Bo Tan

Sichuan Agricultural University · Institute of Ecology & Forestry

Previous studies have examined sediment yields and erosion in karst settings over recent decades, with little consideration of the evolution of rocky desertification over longer timescales. Here we reconstruct sediment yields from karst terrain in SW China over the past 600+ years by dating sediment deposition in a representative karst depression,...

Background and aims The composition and structure of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities in subalpine forest ecosystems may vary depending on different forest types and seasonal variations, thus having important implications for soil nitrogen (N) cycling. Methods Using Abies fargesii var. faxoniana...

Despite the close interactions between carbon (C) and nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), the consequences of N fertilization alone or in combination with P and K on soil organic matter (SOM) chemical composition remain unclear. Using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from 45 field studies, we...

The interactive effects of environmental heterogeneity caused by forest gaps and ectomycorrhizae on fungal community characteristics remain insufficiently explored. To address this knowledge gap, we established a three-year field manipulation experiment in a Picea asperata (Picea asperata Mast.) plantation located in the subalpine region of western...

Background and aims Previous studies have focused on the differing response patterns of leaf functional traits (LFTs) to nitrogen (N) addition under spatiotemporal or species classification variations. However, in N-rich forest ecosystems, it remains unclear whether continuous N input regulates the sensitivity of various plant types in different se...

Purpose Soil mesofauna-associated biogeochemical cycles could be mediated by nitrogen (N) deposition and plant functional types. However, N addition effects on the contribution of soil mesofauna to litter element release under different plant functional types remain unclear. Methods A litterbag experiment with two mesh sizes (2 and 0.1 mm) examine...

Soil fauna plays a crucial role in the soil biogeochemical cycles of forest ecosystems, with tree species composition regulating their diversity and functionality through alterations in habitat conditions and nutrient availability. However, identifying the impacts of tree species on soil faunal communities remains challenging due to the difficulty...

Nitrogen addition alters soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) accumulation in forest ecosystems, but the responses of SOC and TN sequestration rates and dynamics to nitrogen addition in forest ecosystems worldwide remain unclear. This study conducted a global analysis to evaluate the effects of the nitrogen application rate, nitrogen a...

Background and Aims Previous studies have focused on differences in leaf functional traits (LFTs) in response to N addition under spatiotemporal or species classification variations. However, in N-rich forest ecosystems, it is unknown whether continuous N input regulates plant phenology, further strengthening or weakening these differences. Methods...

One of the key goals of ecology is to understand how communities are assembled. The species co-existence theory suggests that community β-diversity is influenced by species pool and community assembly processes, such as environmental filtering, dispersal events, ecological drift and biotic interactions. However, it remains unclear whether there are...

As an important part of terrestrial ecosystems, the forest soil nutrient content is easily affected by thinning. However, the effects of thinning on soil phosphorus (P) stocks and dynamics have not yet been systematically analyzed. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of thinning on the soil P stock and rate of soil P stock change in...

Knowledge about the elevational patterns of soil microbial biomass and communities can facilitate accurate prediction of the responses of soil biogeochemical processes to climate change. However, previous studies that have considered intra‐ and inter‐annual variations have reported inconsistent results on the one hand, and they have paid little att...

Background Soil fauna is an important driver of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) release from decomposing litter in forest ecosystems. However, its role in C and N cycling concerning climate and litter traits remains less known. In a 4-year field experiment, we evaluated the effects of soil fauna on litter C and N release across an elevation gradient (4...

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are crucial components of dryland ecosystems worldwide; however, their roles in phosphorus (P) transformation and associated functional communities have received less scientific attention compared with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Currently, little is known about the relative importance of precipitation, b...

The influence of microhabitat factors on prokaryotic communities within desert ecosystems, particularly those residing in biological soil crusts (biocrusts), remains poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the relative importance of different microhabitats, including soil depths, biocrust developmental stages, and shrub cover, in shaping s...

Litter plays a crucial role in phosphorus (P) cycling, and its role in forest ecosystems may vary with different treatments and forest types. In this study, we investigated soil P fraction responses to litter removal in different forest types and how forest conversion affects the acquisition pathway of bioavailable P through an in situ controlled l...

Global warming drives shrubs expansion. However, it is unclear how shrubs expansion affect the nutrients cycling, decomposer diversity and activity of alpine meadows. We selected two dominant shrub species in an alpine forest-Tundra ecotone on the eastern Tibetan Plateau: Rhododendron lapponicum (evergreen shrubs), and Sorbus rufopilosa (deciduous...

Litter decomposition is a key pathway of metal cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, yet little is known about the dynamics of metals in decomposing roots. A two-year decomposition experiment was conducted to investigate the temporal dynamics of nine metals (Ca, K, Mg, Fe, Al, Mn, Cr, Cu, and Pb) in decomposing roots of three diameter classes (0–2 mm,...

Litter humification plays a crucial role in organic matter formation and soil carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. However, how forest gap formation and gap size variation affect the litter humification process remains poorly understood. An eight-year in situ decomposition experiment was conducted to evaluate humus accumulation (humic substan...

Livestock grazing of grassland ecosystems may induce shifts in microbe community traits and soil carbon (C) cycling; however, impacts of grassland management (grazing) on soil C- microbe community trait (microbial biomass, diversity, community structure, and enzyme activity) relationships are unclear. To address this, we conducted a global meta-ana...

Despite the vital role in carbon (C) sequestration and nutrient retention, variations and patterns in root C and nitrogen (N) stoichiometry of the first five root orders across woody plant species remains unclear. We compiled a dataset to explore variations and patterns of root C and N stoichiometry in the first five orders of 218 woody plant speci...

Due to frequent human disturbance and the influence of crop growth and development, the migration of soil organic carbon (SOC) in sloping farmland is considerably different to those in other ecosystems. The impacts of maize over its entire growth period on the SOC loss in sloping farmland on purple soils under different erosion stages were investig...

Soil arthropods are crucial decomposers of litter at both global and local scales, yet their functional roles in mediating microbial activity during litter decomposition remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a two-year field experiment using litterbags to assess the effects of soil arthropods on the extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) in...

Afforestation is one of the most important forestry practices, but its impact on soil microbial communities remains poorly understood. In this study, we sampled the soil from 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm soil depths of 7-, 13-, 24-, 33-, and 53-year-old Chinese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis) plantations. To investigate the effect of stand age o...

Deadwood is an indispensable component of forest ecosystems, with important consequences for global carbon cycling. Although research into carbon release from decaying logs and its response to wood traits has increased, little attention has been paid to how wood traits affect the potential of carbon sequestration in decaying logs through humificati...

This study examines the pattern of soil erosion rates in a cropland fragment underlain by limestone and purple sandstone (referred to as the CLP) in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) using the ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pbex techniques. A total of 96 bulk cores and 18 sectioned cores were collected from the CLP. In addition, 4 bulk and 4 sectioned cores w...

Follicular atresia is a natural physiological phenomenon in poultry reproduction. It is well known that follicular atresia is caused by both autophagy and apoptosis of granulosa cells. In current experiment, we evaluated the function of miR-34-5p on autophagy and apoptosis in chicken follicular atresia. Firstly, the follicular atresia model of chic...

Purpose Soil moisture (i.e., the changes in the gravimetric soil water content) redistribution is closely linked with root distribution and preferential flow in soils. This study aimed at exploring the soil water content distribution in the presence of root-enhanced preferential flow in deciduous (Quercus variabilis BI.) and coniferous forests (Pla...

It is well known that roots play a significant role in reducing water erosion in soil, yet few studies have reported the influence of crop roots on soil translocation induced by tillage in sloping fields. To examine the relationship between soil-root complexes (i.e., complexes of wheat roots and soil) and soil redistribution caused by tillage, a se...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is critical for carbon cycling and sequestration in forest ecosystems. However, how stand age affects SOC components and stability still remains poorly understood. Here, soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis (L. f.) D. Don plantations of seven stand ages (6, 12, 23, 27, 32, 46, 52 a)...

Knowledge of the patterns in the degradation of cellulose and lignin in decaying logs under different climatic conditions is necessary to understand the carbon cycling in forest ecosystems since cellulose and lignin are the dominant carbon fractions in decaying logs. However, the effects of the environmental heterogeneity by variation in canopy cov...

Forest gaps are an essential driver of litter decomposition in alpine forest ecosystems, but how gap size influences lignin and cellulose degradation in twig litter remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted an 8-year decomposition experiment to assess twig litter decomposition (i.e., mass loss, cellulose and lignin degradation) in four gap size...

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a subclass of RNA macromolecules that are reported to be involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle development. However, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in chicken myogenesis are still largely unclear. Here, we identified a novel circRNA, circGPD2, an RNA macromolecule with a calculated molecular...

Nitrogen deposition has a considerable impact on biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how litter production and element return respond to N addition remains poorly understood in nitrogen-rich subtropical regions. In this study, a 4-year nitrogen addition experiment explored its effects on foliar litter production and carbon, n...

Soil ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms play important roles in nitrogen (N) cycling in cold ecosystems, but how changes in snow cover will affect their distribution and associated functional characteristics remains unclear. A snow manipulation experiment was conducted to explore the effects of snow exclusion on soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) a...

Litter humification is an essential process of soil carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems, but the relationship between soil fauna and humic substances has not been well understood. Therefore, a field litterbag experiment with manipulation of soil fauna was carried out in different soil frozen seasons over one year in cold forests. The foliar l...

Non-point source pollution caused by surface runoff has been a popular hydrological and environmental safety issue and has attracted extensive attention from global scholars. To identify the optimal vegetation coverage of Festuca arundinacea grassland for controlling soil erosion and purifying surface runoff, bare land was chosen as the control in...

The normal development of follicles determines the reproductive performance of females. Granulosa cells (GC) play crucial roles in follicular maturation. Numerous studies have shown that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of GC. According to our previous sequencing data, gga-miR-146b-3p was differentially expressed in normal and atretic chicken...

Background Deadwood and the associated epixylic vegetation influence nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems. Open canopies strongly regulate deadwood decomposition and disrupt epixylic vegetation on logs. However, it is unclear how the forest canopy density and epixylic vegetation growth affect the nutrient concentrations in deadwood. Methods We mea...

The proliferation and steroid hormone synthesis of granulosa cells (GCs) are essential for ovarian follicle growth and ovulation, which are necessary to support the normal function of the follicle. Numerous studies suggest that miRNAs play key roles in this process. In this study, we report a novel role for miR-10a-5p that inhibits ovarian GCs prol...

The growing period is a critical period for growth and development in laying hens. During this period, chicks grow rapidly, but are accompanied by unstable digestive function, incomplete organ development, and high mortality. Small peptide, a feed additive, which has been proved to promote intestinal development and immunity in poultry. In order to...

Climate warming changes the plant community composition and biodiversity. Dominate species or plant functional types (PFTs) loss may influence alpine ecosystem processes, but much uncertainty remains. This study tested whether loss of specific PFTs and vegetation variation would impact the metallic element release of mixed litter in an alpine treel...

Soil fungi are crucial drivers of log decomposition in forest ecosystems, but how soil fungal community composition varies during the process of log decomposition remains poorly understood. We conducted an experiment incubating decaying logs in a subalpine coniferous forest on the eastern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, China. Five classes of decaying Minji...

Background Changes in foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry play important roles in predicting the effects of global change on ecosystem structure and function. However, there is substantial debate on the effects of P addition on foliar N and P stoichiometry, particularly under different levels of N addition. Thus, we conducted a glo...

Nitrogen (N) deposition poses a threat to terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem functioning globally. However, little is known concerning how the structure and function of litter fauna communities will respond in this context. Here, a gradient of N deposition (0, 20, and 40 kg N ha−1 yr−1) was simulated in a subtropical forest of southwestern Chin...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest terrestrial organic carbon pool. Plant litter is an important source of SOC, but the knowledge gap between SOC fractions and plant litter input remains inconsistent. Here, a litter input control experiment was conducted at three subalpine forest types (coniferous forest, mixed forest, and broadleaved forest)...

Aims: Soil fungi are crucial drivers of log decomposition in forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was thus to assess the conservation roles of decaying logs on soil fungi. Methods: Five classes of decaying Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) logs were incubated on the forest floor in a subalpine coniferous forest on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet P...

Information about the seasonal changes in soil enzyme activity along altitudinal gradients is key for understanding the responses of soil biochemical processes to ongoing climate change. Therefore, a 3-year in situ soil core incubation experiment was conducted along a 2431-m altitudinal gradient in an alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibe...

Understanding seasonal changes in soil microbial quotient (qMB, i.e., the MBC‐to‐SOC ratio) along altitudinal gradients and their dominant drivers is essential for determining the effects of environmental changes on the soil organic carbon pool. A 3‐year in situ soil core incubation experiment was thus conducted in a dry valley shrub, a valley‐moun...

Winter climate change has great potential to affect the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. In particular, increased soil frost associated with reduced insulating snow cover may impact the soil nitrogen (N) dynamics in cold ecosystems, but little is known about the variability of these effects among the soil aggregates. A snow manipulation exper...

Loss of plant diversity affects mountain ecosystem properties and processes, yet few studies have focused on the impact of plant function type deficiency on mixed litter humification. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a 1279-day litterbag decomposition experiment with six plant functional types of foliar litter to determine the temporal dyna...

Soil fauna are crucial decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems, but how the role of soil fauna varies among climatic conditions and litter substrates remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted a four-year litter decomposition experiment along an elevational gradient (453 m, 945 m, 3058 m and 3582 m) in southwestern China. Two dominant tree species...

Aim Global change is driving shrub expansion in alpine and Arctic tundra, increasing the size and number of shrub islands. This phenomenon can directly affect the vegetation microclimate and indirectly affect biogeochemical cycling. However, it is unclear how shrub island formation, with a shift in dominant vegetation from graminoids to deciduous o...

Aim The decomposition of plant residues is a fundamental process of soil organic matter accumulation. The loss of plant functional groups (PFGs) could affect this process by producing litter of different qualities in the soil. Microorganisms are one of the indispensable driving forces of ecological processes, but the mechanisms by microbial communi...

Soil fauna plays a crucial role in plant litter decomposition. However, if and how increasing nitrogen (N) deposition and plant functional type jointly affect the contribution of soil mesofauna to litter decomposition remains poorly understood. A litterbag experiment with two meshed sizes (0.1 and 2 mm) was conducted to examine the effects of soil...

Plant litter-derived dissolved compounds leaching is an important process for soil carbon (C) sequestration and nutrient cycling. However, knowledge of the biotic and abiotic drivers of dissolved compound release from litter mixture remains limited. Here, we evaluated the loss of soluble C, N, and P during litter mixtures decomposition across an al...

Background The terminal branch orders of plant root systems are increasingly known as an ephemeral module. This concept is crucial to recognize belowground processes. However, it is unknown if root modules still exist after they die? Methods The decomposition patterns of the first five root orders were observed for 3 years using a branch-order cla...

Aims The redistribution of forest gaps based on solar radiation and precipitation (mainly rainfall and snowfall) can create heterogenous microenvironments inside and outside the gaps. Here, we investigated the effects of forest gaps on carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in decaying logs by altering the microenvironments. Met...