Forest floor-mineral soil interactions in the internal nitrogen cycle of an old-growth forest

1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
StephenC. Hart ◽  
MaryK. Firestone
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Cycle ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Comparison of coniferous forest carbon stocks between old-growth and young second-growth forests on two soil types in central British Columbia, Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1411-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur L Fredeen ◽  
Claudette H Bois ◽  
Darren T Janzen ◽  
Paul T Sanborn
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
C Stocks

Carbon (C) stocks were assessed for hybrid interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.)-dominated upland forests within the Aleza Lake Research Forest in central British Columbia, Canada. Four old-growth (141–250 years old) and four young second-growth (<20 years old) forest plots were established on the two dominant soil texture types, coarse and fine, for a total of 16 plots. Mean total C stocks for old-growth stands ranged from 423 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 324 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), intermediate between Pacific Northwest temperate forests and upland boreal forests. Total C was lower in second-growth stands because of lower tree (mostly large tree stem), forest floor, and woody debris C stocks. In contrast, old-growth forest-floor C stocks ranged from 78 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 35 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.9- and 1.2-fold higher than in corresponding second-growth stands, respectively. Woody debris C stocks in old-growth stands totaled 35 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) and 31 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.7- and 3.4-fold higher than in second-growth stands, respectively. Mineral soil C to 1.07 m depth was similar across soil type and age-class, with totals ranging from 115 to 106 Mg C·ha–1. Harvesting of old-growth forests in sub-boreal British Columbia lowers total C stocks by 54%–41%.

Biomass and nutrient content of Douglas-fir logs and other detrital pools in an old-growth forest, Oregon, U.S.A.

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1536-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph E. Means ◽  
Paul C. MacMillan ◽  
Kermit Cromack Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soluble Fraction ◽  
Close Association ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
N Release

Logs, forest floor, and mineral soil were sampled and measured, and snags were measured, in a 450-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stand on the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon. Logs, some still identifiable after 300 years on the forest floor, contained large amounts of organic matter (222 Mg/ha), C (100 Mg/ha), water (559–10 700 L/log), N (183 kg/ha), and Ca (141 kg/ha), and smaller amounts of P (5.5 kg/ha), K (22 kg/ha), Mg (14 kg/ha), and Na (3.7 kg/ha). Logs and snags covered about 17% of the forest floor and had an all-sided area index of 0.69 m2/m2. Through mineralization, C, N, and K were lost through time; Ca and Mg increased; and P and Na increased then decreased, showing no net change. Also through mineralization, cellulose and hot acid detergent soluble fraction decreased more rapidly than lignin. Lignin was apparently not lost until the later stages of decay, when N was also lost in significant amounts. This parallels the shift from initial dominance by white rots that degraded cellulose and lignin to later dominance by brown rots that preferentially degraded cellulose. Lignin and cellulose were eventually lost at more similar rates in later decay stages. This may have been due in part to a close association between the remaining cellulose and lignin in later decay stages. Lignin was a better predictor of the onset of N release than was the C:N ratio.

Tree species and soil nutrient profiles in old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Cross ◽  
Steven S. Perakis
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Coast Range ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Oregon Coast Range ◽  
Old Growth Forests

Old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest provide a unique opportunity to examine tree species – soil relationships in ecosystems that have developed without significant human disturbance. We characterized foliage, forest floor, and mineral soil nutrients associated with four canopy tree species (Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), and bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum Pursh)) in eight old-growth forests of the Oregon Coast Range. The greatest forest floor accumulations of C, N, P, Ca, Mg, and K occurred under Douglas-fir, primarily due to greater forest floor mass. In mineral soil, western hemlock exhibited significantly lower Ca concentration and sum of cations (Ca + Mg + K) than bigleaf maple, with intermediate values for Douglas-fir and western redcedar. Bigleaf maple explained most species-based differences in foliar nutrients, displaying high concentrations of N, P, Ca, Mg, and K. Foliar P and N:P variations largely reflected soil P variation across sites. The four tree species that we examined exhibited a number of individualistic effects on soil nutrient levels that contribute to biogeochemical heterogeneity in these ecosystems. Where fire suppression and long-term succession favor dominance by highly shade-tolerant western hemlock, our results suggest a potential for declines in both soil Ca availability and soil biogeochemical heterogeneity in old-growth forests.

scholarly journals Woodland salamander population structure and body condition under irregular shelterwood systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc J. Mazerolle ◽  
Mathilde Lapointe St-Pierre ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Gilles Joanisse
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Plethodon Cinereus ◽  
The Body ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Ecosystem Based Management ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Ecosystem-based management aims to preserve old-growth forest attributes using techniques mimicking natural disturbances. One such technique is irregular shelterwood logging, but its impacts on forest floor organisms are poorly known. Our objective was to quantify the effects of three different treatments of irregular shelterwood on population structure and the body condition of the eastern red-backed salamander (<i>Plethodon cinereus</i>) 5–6 years following harvesting. A total of 64 sites in western Québec were sampled using artificial refugia and quadrat searches. Large salamanders (> 32 mm) were more abundant in the gap treatment than in strip, uniform, or control treatments. Small salamanders (≤ 32 mm) followed the same pattern, although the differences were marginal. For a given treatment, small salamanders were as abundant as large salamanders. Salamander body condition differed between the two years of sampling, but did not differ among treatments, regardless of salamander size. We conclude that environmental conditions in irregular shelterwood treatments 5–6 years following harvesting support populations of small vertebrates on the forest floor.

Organic matter and mineral distribution in an old-growth Acersaccharum forest near the northern limit of its range

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1332-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. K. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Cu Content ◽  
Base Soil

Two sites, both supporting old-growth Acersaccharum Marsh, dominated forest on rugged topography in central northern Ontario, were compared in terms of organic matter and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu content in the tree- and field-layer phytomass, the forest floor, and the mineral soil. One site was on a shallow, low-base, Precambrian-derived till, and the other was on a till of somewhat higher base status. Gross and net growth of the overstory tree layer were also determined. Total phytomass values for the two stands at the beginning of the study period were 245 000 and 210 000 kg•ha−1, respectively. Gross growth was largely offset by mortality in both stands, producing a rough equilibrium with regard to net increment. Growth before mortality was on the order of 2.4–2.5 m3•ha−1•year−1 in terms of gross total wood volume or 3700–3900 kg•ha−1•year−1 in terms of phytomass, and it was slightly greater in percent terms on the higher base site. In addition to that in the phytomass, organic matter in the forest floor and mineral soil to a depth of 1 m also contributed to the total organic matter content of 638 000–642 000 kg•ha−1 (equivalent to 34 8000–353 000 kg•ha−1 of C) on both sites and was distributed as follows: 29–34% in phytomass, 5% in the forest floor, and 61–66% in mineral soil. The order of abundance of elements in the phytomass was similar on both sites: Ca > N > K > Mg > S > Mn > P > Fe > Zn > Cu, with accumulation in the phytomass in rough proportion to occurrence in the soil. A more base-rich parent material would appear to be the origin of 1452 kg•ha−1 of Ca estimated to be in the phytomass and forest floor on the higher base soil, compared with 1250 kg•ha−1 in the phytomass and forest floor on the lower base soil.

scholarly journals Old-growth forest floor richness increases with red deer herbivory intensity

2013 ◽  
Vol 310 ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stein J. Hegland ◽  
Marte S. Lilleeng ◽  
Stein R. Moe
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Deer Herbivory ◽  
Old Growth Forest

scholarly journals Carbon Pools in Old-Growth Scots Pine Stands in Hemiboreal Latvia

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ķēniņa ◽  
Ieva Jaunslaviete ◽  
Līga Liepa ◽  
Daiga Zute ◽  
Āris Jansons
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Carbon Pool ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Living Tree ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Scots Pine Stands

Old-growth forests are widely recognised for the benefits they provide for biodiversity; however, a more comprehensive understanding of their role in climate change mitigation must still be established to find the optimal balance between different forest ecosystem services at a national or regional scale. Very few studies have assessed carbon pools in old-growth Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)-dominated boreal forests, and none have been conducted in hemiboreal forests. Therefore, we assessed the carbon storage of the living tree biomass, deadwood, forest floor (soil organic horizon, including all litter and decomposed wood), and mineral soil in 25 hemiboreal old-growth (163–218 years) unmanaged Scots pine stands in Latvia. The studied stands were without known records of any major natural or human-made disturbance in the visible past. Our results show, that the total ecosystem carbon pool (excluding ground vegetation) was 291.2 ± 54.2 Mg C ha−1, which was primarily composed of living tree biomass (59%), followed by mineral soil (31%), deadwood (5%), and the forest floor (5%). Within the studied stand age group, the total carbon pool remained stable; however, interchanges among the carbon pools, i.e., living biomass and laying deadwood, did occur.

Exotic earthworm invasion increases soil carbon and nitrogen in an old-growth forest in southern Quebec

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 845-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Wironen ◽  
T R Moore
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Allyl Isothiocyanate ◽  
Chemical Extraction ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Earthworm Invasion ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
C And N ◽  
Exotic Earthworm Invasion ◽  
Species Specific

To test whether invasion of exotic earthworms affects soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), we sampled the litter and upper mineral soil (to 30 cm) at a series of sites varying in their earthworm populations in an old-growth beech–maple forest at Mont St. Hilaire, southern Quebec. We measured earthworm abundance and biomass using hand-sorting and chemical extraction (allyl isothiocyanate) methods. They gave similar results, though there was evidence of size and species-specific biases. Abundance and biomass of the earthworms ranged from <10 to >100 earthworms·m–2 and from <10 to 125 g·m–2, respectively, and were correlated with distance from a nearby lake (negatively) and soil pH (positively). The presence of earthworms was associated with a decrease in the mass and thickness and an increase in the C/N quotient of the litter layer. There were no significant changes in C and N mass of the mineral soil between 0 and 10 cm, but the underlying layers (10–20 and 20–30 cm) in sites with >10 earthworms·m–2 showed significantly (p < 0.05) greater concentrations and masses of both C and N than did sites with <10 earthworms·m–2. The overall profile (litter plus soil to 30 cm) average C was 13.7 and 10.1 kg·m–2 with and without earthworms, respectively, and the equivalent figures for N were 1.01 and 0.68 kg·m–2. These results demonstrate that invasion of earthworms into deciduous forests affects both the litter and mineral soil, and sampling to a depth of 30 cm suggests that earthworm invasion (from <10 to >10 earthworms·m–2) may increase overall C and N.

Vertical fine root distributions of western redcedar, western hemlock, and salal in old-growth cedar–hemlock forests on northern Vancouver Island

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1208-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N Bennett ◽  
Ben Andrew ◽  
Cindy E Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Total N ◽  
Western Redcedar ◽  
Vertical Distributions

The vertical distributions of fine roots of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), and salal (Gaultheria shallon Pursh) were characterized in old-growth cedar–hemlock forests on northern Vancouver Island. Total biomasses of cedar, hemlock, and salal roots in the forest floor and upper mineral soil were 817, 620, and 187 g·m–2, respectively. Hemlock and salal fine roots were concentrated in the upper forest floor, while cedar fine roots were evenly distributed through the profile. Salal and hemlock fine root densities (g·m–3) in the forest floor and mineral soil were positively correlated, as were salal and cedar root biomass distributions (g·m–2). Only salal and hemlock root densities were significantly correlated with N concentrations. Hemlock root densities were negatively correlated with total N, and salal root densities were negatively correlated with total N and soluble organic N. Based on fine root densities, hemlock and salal probably compete for resources in the upper forest floor, whereas cedar accesses resources in the lower organic and mineral soil horizons. The differences in the vertical distributions of cedar, hemlock, and salal fine roots may partly explain the co-occurrence and different productivities of the three species in cedar-hemlock forests.

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