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Table 2 Soil properties of the upper 30-cm in different forests

From: Reduced turnover rate of topsoil organic carbon in old-growth forests: a case study in subtropical China

Forest

PF

MF

BF

SOC (g·kg− 1)

10.52 ± 0.39b

18.82 ± 1.09a

18.29 ± 0.61a

ROC (g·kg− 1)

3.29 ± 0.14b

5.37 ± 0.41a

4.83 ± 0.25a

RI (%)

71.06 ± 0.45b

72.62 ± 1.22ab

75.10 ± 0.51a

MBC (mg·kg− 1)

142.40 ± 7.73b

247.73 ± 27.40a

236.94 ± 22.74a

TN (g·kg− 1)

0.83 ± 0.02b

1.34 ± 0.06a

1.48 ± 0.05a

AN (mg·kg− 1)

65.80 ± 3.83c

132.07 ± 4.64b

154.03 ± 5.55a

C/N

11.87 ± 0.23b

13.28 ± 0.23a

12.05 ± 0.11b

SWC (%)

15.86 ± 0.52b

24.06 ± 0.97a

25.10 ± 0.58a

pH

4.05 ± 0.01a

3.95 ± 0.03b

3.91 ± 0.02b

MWD (mm)

172.96 ± 19.02b

321.30 ± 17.79a

256.39 ± 22.52a

BD (g·cm− 3)

1.45 ± 0.06a

1.23 ± 0.03b

1.21 ± 0.04b

  1. Values are the mean ± standard error (n = 8; for the BD, n = 3). PF P. massoniana forest; MF coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest; BF monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest; SOC soil organic carbon; ROC readily oxidized organic carbon; RI recalcitrance index; MBC microbial biomass carbon; TN total nitrogen; AN available nitrogen; C/N the ratio of carbon to nitrogen; SWC soil water content; MWD mean weight diameter of soil aggregates; BD bulk density. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among different forests (p < 0.05)