土壤肥力的关键指标无关。Cohune 棕榈林土壤显示出随深度一致的元素浓度，这表明存在生物扰动或其他重新分配养分的现象。Cohune 森林土壤和非 Cohune 森林土壤在不同方面存在明显差异，但这些差异与土壤肥力的关键指标无关。Cohune 棕榈林土壤显示出随深度一致的元素浓度，这表明存在生物扰动或其他重新分配养分的现象。