Evaluation of Soil Quality in Five Ages of Chinese Fir Plantations in Subtropical China Based on a Structural Equation Model
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This is a well written hypothesis driven paper. It presents a complex study of the soil quality in forest areas.
It might constitute a reference point regarding forest soil health, thus I consider that it should be published, considering a minor chnage:
Lines 187-189 - Can you describe the base on which soil properties were selected ?
It's ok.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
A very well-prepared manuscript based on experiments conducted to study. The results of the experiments are of importance not only to the region where these were conducted but also provide a clue for studying similar soil quality to estimate SQI weights in forests and as a theoretical basis and practical application for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in other countries. The experiments described and discussed in the manuscript constitute an important contribution in this direction.
The Publication of the manuscript is Forest Journal is highly recommended.
Author Response
Thank you so much for the review comments of the manuscript and the recommendation for publishing the manuscript to the journal of “Forests”.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
The manuscript shows interesting data and discussion on the soil quality index but needs some improvements to clarify and justify the results.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reviewer 3:
Open Review
(x) I would not like to sign my review report
( ) I would like to sign my review report
Quality of English Language
(x) I am not qualified to assess the quality of English in this paper
( ) English very difficult to understand/incomprehensible
( ) Extensive editing of English language required
( ) Moderate editing of English language required
( ) Minor editing of English language required
( ) English language fine. No issues detected
Yes Can be improved Must be improved Not applicable
Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references?
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Are all the cited references relevant to the research?
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Is the research design appropriate?
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Are the methods adequately described?
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Are the results clearly presented?
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Are the conclusions supported by the results?
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Comments and Suggestions for Authors
The manuscript shows interesting data and discussion on the soil quality index but needs some improvements to clarify and justify the results.
peer-review-29658681.v1.pdf
Submission Date
27 April 2023
Date of this review
30 May 2023 12:47:39
Response reviewer 3
Many thanks for reviewing comments and suggestions, as well as the invaluable peer-review-29658681.v1.pdf
I have revised the manuscript (MS), response the review comments and answered questions of the “peer-review-29658681.v1.pdf”. Please see the response details below.
L16: at the same original soil and similar climatic conditions?
Re: Yes, the same soil type and the similar site conditions throughout the study site of the five aged Chaises fir plantations in Subtropical China. I have added the information in the revision.
LL23 24: what is the soil index?
Re: It should be the soil indicator. I have revised it in the revision. The sentences that “Soil Quality Index (SQI) is a measurable soil parameter that affects the capacity of a soil to perform a specific function1. It is defined as “the minimum set of parameters that, when interrelated, provides numerical data on the capacity of soil to carry out one or more functions”2. The most common method for calculating SQI was described by Andrews et al. (2004) and later several scientists followed this methodology for different locations and management goals1.” have inserted in the introduction of the revision.
L73 L74 soil indexes and soil indicators should be better described
Re: I have used soil indicators to replace the soil indexes in the revision
L76-L77 what is the difference? indicators and data in this case
Re: I have deleted the “data” from the sentence of the revision.
L81-L89 The soil quality and the impacts on fir plantation should be better characterized. And also the management pratices in these plantations.
Re: I have modified this paragraph and added information regarding forest management in Chinese fir plantation forests in the revision.
L99 use International System of units
Re; It should hectare (ha). It was revised in revision.
L116: this should be better described... due mountainous landforms could provide distinct environmental conditions for growing plants... for example, occurs different levels of insolation or also particular soil classes or attributes
Re: The relevant information was described in the "Study area” of the MS.
Table 1 Slope direction
Re: It was revised into “aspect” in the table 1 of revision.
Are this distribution of sample plots at the same elevation/altitude? A map of the distribution of the plots could improve the manuscript. Locally, what is the elevation and slope of each plot?
Re: I have added the information “The landform is hills with elevation of 835-1573 m” in the Study area of the revision. A figure 1 b (soil sampling points and a map of the distribution of the plots) was inserted in figure 1. I have added “with the similar elevation and slopes in the soil sampling plots.
Figure 3 legend L261-265 What means the letters between parentheses?
Re: it is the P value. It was significant among the treatments (Stand age or soil depth) when P < 0.05
L316 prior assumptions.? it is not clear
Re: The results of our path analysis are shown in Figure 4. The results show that the path coefficients of internal variables that satisfy the model's prior assumptions (Table 2: The Structural Equation Modeling Assumptions for Forest Soil Quality), such as soil physical, chemical and biological properties were positively correlated with soil properties with the path coefficients at 0.65, 0.72 and 0.59, respectively (Figure 4). The models in figure 4 satisfied with the previous assumptions in table 2.
L363 “ At the young stage, the Chinese fir forests were nursed with good conditions” what are the management practices?
Re: The thinning and pruning as the active forest management involves at the young stage of Chinses fir plantations [66]. I have added discussion contents to support it in the discussions of revision.
- Diao,J J; Liu,J X; Zhu,Z L; Wei,X Y; Li,M S 2022. Active forest management accelerates carbon storage in plantation for-ests in Lishui, southern China. Forest Ecosystems. 2022, 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2022.100004.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
