3.1.2 Carbon storage in herbs and litter
Carbon contents of above- and below-ground herb organs were
significantly higher in all the three treatments than in those in the
control (above, SNK post hoc tests: P>0.05, MS=19.390,
F=6.455, df=3; below, SNK post hoc tests: P>0.05,
MS=34.679, F=3.190, df=3), although the treatments did not differ
significantly among themselves (Fig. 3). The carbon content of standing
litter did not differ significantly among the three treatments (SNK post
hoc tests, P>0.05, MS=6.777, F=0.467, df=2) and was
comparable to that in the control (SNK post hoc tests,
P>0.05, MS=4.858, F=0.397, df=3).
As with the C concentrations, herb biomass was significantly higher in
all the three treatments than that in the control (Fig. 4) (SNK post hoc
tests, P>0.05, MS=1.950, F=8.871, df=3); the biomass of
standing litter too did not differ significantly among the three
treatments(SNK post hoc tests, P>0.05, MS=0.003, F=0.083,
df=2) and was comparable to that in the control (SNK post hoc tests,
P>0.05, MS=0.002, F=0.058, df=3).
Carbon concentrations of herbs and of standing litter are presented in
Table 3. Above-ground C storage in the herb layer was significantly
lower in the control than that in any of the three treatments (SNK post
hoc tests, P>0.05, MS=0.213, F=3.908, df=3). Moreover, this
C pool was significantly higher in FG than in UG and MG, although the
latter two did not differ significantly between themselves (SNK post hoc
tests, P>0.05, MS=0.155, F=2.248, df=2). The below-ground
component was also significantly lower in the control than in that in
any of the treatments (SNK post hoc tests, P>0.05,
MS=0.202, F=12.723, df = 3), although the treatments did not differ
significantly among themselves (SNK post hoc tests, P>0.05,
MS=0.0.031, F=1.513, df=2).