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Arid Land Geography ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (8): 1502-1510.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.130

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles    

Distribution patterns and evaluation of soil nutrients in Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica forests across different regions and altitudes

XU Dong(), CHEN Hao, Yeerjiang BAIKETUERHAN(), WANG Qiang   

  1. College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Xinjiang Agricultural University/Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Industrial Technology in Arid Areas of Xinjiang, Urumqi 830052, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2025-03-11 Revised:2025-04-09 Online:2025-08-25 Published:2025-08-21
  • Contact: Yeerjiang BAIKETUERHAN E-mail:17633692579@163.com;erjan0701@163.com

Abstract:

To investigate the spatial variability of soil nutrients under Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica forests and provide a scientific basis for forest health evaluation, an experiment was conducted across four study areas located along different longitude ranges from east to west on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. Sample lines and plots were established along elevation gradients, and soil samples were collected to analyze nutrient distribution patterns and differences across regions and elevations. The results indicated the following: (1) Elevation had a certain influence on the distribution of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus content. (2) Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus contents were significantly positively correlated. (3) Based on a comprehensive evaluation, the ranking of soil nutrient content across different elevations, from highest to lowest, was as follows: Mid-high elevation (96.3 points), high elevation (95.5 points), mid elevation (95.0 points), mid-low elevation (88.5 points), and low elevation (79.4 points); across different regions, the soil nutrient rankings, were: Western Tianshan (93.4 points), mid-eastern Tianshan (91.4 points), mid-western Tianshan (91.0 points), and central Tianshan (88.0 points). (4) Total potassium content exhibited more stable distribution across elevations, with minimal influence from elevation factors. (5) Overall, soil nutrient levels under Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica forests on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains were generally abundant although certain differences still existed across elevations and regions. The highest nutrient content was observed in western Tianshan and the mid-high elevation zone.

Key words: northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica forests, soil nutrients beneath forests, altitude, nutrient rating