Studying carbon and nitrogen stocks in different types of larch forest ecosystems is of great significance for assessing the carbon sink capacity and nitrogen level in larch forests. To evaluate the effects of the differences of forest type on the carbon and nitrogen stock capacity of the larch forest ecosystem, we selected three typical types of larch forest ecosystems in the northern part of Daxing’an Mountains, which were the Rhododendron simsii-Larix gmelinii forest (RL), Ledum palustre-Larix gmelinii forest (LL) and Sphagnum-Bryum-Ledum palustre-Larix gmelinii forest (SLL), to determine the carbon and nitrogen stocks in the vegetation (trees and understories), litter and soil. Results showed that there were significant differences in carbon and nitrogen stocks among the three types of larch forest ecosystems, showing a sequence of SLL (288.01 Mg·ha⁻¹ and 25.19 Mg·ha⁻¹) > LL (176.52 Mg·ha⁻¹ and 14.85 Mg·ha⁻¹) > RL (153.93 Mg·ha⁻¹ and 10.00 Mg·ha⁻¹) (P < 0.05). The largest proportions of carbon and nitrogen stocks were found in soils, accounting for 83.20%, 72.89% and 64.61% of carbon stocks and 98.61%, 97.58% and 96.00% of nitrogen stocks in the SLL, LL and RL, respectively. Also, it was found that significant differences among the three types of larch forest ecosystems in terms of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks (SLL > LL > RL) (P < 0.05) were the primary reasons for the differences in the ecosystem carbon and nitrogen stocks. More than 79% of soil carbon and 51% of soil nitrogen at a depth of 0–100 cm were stored in the upper 50 cm of the soil pool. In the vegetation layer, due to the similar tree biomass carbon and nitrogen stocks, there were no significant differences in carbon and nitrogen stocks among the three types of larch forest ecosystems. The litter carbon stock in the SLL was significantly higher than that in the LL and RL (P < 0.05), but no significant differences in nitrogen stock were found among them (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that different forest types with the same tree layer and different understory vegetation can greatly affect the carbon and nitrogen stock capacity of the forest ecosystem. This indicates that understory vegetation may have significant effects on the carbon and nitrogen stocks in soil and litter, which highlights the need to consider the effects of understory in future research into the carbon and nitrogen stock capacity of forest ecosystems.

Changes in above-ground litterfall can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests, which substantially impacts soil nitrogen (N) and nutrient cycling. However, how these soil processes respond to the litter manipulation is complex and poorly understood, especially in the N-limiting boreal forest. We aimed to examine how soil N dynamics respond to litter manipulations in a boreal larch forest. A litter manipulation experiment including control, litter exclusion, and litter addition was performed in the Larix gmelinii forest on the north of the Daxing’an Mountains in China. Monthly soil inorganic N, microbial biomass and the rate of net N mineralization in both 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers, and N₂O flux were analyzed from May 2018 to October 2018. In 0–20 cm soil layer the average soil inorganic N contents, microbial biomass N (MBN) contents, the rate of net N mineralization (Rmin), and the soil N₂O emission in the litter addition plot were approximately 40.58%, 54.16%, 128.57%, and 38.52% greater, respectively than those in the control. While litter exclusion reduced those indexes about 29.04%, 19.84%, 80.98%, and 31.45%, respectively. Compared with the dynamics of the 10–20 cm soil layer, the N dynamics in 0–10 cm soil were more sensitive to litter manipulation. Rmin and N₂O emissions were significantly correlated with MBN in most cases. Our results highlight the short-term effects of litter manipulations on soil N dynamics, which suggests that the influence of litter on soil N process should be considered in the future defoliation management of the boreal larch forest.

It is of great significance to study short-term water-use efficiency (WUE_s) at different canopy heights for accurately evaluating the adaptability of cold-temperate larch (Larix gmelinii) forest to climate change. The stable isotope method combining data of gradient meteorology, photosynthetic properties and leaf structure were used to assess the influence of different canopy heights on short-term water-use efficiency (WUE_s) in larch forests in the northern Da Hinggan Mountains. The results show that: (1) The rank of leaf WUE_s at different canopy heights was upper canopy > middle canopy > lower canopy. The leaf WUE_s in upper canopy was significantly higher than those in the middle and lower canopy (p < 0.01), and no significant difference was found between the middle and lower canopy (p > 0.05). (2) The environmental factors, the photosynthetic characteristics, the specific leaf weight (LMA) and stomatal density (SD) had significant impact (p < 0.05) on leaf WUE_s at different canopy heights of larch forest. (3) The results of the weighted random forest analysis show that the main factor affecting WUE_s in larch forests at different canopy heights was vapor pressure deficit (VPD), followed by relative humidity (RH) and net photosynthetic rate (Pn), while LMA and SD made relatively small contributions. This indicates that the variation of leaf WUE_s at different canopy heights is mainly due to environmental factors. Our results highlight that the difference of environmental factors at different canopy heights should be considered in the future study of leaf WUE. Our results contribute to a better understanding of water utilization strategies and carbohydrate relations in the boreal forest ecosystems, which is of great significance for improving the sustainable management measures and strategies of boreal forest resources.

Soil enzymes mediate organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, and their stoichiometry can indicate microbial nutrient demands. However, research on the variations in soil enzymes and microbial nutrient limitation under different temperate forest types still lacks insight. In this study, we sampled soils under five typical forest types (including Betula platyphylla Suk. forest, Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr forest, Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. forest, Populus davidiana Dode forest, and Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc.forest) in the temperate climatic region of northeast China. Soil enzyme activities and soil microbial community composition and diversity were determined for each, and vector analysis was used to quantify the value of microbial limitation. The results showed that soil enzyme activity, enzyme stoichiometry, and microbial community structure were significantly different among the five temperate forest types. The ratios of soil C:N:P acquiring enzyme activity were close to 1:1:1. All the forests showed prevalent P limitation over N limitation (all vector angles > 45°), and the degree of impact varied among different forest types. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson’s test demonstrated that soil enzyme activities and microbial nutrient limitation were mainly determined by soil physical properties and microbial community. These results contribute to understanding the mechanisms that link plant composition, soil enzyme activity, and microbial nutrient limitation in temperate forests.

Alterations in plant litter inputs into the soil are expected to significantly affect soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the influence on boreal forest soils is not clear, given the large amount of accumulated soil organic matter that may buffer the impacts from the input of fresh litter. In this study, we conducted a litter manipulation experiment to explore the effects of the litter layer on soil GHG fluxes in a Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) forest ecosystem in northeastern China. Three litter treatments were implemented, namely aboveground litter removal (LR), litter double (LD), and unchanged litter input (CK). The associated microclimate, litter characteristics, and soil properties were also measured. The results showed that this larch forest soil acts as a source of CO₂ and N₂O but acts as a sink for CH₄ for all litter manipulation treatments. LD increased the soil CO₂ and N₂O fluxes by 15% and 34%, while LR decreased them by 8% and 21%, respectively. However, soil CH₄ uptake decreased by 34% in LD treatment and increased by 22% in LR treatment, respectively. Litter manipulation treatments can not only affect soil GHG fluxes directly but also, via their effects on soil MBC, NH₄⁺−N, and NO₃⁻−N content, indirectly affect variations in soil CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O fluxes, respectively. Our study highlights the importance of the plant litter layer in regulating soil GHG between the atmosphere and soil in a Dahurian larch forest ecosystem, especially for litter addition. Considering the natural increase in litter quantity over time, this important regulatory function is essential for an accurate estimation of the role of boreal forests in mitigating future climate change.