Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems

Forest ecosystems maintain productivity and carbon storage through the circulation of essential elements—chiefly carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and base cations such as calcium and magnesium. Primary producers capture atmospheric C via photosynthesis, allocating organic compounds belowground to roots and mycorrhizal networks. Decomposers mineralise organic matter from leaf litter, woody debris and faecal deposits, releasing inorganic nutrients that are taken up by plants or further processed by soil microbes. Nutrient retention is modulated by soil texture, mineralogy and acidity, with the forest floor acting as a buffer against leaching. Disturbances—including insect outbreaks, drought and acid deposition—alter the quantity and quality of inputs, reshaping microbial communities and the efficacy of nutrient transformations. Interactions between mycorrhizal symbionts and saprotrophs determine the rate at which complex organic compounds are broken down, thereby influencing forest resilience and feedbacks to the global carbon cycle. Recent advances emphasise the role of hidden soil reservoirs, legacy effects of die-off events and the coupling of above- and belowground processes in sustaining nutrient availability across diverse biomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

In alpine catchments, research has uncovered that undeveloped till soils concealed beneath scree deposits act as hotspots for phosphorus mobilisation. Despite sparse vegetation, microbial consortia in these till soils exhibit rapid P turnover and high concentrations of mobile P forms, contributing disproportionately to downstream nutrient export compared with adjacent meadow soils. In boreal regions, long-term monitoring of defoliator outbreaks has revealed pronounced shifts in lake catchment water chemistry: reduced dissolved organic carbon levels coincide with elevated inorganic nitrogen fluxes during outbreak years. Such findings demonstrate rapid land-to-water transfer of nutrients following canopy defoliation, underscoring the need to integrate insect disturbances into biogeochemical models of forested landscapes.

Nutrient Cycling in Forest Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Cation exchange capacity (CEC): The total capacity of soil to hold and exchange positively charged ions.

Base cations: Nutrient cations such as calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), potassium (K⁺) and sodium (Na⁺), essential for plant growth.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC): Organic molecules dissolved in soil solution or water bodies, serving as energy sources for microbes.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM): Fungal symbionts forming sheaths around plant roots that enhance nutrient and water uptake.

References

1. Undeveloped till soils in scree areas are an overlooked important phosphorus source for waters in alpine catchments. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Forest defoliator outbreaks alter nutrient cycling in northern waters. Nature Communications (2021).
3. Drought-induced tree mortality in Scots pine mesocosms promotes changes in soil microbial communities and trophic groups. Applied Soil Ecology (2024).
4. Long-term changes in soil composition in unmanaged central European mountain spruce forests after decreased acidic deposition and a bark beetle outbreak. Catena (2023).
5. Surviving trees and deadwood moderate changes in soil fungal communities and associated functioning after natural forest disturbance and salvage logging. Soil Biology and Biochemistry (2022).