Nutrient cycling characteristics along a chronosequence of forest primary succession in the Hailuogou Glacier retreat area, eastern Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Hailuogou Glacier has been continuously retreating since the end of the Little Ice Age, resulting in a 125-year soil chronosequence and a complete primary forest succession sequence. Nutrient cycling and utilization are the foundation to forest succession processes and dynamic changes, directly influencing the structure and stability of ecosystems. However, our understandings on the characteristics of ecosystem nutrient accumulation and recycling during succession, especially in the context of primary succession within glacier retreat areas, remain limited. To address this, we investigated nutrient characteristics across six forest primary succession sites in the Hailuogou Glacier retreat area.

Methods

Six sites representing three forest stages: the pioneer pl

SUBMITTER: Yang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11789653 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature