Microelement contents of litter, soil fauna and soil in Pinus koraiensis and mixed broad-leaved forest

Abstract

The Mn, Zn and Cu contents of litter, soil fauna and soil in Pinus koraiensis and mixed broad-leaved forest in Liangshui Nature Reserve of Xiaoxing’an Mountains were analyzed in this paper, results showed that the tested microelement contents in the litter, soil fauna and soil followed the order: Mn>Zn>Cu, but varied with environmental components, for Mn the order is soil>litter>soil fauna, for Zn is soil fauna>litter and soil, and for Cu is soil fauna>soil>litter. The change range of the tested microelement contents in litter was larger in broad-leaved forest than those in coniferous forest. Different soil fauna differed in their microelement-enrichment capability, the highest content of Mn, Zn and Cu existed in earthworm, centipede and diplopod, respectively. The contents of the tested microelements in soil fauna had significant correlations with their environmental background values, litter decomposition rate, food habit of soil fauna, and its absorbing selectively and enrichment to microelements. The microelements contained in 5–20 cm soil horizon were more than those in 0–5 cm humus layer, and their dynamics differed in various horizons.