Table 2.

Soil physiochemical properties along the elevational gradient.

Parameters	Elevation (m a.s.l.)				One-way ANOVA
	2,820	3,160	3,420	4,280	F	p
pH	5.73 ± 0.53	4.65 ± 0.13	5.26 ± 0.10	5.05 ± 0.42	1.68	0.211
SBD (g cm−3)	0.76 ± 0.07	0.69 ± 0.05	0.79 ± 0.06	0.50 ± 0.12	2.73	0.079
SM	37.50 ± 1.83b	38.96 ± 2.14b	37.49 ± 3.82b	60.62 ± 6.62a	7.75	0.002
Total nutrients
TC (g kg−1)	89.04 ± 15.02b	78.43 ± 3.63bc	47.83 ± 2.57c	241.39 ± 12.83a	73.19	<0.001
TN (g kg−1)	5.78 ± 0.59b	5.69 ± 0.39b	3.33 ± 0.18c	17.21 ± 0.77a	85.87	<0.001
TP (g kg−1)	0.57 ± 0.05b	0.69 ± 0.05b	0.82 ± 0.06b	1.39 ± 0.09a	31.53	<0.001
C:N ratio	15.74 ± 3.00	13.86 ± 0.40	14.40 ± 0.46	14.01 ± 0.28	0.31	0.817
C:P ratio	171.75 ± 48.85a	115.47 ± 3.56ab	59.19 ± 3.83b	175.87 ± 11.65a	4.74	0.015
N:P ratio	10.39 ± 1.31ab	8.33 ± 0.18b	4.10 ± 0.17c	12.52 ± 0.63a	23.89	<0.001
Available nutrients
DOC (mg kg−1)	354.74 ± 38.35	452.28 ± 78.32	317.82 ± 39.54	459.25 ± 29.52	1.99	0.156
TDN (mg kg−1)	99.68 ± 10.34b	107.39 ± 13.30b	102.14 ± 13.39b	202.94 ± 16.31a	13.74	<0.001
SAP (g kg−1)	46.91 ± 5.75a	18.80 ± 1.78b	46.51 ± 4.71a	14.85 ± 7.32b	17.38	<0.001
DOC:TDN	3.65 ± 0.40ab	4.11 ± 0.31a	3.26 ± 0.48ab	2.28 ± 0.08b	4.91	0.013
DOC:SAP	7.98 ± 1.19b	25.32 ± 4.62a	7.14 ± 1.05b	38.59 ± 9.95a	14.12	<0.001
TDN:SAP	2.40 ± 0.60c	5.98 ± 0.89b	2.29 ± 0.42c	16.97 ± 4.37a	19.54	<0.001

Data are mean ± standard error. Significant effects of elevation on the soil physiochemical properties are presented in bold. Different letters in the same row indicate significant difference (p < 0.05) among elevations. SBD, soil bulk density; SM, soil moisture; TC, total carbon; TN, total nitrogen; TP, total phosphorus; DOC, dissolved organic C; TDN, total dissolved N; SAP, available P.