Organic carbon stored in forest soils (SOC) represents an important element of the global C cycle. It is thought that the C storage capacity of the stable pool can be enhanced by increasing forest productivity, but empirical evidence in support of this assumption from forests differing in tree species and productivity, while stocking on similar substrate, is scarce. We determined the stocks of SOC and macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium) in nine paired European beech/Scots pine stands on similar Pleistocene sandy substrates across a precipitation gradient (560–820 mm∙yr− 1) in northern Germany and explored the influence of tree species, forest history, climate, and soil pH on SOC and nutrient pools. While the organic layer stored on average about 80% more C under pine than beech, the pools of SOC and total N in the total profile (organic layer plus mineral soil measured to 60 cm and extrapolated to 100 cm) were greater under pine by about 40% and 20%, respectively. This contrasts with a higher annual production of foliar litter and a much higher fine root biomass in beech stands, indicating that soil C sequestration is unrelated to the production of leaf litter and fine roots in these stands on Pleistocene sandy soils. The pools of available P and basic cations tended to be higher under beech. Neither precipitation nor temperature influenced the SOC pool, whereas tree species was a key driver. An extended data set (which included additional pine stands established more recently on former agricultural soil) revealed that, besides tree species identity, forest continuity is an important factor determining the SOC and nutrient pools of these stands. We conclude that tree species identity can exert a considerable influence on the stocks of SOC and macronutrients, which may be unrelated to productivity but closely linked to species-specific forest management histories, thus masking weaker climate and soil chemistry effects on pool sizes.

中文翻译：

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与欧洲山毛榉森林相比，苏格兰松人工林下的土壤碳和养分储量：对不同管理历史和降水制度的森林进行的配对研究

储存在森林土壤中的有机碳 (SOC) 是全球碳循环的重要组成部分。人们认为，稳定池的碳储存能力可以通过提高森林生产力来增强，但支持这一假设的经验证据来自树种和生产力不同但在相似基质上放养的森林。我们确定了 9 对欧洲山毛榉/苏格兰松林在类似更新世沙质基质上跨越降水梯度（560-820 mm∙yr− 1）的 SOC 和常量营养素（氮、磷、钙、钾和镁）的储量德国北部，探索了树种、森林历史、气候和土壤 pH 值对 SOC 和养分库的影响。虽然松树下的有机层平均比山毛榉多 80% 的碳，总剖面（有机层加矿质土壤测量到 60 厘米并外推到 100 厘米）中的 SOC 和总氮池在松树下分别增加了约 40% 和 20%。这与山毛榉林分较高的叶凋落物年产量和高得多的细根生物量形成对比，表明土壤碳封存与更新世沙质土壤上这些林分中的枯枝落叶和细根的产生无关。山毛榉下的可用 P 和碱性阳离子池往往更高。降水和温度均不影响 SOC 池，而树种是关键驱动因素。一个扩展的数据集（包括最近在以前的农业土壤上建立的额外松林）表明，除了树种特性，森林连续性是决定这些林分 SOC 和养分库的重要因素。我们得出结论，树种特性可以对 SOC 和常量营养素的存量产生相当大的影响，这可能与生产力无关，但与特定物种的森林管理历史密切相关，从而掩盖了较弱的气候和土壤化学对池大小的影响。