Effects of Downed Log Decomposition on Soil Properties and Enzyme Activities in Southwest China

Downed logs play crucial roles in carbon and nutrient cycling within forest ecosystems, influencing soil nutrients and revealing their functional roles in these environments. This study focuses on an evergreen broadleaf forest at Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies, Yunnan, and specifically examines three dominant tree species whose logs are heavily decayed: Lithocarpus xylocarpus (L. xylocarpus), Lithocarpus hancei (L. hancei), and Castanopsis wattii (C. wattii). Soil samples were collected from three depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm) beneath the downed logs and from control plots without downed logs. The physicochemical properties and enzyme activities of these soils were analyzed to explore the effects of downed log decomposition on the soil properties. The results revealed several key findings: (1) Downed logs significantly increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in the surface soil (0–10 cm), with the SOC and TN contents under L. xylocarpus logs being 368.20% and 65.32% higher than those in the CK plots, respectively, substantially increasing soil nutrient accumulation. (2) Downed log decomposition significantly increased the soil enzyme activities, with the highest activities observed in the surface soil (0–10 cm) under L. xylocarpus. In deeper soil layers (20–30 cm), L. xylocarpus and C. wattii still presented higher enzyme activities than those in the CK plots did (p < 0.05). (3) The SOC, TN, and C/N were significantly positively correlated (r > 0.95 and p < 0.01), whereas the correlations were weak or nonexistent in the CK plots. The release of organic acids from downed logs enhanced the microbial activity, significantly reducing the soil pH (p < 0.05). (4) Different tree species exhibited distinct effects during downlog decomposition, with L. xylocarpus showing the most significant improvements in the SOC, TN, and enzyme activities, followed by C. wattii, whereas L. hancei limited carbon accumulation due to faster nitrogen release, resulting in a relatively lower C/N. Overall, this study demonstrated that the interaction between downed log decomposition and soil enzyme activity plays a key role in improving soil fertility and promoting nutrient cycling. This research provides evidence for understanding the impact of downed logs on forest soil ecological functions and microbial functional activity and their role, thereby contributing valuable insights into carbon cycling in subtropical forest ecosystems.