Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40006838›Full record

ArticlePlants (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Thinning Intensity Enhances Soil Multifunctionality and Microbial Residue Contributions to Organic Carbon Sequestration in Chinese Fir Plantations.

Ting He, Junjie Lei, Yuanying Peng, Ruihui Wang, Xiaoyong Chen, Zongxin Liu, Xiaoqian Gao, Peng Dang, Wende Yan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ting HeCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.
Junjie LeiNational Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China.
Yuanying PengCollege of Arts and Sciences, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL 60655, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2975-1425
Ruihui WangCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.ORCID 0009-0009-3247-1433
Xiaoyong ChenCollege of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, IL 60484, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0810-9863
Zongxin LiuCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.
Xiaoqian GaoCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.
Peng DangCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7266-0433
Wende YanNational Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China.

Funding

the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2020M672524the Hunan Province key research and development project 2023SK2055the National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFD220040302the National Natural Science Foundation of China 32001303the Post-Graduates of Central South University of Forestry and Technology 2024CX02048
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Soil multifunctionality is essential for the enhancement of soil carbon sequestration, but disturbances such as thinning practices can influence soil microbial activity and carbon cycling. Microbial residues, particularly microbial residue carbon (MRC), are important contributors to soil organic carbon (SOC), but the effects of thinning intensity on MRC accumulation remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the impact of four thinning treatments-control (CK, 0%), light-intensity thinning (LIT, 20%), medium-intensity thinning (MIT, 30%), and high-intensity thinning (HIT, 45%)-on soil multifunctionality in Chinese fir plantations five years after thinning. Soil nutrient provision, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and microbial residue carbon were assessed. The results showed that thinning intensity significantly affected soil nutrient provision and microbial biomass, with MIT and HIT showing higher nutrient levels than CK and LIT. Specifically, MIT's and HIT's total nutrient provision increased by 0.04 and 0.15 compared to that of CK. Enzyme activity was highest in LIT (+0.89), followed by MIT (+0.07), with HIT showing a decline (-0.84). Microbial biomass, including bacterial PLFAs (B-PLFAs), fungal PLFAs (F-PLFAs), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and nitrogen (MBN), was highest in CK and MIT, and lowest in HIT, with MIT showing a 0.13 increase compared to CK. Microbial residue carbon (MRC) accumulation was positively correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), and easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC). The highest MRC content in the 0-20 cm soil layer was observed in MIT and CK (10.46 and 11.66 g/kg, respectively), while the MRC in LIT and HIT was significantly lower, reduced by 24% and 12%, respectively. These findings highlight the significant role of thinning intensity in microbial activity and carbon cycling. Medium-intensity thinning (MIT, 30%) was identified as the most effective approach for promoting microbial biomass and enhancing carbon cycling in Chinese fir forest soils, making it an optimal approach for forest management aimed at increasing soil carbon sequestration.

Indexed as

amino sugarcarbon sequestrationChinese fir plantationsphospholipid fatty acidsoil multifunctionalitythinning

Identifiers

PMID40006838
PMCPMC11858922

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.