Formation of Soil Chemical Environment in Coastal Pinus thunbergii Parlatore Forest in Southwestern Japan

We investigated the chemical properties of precipitation and litter fall, and their effects on soil chemistry, in a coastal forest consisting of pure Pinus thunbergii stands, Pinus-dominated stands with broadleaf trees in the understory, mixed stands of Pinus and evergreen broadleaf trees, and evergreen broadleaf stands. Throughfall pH in the pure Pinus stand was significantly lower than those in the other three stands, and the soil in the pure Pinus stand was determined to be acidic (pH = ca. 5.0). In Pinus-dominated stands with broadleaf species in the understory, precipitation had a neutralizing effect in the foliage of broadleaf species in the understory of the Pinus stand and the pH levels of their surface mineral soil were significantly higher than those in the pure Pinus stand. The soil pH level was low in the pure Pinus stand, and then increased with an increasing dominance of broadleaf species in the understory. The soil pH was lowered with an increasing dominance of broadleaf species in the canopy layer. A litter layer consisting of decomposable litter of broadleaf species with low C/N ratio acidified precipitation that was deposited as throughfall on the litter surface. Nitrates in the soil-extracted water from the mixed stand and from the evergreen broadleaf stand were significantly higher than the nitrates of stands with high dominance of Pinus. Higher nitrogen flux in the mixed stand and in the evergreen broadleaf stand, as well as a lower C/N ratio of the litter of broadleaf species, accelerated nitrogen accumulation in the soil in stands with high broadleaf species dominance in the canopy compared to the Pinus-dominated stand. Thus, the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil through litter fall is a possible factor that promotes succession from Pinus stands to evergreen broadleaf stands.

Impact of soil water chemistry on the apparent sex ratio of the flowering ramets of the dioecious plant Myrica gale var. tomentosa

We determined whether the apparent (M/Fl) sex ratio (male ramets/flowering ramets) and apparent reproductive ramet ratio (Fl/Li ratio; flowering ramets/living ramets) in 15 Myrica gale var. tomentosa populations varied with dissolved total nitrogen, dissolved total phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, or pH in the soil water. Our aim was to define the environmental factors affecting the M/Fl sex ratio and Fl/Li ratio of the populations. We also examined the habitat conditions of these populations by analyzing soil water chemistry and water dynamics. In 2007, 3 of the 15 populations had no females. The remaining 12 had significantly male-biased (M/Fl sex ratio = 0.59-0.97). Although we could not explain the absence of females by the current potassium levels alone, as potassium increased, so did the M/Fl sex ratio. As nitrogen increased and potassium decreased, Fl/Li ratio decreased. Our soil water chemistry analyses suggested that the potassium supply by soil surface erosion from flooding and the inflow of anthropogenic nitrogen were the important factors influencing the M/Fl sex ratio and Fl/Li ratio. Nitrogen management would be important in one of the endangered populations where inflow of nitrogen was the highest among 15 habitats.