Altitudinal changes in temperate forests from carpathian mountains

This study investigated changes in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the three components of the forest ecosystem (leaves, bark and soil) along an altitudinal gradient in the temperate forests of Romania. The properties and processes within the forest ecosystem are influenced by altitude. The leaves, litter and soil are important in the good development of the ecosystem and in the cycle of the elements. Plants extract the nutrients necessary for life and growth from the soil in which they carry out their entire activity. With the help of litter, the soil is supplied with nutrients useful for plants. The soil can be influenced by pH, being a physical factor, and in the forests of Romania it decreases with altitude, becoming acidic. In this paper, studies were performed to investigate the chemical components in the soil-water-plant chain, which highlights the importance of stoichiometric variation of nutrients in plant organs and their relationships with other components of the forest ecosystem.