A global analysis of the effects of forest thinning on soil N stocks and dynamics

• Thinning exerted positive effects on soil N accumulation. • Light thinning promoted soil N accumulation, but heavy thinning inhibited it. • Long-term recovery is more conducive to improving soil N accumulation. • The accumulation rate of soil N decreased with increases in precipitation and temperature. Forest thinning is a critical management measure for changing the forest community structure and improving the soil microclimate and nitrogen (N) cycle. However, differences in forest types, thinning intensity, recovery time, and climate conditions make the accumulation of soil N under forest thinning uncertain; especially the soil N accumulation rate is still lacking. This study systematically discusses the effects of forest thinning on the rate of soil N stock change (RNC) and analyzes the relationship between the RNC and the rate of soil carbon (C) stock change (RCC) by synthesizing 387 global data points. Forest thinning significantly increased the soil N stock, with the RNC being +0.07 Mg/ha yr −1 . The RNCs in coniferous and mixed forests (+0.07 and +0.09 Mg/ha yr −1 , respectively) were higher than that in broadleaf forest (−0.03 Mg/ha yr −1 ). Heavy forest thinning inhibited soil N accumulation; however, light forest thinning and long-term recovery were more conducive to improving it. The RNC decreased with increasing precipitation and temperature under forest thinning. Additionally, the RNC was positively correlated with the RCC. Overall, heavy forest thinning decreases the soil N accumulation rate in the global forest ecosystem; conversely, long-term recovery increases it. Reducing the forest thinning intensity and extending the recovery time can accelerate soil N accumulation and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions.