Impact of Ice Snow Damage on Soil Nutrient and Enzyme in a Cunninghamia lanceolata Woodland in Northern Guangdong Province, China

A severe ice storm damaged forests across northern area of Guangdong Province from January to February 2008, and resulted in extensive and severe damage of Cunninghamia lanceolata forests. This paper studied effect of icesnow damage on soil characteristics in a Clanceolata stand in the north of Guangdong Province, to provide a scientific basis for recovery of Clanceolata stands suffering from ice storm damage. From 2008 to 2011, the contents of organic matter, total N and alkahihydrolyzable N of the upper soil layer and available P of the upper and lower soil layers increased followed by a decrease and then increased, whereas content of total P of the two soil layers increased and then decreased. The contents of organic matter, total N of lower soil layer and total K and available K of the two soil layers decreased followed by an increase, and alkahihydrolyzable N of lower soil layer continuously increased. Activities of urease and catalase decreased, and then increased in upper and lower soil layers. Phosphatase activity decreased followed by an increase and then slightly changed in the upper and lower soil layers. Our results suggest that ice storm can lead to significant changes in soil nutrient and enzyme activity.