Characteristics of soil phosphorus fractions under different thinning intensities in Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation and the affecting factors.

Thinning is an important plantation management strategy. Phosphorus (P) is one of the limiting nutrients in forest ecosystems. The impacts of thinning on soil P remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of soil P fractions in topsoil (0-10 cm) of Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in Taiyue Mountain, Shanxi Province under different thinning intensity (control, CK, 0%; low thinning, LT, 15%; moderate thinning, MT, 35%; high thinning, HT, 50%) and the affecting factors. The soil P fractions were measured using Tissen modified Hedley P fractionation method. The results showed that the total inorganic P content in soil was significantly higher in stands subjected to moderate thinning than in control. The soil acid phosphatase activity (APA) and the contents of Resin-Pi, NaHCO₃-Pi, NaHCO₃-Po, NaOH-Pi, and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) were significantly increased in LT and MT compared with CK, but the content of NaOH-Po showed an opposite trend. Thinning had no significant effect on soil total P, total organic P, non-available P and residual-P. Soil moisture, organic matter, MBP and APA were the important factors affecting soil P availability. Our results demonstrated that MT could enhance soil P availability in Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation.