Enunciating the carbon storage across various types of forests is a precondition for comprehending forest ecosystem carbon cycling. However, previous studies regarding forest carbon storage were primarily conducted in the general temperature zones, with a limited understanding of carbon storage in different forest types within climate transition zones. In this study, we employed biomass models to explore the carbon storage in three types of natural secondary forests (Pinus armandii forest, Quercus aliena forest, and Q. aliena–P. armandii mixed forest) in the transition zone between the northern subtropical and warm temperate regions of China. Furthermore, we used the variance decomposition analysis and random forest model to determine the key factors influencing carbon storage in three types of natural secondary forests. Our results indicated that the carbon storage of wood and soil layers in the Q. aliena–P. armandii mixed forest was significantly higher than that in the P. armandii and Q. aliena forests. Total carbon storage was ranked as follows: Q. aliena–P. armandii mixed forest (266.09 t/ha) > P. armandii forest (222.89 t/ha) > Q. aliena forest (212.46 t/ha). Our results also revealed that carbon storage of the wood layer was jointly regulated by environmental factors, plant physiological characteristics, and soil properties, while soil carbon storage was mainly affected by soil properties. These results highlight the significant advantages of mixed conifer–broadleaf forests in carbon storage, emphasizing the importance of mixed natural secondary forests in carbon cycling and ecosystem services. This study provides scientific evidence for enhancing forest carbon sink functions and developing forest conservation and management policies to combat climate change.

The climate-induced changes in soil water patterns pose a serious threat to subtropical plantations. Mixed species stands have been advocated as an efficient way to enhance ecosystem stability. However, little is known about their possible impact on the soil water-holding capacity in the subtropics. In this study, we employed a stable hydrogen isotope to assess the contribution of rainfall to soil water (CRSW) in a pure Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation and in two mixtures of Chinese fir with Cinnamomum camphora or with Alnus cremastogyne after three different magnitudes of rainfall events in subtropical China. Furthermore, we used structure equation modeling (SEM) to quantify the relative importance of vegetation and soil properties on the CRSW. The results indicated that the CRSW did not differ among these three Chinese fir plantations after light rainfall, whereas the CRSW of moderate and heavy rainfall to soil water were 15.95% and 26.06% higher in Chinese fir plantation with Cinnamomum camphora, and 22.67% and 22.93% higher in Chinese fir plantation with Alnus cremastogyne than that in the pure Chinese fir plantation, respectively. SEM analysis showed that the vegetation biomass and soil properties significantly affected the CRSW following light rainfall, but the soil properties were the most important factors influencing the CRSW under moderate and heavy rainfall. Our findings demonstrate that the mixed conifer–broad-leaved plantation is a more effective strategy for improving the soil water-holding capacity than the pure conifer plantation in subtropical regions, which is conducive to coping with the frequent seasonal droughts and extreme precipitation events.

In order to explore the improving effect and mechanisms of vegetation communities on soil structure and infiltration processes, we used fractal scaling theory to analyse soil particle-size distribution (PSD), soil dimension and soil infiltration for seven vegetation communities in the Dabie mountainous region of central China. The results showed that coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests (PQ) had a higher function of meliorating soil particle structure and infiltration capability than broad-leaved forests (PC and QA) and coniferous forests (PD). In general, the amounts of silt and clay increased under PQ, PC and QA vegetation communities, whereas fine sand content decreased, resulting in higher values for soil total porosity and capillary porosity. For shelter forests, the infiltration rate was higher than other vegetation communities. The overall fractal dimensions of PSD ranged from 2.071 to 2.430, and the fractal dimensions of PQ, PC, QA and PD in shelter forests were far higher (mean value of 2.312) than those of the others. There was significant positive correlation between the fractal dimension and the amount of silt and clay (R = 0.815), and negative correlation with fine sand (R = -0.549). There was also a strong linear positive relationship between the fractal dimension and the soil’s infiltration rate. Correlations of the fractal dimension with the soil infiltration capability provided strong evidence that vegetation communities enhanced the soil fractal dimension by increasing the amounts of silt and clay, thereby improving both aggregate structure and pore structure and enhancing the degree of soil texture uniformity and infiltration capacity. This study demonstrates that fractal dimension analysis may be used to quantify differences in PSD and soil infiltration capability better; furthermore, the results can provide a reference for scientific selection and the distribution of plant types that will support soil and water conservation.

Waterlogging tolerant tree species exert a critical role in forest preservation and the associated water conservation in flood prone areas. Clarifying the patterns and drivers of water uptake by waterlogging tolerant trees is crucial for forest management in flood-prone areas, especially in the scenario of precipitation changes in the estuary delta. Here, we uploaded the values of δD and δ¹⁸O obtained from soil and xylem waters to a Bayesian mixed model (MixSIAR) to determine the water use pattern of Taxodium distichum, a waterlogging tolerant tree, following different magnitudes of rainfall events in three sites of the Yangtze River Delta, China. We further conducted variation partitioning analysis and a random forest model to discern the dominant factor driving plant water uptake. Our results indicated that T. distichum mainly absorbed soil water from shallow soil layers (0–40 cm, 43.63%–74.70%), while the percentage of water uptake from deep soil layers was lower in the Yangtze River Delta (60–100 cm, 13.43%–35.90%), whether in light, moderate, or heavy rainfall conditions. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that tree traits, such as fine root biomass, are dominantly driving plant water uptake. These findings imply that waterlogging tolerant tree species could increase the percentage of water uptake from shallow soils by changing their plant attributes, which would effectively improve the water conservation of forests in the estuary delta.

Seasonal drought events induced by climate change have exacerbated the water deficit in trees. This is particularly pronounced in mature trees with considerable heights and extensive branches, where the long water transport distance leads to a reduction in hydraulic transportation efficiency. Therefore, investigating the water uptake patterns of mature trees is essential to enhance their growth and resilience to climate change. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on trees aged 10–60 years, with limited research on the water uptake patterns of trees over 60 years old. In this study, we employed hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes coupled with the MixSIAR model to determine the water uptake patterns of mature Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata (40–60 years, 60–90 years, 120–150 years, >150 years) during the growing seasons of 2021 and 2022 in Baotianman Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China. Additionally, we utilized a random forest model to quantify the relative contributions of vegetation (fine root biomass) and soil properties (soil moisture, bulk density, total porosity, field capacity, and soil texture) to the water uptake patterns of Q. aliena. Our findings demonstrate that most mature Q. aliena predominantly extracted deep soil water (60–100 cm) in the early growing season, but shifted towards utilizing shallow soil water (0–40 cm) in the late growing season. The water uptake pattern of mature Q. aliena was primarily regulated by soil moisture. These results reveal that mature Q. aliena trees exhibit a flexible water use strategy, enabling them to cope with seasonal drought by altering the soil depth from which they extract water. In the future, in the process of the cultivation and conservation of mature oak trees, surface soil irrigation can be increased to prevent tree mortality resulting from water deficit during drought conditions.