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Effects of experimental nitrogen additions on plant diversity in tropical forests of contrasting disturbance regimes in southern China
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Effects of experimental nitrogen additions on plant diversity in tropical forests of contrasting disturbance regimes in southern China

Xiankai Lu, Jiangming Mo, Frank S. Gilliam, Guirui Yu, Wei Zhang, Yunting Fang and Juan Huang
Environmental Pollution, Vol.159, pp.2228-2235
159
2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.10.037
Web of Science ID: WOS:000295493100004

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Abstract

Responses of understory plant diversity to nitrogen (N) additions were investigated in reforested forests of contrasting disturbance regimes in southern China from 2003 to 2008: disturbed forest (with harvesting of understory vegetation and litter) and rehabilitated forest (without harvesting). Experimental additions of N were administered as the following treatments: Control, 50 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, and 100 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Nitrogen additions did not significantly affect understory plant richness, density, and cover in the disturbed forest. Similarly, no significant response was found for canopy closure in this forest. In the rehabilitated forest, species richness and density showed no significant response to N additions; however, understory cover decreased significantly in the N-treated plots, largely a function of a significant increase in canopy closure. Our results suggest that responses of plant diversity to N deposition may vary with different land-use history, and rehabilitated forests may be more sensitive to N deposition.

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