Nutrients and biomass spatial patterns in alpine tundra ecosystem on Changbai Mountains, Northeast China

Biomass and nutrients were investigated in 2003, 2004 and 2005 growing seasons by using a chronosequence of five vegetation types in alpine tundra on Changbai Mountains. The objective of this study was to test whether nutrients at biointerfaces were significant differences among five vegetation types. The biomass and elevation are highly related (biomass = −237.3 ln(elevation) + 494.36; R2 = 0.8092; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) concentrations of roots, stems and leaves among five vegetation types while there are significant differences in nitrogen (N) and P stocks of roots, stems and leaves and in S stock of stems and leaves among typical alpine tundra vegetation (TA), meadow alpine tundra vegetation (MA), and swamp alpine tundra vegetation (SA) (p < 0.05). Vegetation nutrients stock is averagely 72.46 kg hm−2, and N, P, S stocks are 48.55, 10.33 and 13.61 kg hm−2, respectively. Soil N and S concentrations in MA are significantly higher than those in other four soil types. P is higher in SA (p < 0.05). Soil nutrients stock (0–20 cm) is averagely 39.59 t hm−2, and N, P, S stocks are 23.74, 5.86 and 9.99 t hm−2, respectively.