[Storage and allocation of carbon and nitrogen in Pinus tabuliformis plantations on the south slope of the East Qinling Mountains, China].

The objective of this study was to study carbon and nitrogen storages and distributions in Pinus tabuliformis plantations along an age chronosequence of 8-, 25-, 35-, 42- and 61-year-old on the south slope of the East Qinling Mountains; China. Results showed that the carbon content and nitrogen contents ranged from 441.40 to 526.21 g . kg-1 and from 3.13 to 3.99 g . kg-1 in arbor layer, from 426.06 to 447.25 g . kg-1 and from 10.62 to 12.45 g . kg-1 in shrub layer, from 301.37 to 401.52 g . kg-1 and from 10.35 to 13.33 g kg-1 in herb layer, from 382.83 to 424.71 g . kg-1, and from 8.69 to 11.90 g . kg-1 in litter layer, and from 1.51 to 18.17 g . kg-1 and from 0.29 to 1.45 g . kg-1 in soil layer (0-100 cm) , respectively. The largest carbon and nitrogen storages in arbor layer were trunks and branches, which made up 48.5% to 62.7% and 39.2% to 48.4% of the total storage, respectively. Carbon and nitrogen storages of P. tabuliformis plantations were obviously age-dependent. Carbon storage at first increased with stand Age before the stand was ripe. It was the highest (146.06 t . hm-2) when the stand was 35 year-old, after which the carbon storage de- creased. The nitrogen storage reached the peak value of 10.99 t . hm-2 at 25 year-old. The average carbon and nitrogen storages were 45.33 t . hm-2 and 568.55 kg . hm-2 in the plant layer and, 73.12 and 8.57 t . hm-2 in soil layer, respectively. Moreover, carbon and nitrogen were accumulated at higher levels in the surface soil layer. In addition, the storages of carbon and nitrogen were mainly distributed in soil layer and arbor layer in this region. The average carbon storage in different components followed an order as soil layer (64.1%) > arbor layer (30.0%) > shrub-herb and litter layers (5.9%), while the nitrogen storage followed as: soil layer (93.2%) > arbor layer (5.3%) > shrub-herb and litter layers (1.5%).