Comparing water-holding capacity in forest litter and soils for an aerially seeded Pinus massoniana plantation with different stand densities

In order to provide guidelines for making effective measures to improve water-holding capacity for an aerially seeded Pinus massoniana plantation, this research was conducted to compare water-holding capacity of forest litter and soils with method of one-way ANOVA test in different stand densities. Four groups [Group Ⅰ(900-1500 culm·hm-2), Group Ⅱ(1500-2100 culm·hm-2), Group Ⅲ(2100-2700 culm·hm-2), and Group Ⅳ(2700-3300 culm·hm-2)], were set up according to aerially-seeded Pinus massoniana forest density. Sam-ple-plot surveys and sample determination were carried out for a fixed 20 m × 20 m standard plot which se-lected with three replications in each group. Results showed that, (1) the litter storage capacity for each densi-ty group in the half-decomposed litter layer was higher than the undecomposed layer. Total storage capacity for litter, maximum water-holding capacity, and effective water-holding capacity of the Group Ⅱ were the largest, respectively up to 4.26 t·hm-2, 11.55 t·hm-2, 9.79 t·hm-2, and were in the order of density Group Ⅱ>Group Ⅲ> Group Ⅰ>Group Ⅳ compared with other groups. The maximum water-holding capacity and effective water-holding capacity of density Group Ⅱ were significantly higher than those of the other density groups (P 0.05). (2) The non-capillary water-holding capacity, capillary water-holding capacity, and maximum water-holding capacity of soil in the four groups showed no significant differences between density groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, by controlling stand density of an aerially seeded Pinus massoniana plantation at 1500-2100 culm·hm-2, the water-holding capacity of the litter and soil would be maximized. [Ch, 2 fig. 3 tab. 24 ref.]