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Phosphorus cycling in primary and secondary seasonally dry tropical forests in Mexico
Cycle du phosphore dans les forêts primaires et secondaires tropicales à saison sèche du Mexique
Annals of Forest Science volume 66, page 107 (2009)
Abstract
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• Primary forests in the seasonally dry tropical regions of Mexico are disappearing under land-use pressure, creating a mosaic of secondary forests of different ages.
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• In this study we measured the aboveground litterfall phosphorus (P) fluxes, litter-layer and soil P pools to compare the P cycles in primary and secondary seasonally dry tropical forests. Our hypothesis was that the previous agricultural land use of secondary forests would bring about a lower P flux in the litterfall, lower soil P pool, and higher nutrient resorption proficiency than in primary forests, as well as an increase of relative amounts of available P provided by the soil with forest aging.
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• The expected litterfall P flux increase in the secondary forest following a previous agricultural land use did not occur. Phosphorus return to the soil by aboveground litterfall was unaffected by the succession stage of the forest. In addition, the total soil P pool did not change with forest age. However, available soil P (bicarbonate P-inorganic and P-organic pools) and hydroxide inorganic P pools were higher in primary than in secondary forest soils. Phosphorus concentration in litterfall increased significantly with forest age, suggesting that P is cycled more efficiently (by a higher nutrient resorption proficiency) when soil available P is less abundant. Despite these differences among forests, the results of our study gave evidence that P requirements by plants in primary and secondary forests are sufficiently met by the accumulation of dissolved (water extractable) P in the forest floor during the dry season and by soil bicarbonate-P pools.
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• Our study on the effects of land cover change on P cycling, following the discontinuation of agricultural practices, leads to the conclusion that this ecosystem P dynamics will vary depending on the successional stage of the forests, and is strongly influenced by the seasonal rainfall pattern which determines plant-available P.
Résumé
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• Les forêts primaires dans les régions tropicales à saison sèche du Mexique sont en train de disparaître sous la pression de l’utilisation agricole des terres, créant une mosaïque de forêts secondaires d’âges différents.
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• Dans cette étude, nous avons mesuré les flux de phosphore (P) de la litière au-dessus du sol, de l’horizon de litière et les pools de phosphore P du sol, pour comparer les cycles de P dans les forêts primaires et secondaires tropicales à saison sèche. Notre hypothèse est que l’exploitation agricole précédente des forêts secondaires devrait aboutir à un flux plus faible de P dans la litière, à un plus faible pool de P du sol, et à une résorption plus élevée des éléments nutritifs que dans les forêts primaires, ainsi qu’une augmentation des quantités relatives de P disponibles fournies par le sol avec le vieillissement de la forêt.
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• L’accroissement attendu du flux de P par la litière dans la forêt secondaire, suite à un précédent usage agricole des terres, n’a pas eu lieu. Le retour du phosphore à la surface du sol par la litière n’a pas été affecté par la succession des stades de la forêt. En outre, le pool total de phosphore n’a pas changé avec l’âge des forêts. Toutefois, P disponible dans le sol (pools de bicarbonate P-inorganique et P-organique) et les pools d’hydroxyde de P inorganique étaient plus élevés dans les sols forestiers des forêts primaires que dans les sols forestiers des forêts secondaires. La concentration de phosphore dans la litière a augmenté de manière significative avec l’âge des forêts, ce qui suggère que P est recyclé de manière plus efficace (par une plus grande maîtrise de la résorption des éléments nutritifs) quand P disponible dans le sol est moins abondant. En dépit de ces différences entre les forêts, les résultats de notre étude ont donné la preuve que les exigences de P par les plants dans les forêts primaires et secondaires sont suffisamment remplies par l’accumulation ou la dissolution (extractibles par l’eau) de P dans la couverture du sol pendant la saison sèche et par le bicarbonate-P du sol.
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• Notre étude sur les effets du changement de la couverture du sol sur le cycle de P, à la suite de l’abandon des pratiques agricoles, conduit à la conclusion que cette dynamique de P dans l’écosystème varie selon le stade de succession des forêts, et est fortement influencée par la pluviométrie saisonnière qui détermine le P disponible pour les plants.
Abbreviations
- SDTF:
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seasonally dry tropical forest
- PMF:
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primary forest
- ESF:
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early successional forest
- MSF:
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mid-successional forest
- LSF:
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late-successional forest
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Valdespino, P., Romualdo, R., Cadenazzi, L. et al. Phosphorus cycling in primary and secondary seasonally dry tropical forests in Mexico. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 107 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2008075
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2008075