Abstract: Element cycling in the dominant plant communities including Rh.
aureum, Rh. redowskianum and Vaccinium uliginosum in the Alpine tundra zone of
Changbai Mountains in northeast China was studied. The results indicate that
the amount of elements from litter decomposition was less than that of the
plant uptake from soil, but that from plant uptake was higher than that in soil
with mineralization process released. On the other hand, in the open system
including precipitation input and soil leaching output, because of great number
of elements from precipitation into the open system, the element cycling (except
N, P) in the Alpine tundra ecosystem was in a dynamic balance. In this study,
it was also found that different organ of plants had significant difference in
accumulating elements. Ca, Mg, P and N were accumulated more obviously in
leaves, while Fe was in roots. The degree of concentration of elements in
different tissues of the same organ of the plants also was different, a higher
concentration of Ca, Mg, P and N in mesophyll than in nerve but Fe was in a
reversed order. The phenomenon indicates (1) a variety of biochemical functions
of different elements, (2) the elements in mesophyll were with a shorter
turnover period than those in nerve or fibre, but higher utilization rate for
plant. Therefore, this study implies the significance of keeping element
dynamic balance in the alpine tundra ecosystem of Changbai Mountains.
