Table 1 Soil (0–10 cm) properties in karst grass and grass–shrub ecosystems.

From: Rainfall as an important process for net N gain during the initial phase of natural recovery in karst desertification

Soil properties

Grass

Grass-shrub

SOC (g/kg)

18.8 ± 0.6b

25.0 ± 2.1a

TN (g/kg)

1.7 ± 0.05b

2.1 ± 0.1a

Soil C/N

11.3 ± 0.3a

12.1 ± 0.8a

NH4+ (mg/kg)

12.0 ± 0.8a

13.4 ± 0.9a

NO3− (mg/kg)

0.3 ± 0.01a

0.3 ± 0.02a

TP (g/kg)

0.4 ± 0.01a

0.4 ± 0.02a

AP (mg/kg)

1.0 ± 0.2a

1.3 ± 0.2a

Soil N/P

3.5 ± 0.1b

4.7 ± 0.4a

DOC (mg/kg)

310.6 ± 10.7a

307.1 ± 18.1a

DON (mg/kg)

36.6 ± 1.5a

37.8 ± 2.7a

pH

6.3 ± 0.1a

6.5 ± 0.1a

Ca2+ (g/kg)

1.8 ± 0.4a

2.8 ± 0.6a

Clay content (%)

52.8 ± 5.1a

43.1 ± 3.1a

Silt content (%)

16.9 ± 5.3a

33.3 ± 4.5a

Sand content (%)

30.4 ± 4.0a

23.6 ± 5.1a

BD (g/cm3)

1.2 ± 0.1a

1.2 ± 0.1a

  1. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error (n = 12). Values in the same row followed by different letters are significantly different (p < 0.05).
  2. SOC soil organic carbon, TN soil total N, TP soil total phosphorus, AP soil available phosphorus, DOC dissolved organic carbon, DON dissolved organic nitrogen, BD bulk density.
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