Effect of tree species and soil properties on nutrient immobilization in the forest floor

1995 ◽  
Vol 168-169 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Raulund-Rasmussen ◽  
Henrik Vejre
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaja Rola ◽  
Vítězslav Plášek ◽  
Katarzyna Rożek ◽  
Szymon Zubek

Abstract Aim Overstorey tree species influence both soil properties and microclimate conditions in the forest floor, which in turn can induce changes in ground bryophyte communities. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of tree species identity and the most important habitat factors influencing understorey bryophytes. Methods We assessed the effect of 14 tree species and related habitat parameters, including soil parameters, vascular plant presence and light intensity on bryophytes in monospecific plots covered by nearly fifty-year-old trees in the Siemianice Experimental Forest (Poland). Results The canopy tree species determined bryophyte species richness and cover. The strongest differences were observed between plots with deciduous and coniferous trees. Soils with a more acidic pH and lower content of macronutrients supported larger bryophyte coverage. We also found a positive correlations between vascular plants and availability of light as well as bryophyte species richness. Conclusion Tree species identity and differences in habitat conditions in the forest floor lead to changes of ground bryophyte richness, cover and species composition. Consequently, the changes in the dominant tree species in the stand may result in significant repercussions on ground bryophyte communities. We indicated that the introduction of alien tree species, i.e. Quercus rubra, has an adverse effect on bryophyte communities and suggested that the selection of tree species that contribute to the community consistent with the potential natural vegetation is highly beneficial for maintaining ground bryophyte biodiversity.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Anna Ilek ◽  
Małgorzata Szostek ◽  
Anna Mikołajczyk ◽  
Marta Rajtar

During the last decade, tree species mixing has been widely supported as a silvicultural approach to reduce drought stress. However, little is known on the influence of tree species mixing on physical properties and the water storage capacity of forest soils (including the forest floor). Thus, the study aimed to analyze the effect of mixing pine needles and oak leaves and mixing fir needles and beech leaves on hydro-physical properties of the litter layer during laboratory tests. We used fir-beech and pine-oak litter containing various shares of conifer needles (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%) to determine the influence of the needle admixture on bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, water storage capacity, the amount of water stored in pores between organic debris and the degree of saturation of mixed litter compared to broadleaf litter (oak or beech). We found that the admixture of fir needles increased the bulk density of litter from 7.9% with a 5% share of needles to 55.5% with a 50% share (compared to pure beech litter), while the share of pine needles < 40% caused a decrease in bulk density by an average of 3.0–11.0% (compared to pure oak litter). Pine needles decreased the water storage capacity of litter by about 13–14% with the share of needles up to 10% and on average by 28% with the 40 and 50% shares of pine needles in the litter layer. Both conifer admixtures reduced the amount of water stored in the pores between organic debris (pine needles more than fir needles).


2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 380-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Weber ◽  
Caroline Heiri ◽  
Mathieu Lévesque ◽  
Tanja Sanders ◽  
Volodymyr Trotsiuk ◽  
...  

Growth potential and climate sensitivity of tree species in the ecogram for the colline and submontane zone In forestry practice a large amount of empirical knowledge exists about the productivity of individual tree species in relation to site properties. However, so far, only few scientific studies have investigated the influence of soil properties on the growth potential of various tree species along gradients of soil water as well as nutrient availability. Thus, there is a research gap to estimate the productivity and climate sensitivity of tree species under climate change, especially regarding productive sites and forest ad-mixtures in the lower elevations. Using what we call a «growth ecogram», we demonstrate species- and site-specific patterns of mean annual basal area increment and mean sensitivity of ring width (strength of year-to-year variation) for Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Picea abies, Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris, based on tree-ring data from 508 (co-)dominant trees on 27 locations. For beech, annual basal area increment ( average 1957–2006) was significantly correlated with tree height of the dominant sampling trees and proved itself as a possible alternative for assessing site quality. The fact that dominant trees of the different tree species showed partly similar growth potential within the same ecotype indicates comparable growth limitation by site conditions. Mean sensitivity of ring width – a measure of climate sensitivity – had decreased for oak and ash, while it had increased in pine. Beech showed diverging reactions with increasing sensitivity at productive sites (as measured by the C:N ratio of the topsoil), suggesting an increasing limitation by climate at these sites. Hence, we derive an important role of soil properties in the response of forests to climate change at lower elevations, which should be taken into account when estimating future forest productivity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (03) ◽  
pp. 306-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems

Declines in forest productivity have been linked to losses of organic matter and soil porosity. To assess how removal of organic matter and soil compaction affect short-term ecosystem dynamics, pre-treatment and year 1, 5 and 10 post-treatment soil properties and post-treatment plant community responses were examined in a boreal trembling aspen (Populus tremuloidesMichx.)-dominated ecosystem in northeastern British Columbia. The experiment used a completely randomized design with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems only; stems and slash; stems, slash and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none, intermediate [2-cm impression], heavy [5-cm impression]). Removal of the forest floor initially stimulated aspen regeneration and significantly reduced height growth of aspen (198 cm compared to 472–480 cm) as well as white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) height (82 cm compared to 154–156 cm). The compaction treatments had no effect on aspen regeneration density. At Year 10, heights of both aspen and white spruce were negatively correlated with upper mineral soil bulk density and were lowest on forest floor + whole tree removal treatments. Recovery of soil properties was occurring in the 0 cm to 2 cm layer of mineral soil. Bulk density values for the 0 cm to 10 cm depth remained above 86% of the maximum bulk density for the site, a soil condition where reduced tree growth can be expected.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Hagemeier ◽  
Christoph Leuschner

The optical properties of leaves and canopies determine the availability of radiation for photosynthesis and the penetration of light through tree canopies. How leaf absorptance, reflectance and transmittance and radiation transmission through tree canopies change with forest succession is not well understood. We measured the leaf optical properties in the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) range of five Central European early-, mid- and late-successional temperate broadleaf tree species and studied the minimum light demand of the lowermost shade leaves and of the species’ offspring. Leaf absorptance in the 350–720 nm range varied between c. 70% and 77% in the crown of all five species with only a minor variation from the sun to the shade crown and between species. However, specific absorptance (absorptance normalized by mass per leaf area) increased about threefold from sun to shade leaves with decreasing leaf mass area (LMA) in the late-successional species (Carpinus betulus L., Tilia cordata Mill., Fagus sylvatica L.), while it was generally lower in the early- to mid-successional species (Betula pendula Roth, Quercus petraea (Matt.)Liebl.), where it changed only a little from sun to shade crown. Due to a significant increase in leaf area index, canopy PAR transmittance to the forest floor decreased from early- to late-successional species from ~15% to 1%–3% of incident PAR, linked to a decrease in the minimum light demand of the lowermost shade leaves (from ~20 to 1%–2%) and of the species’ saplings (from ~20 to 3%–4%). The median light intensity on the forest floor under a closed canopy was in all species lower than the saplings’ minimum light demand. We conclude that the optical properties of the sun leaves are very similar among early-, mid- and late-successional tree species, while the shade leaves of these groups differ not only morphologically, but also in terms of the resource investment needed to achieve high PAR absorptance.


2007 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1389-1397 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Russell ◽  
J. W. Raich ◽  
O. J. Valverde-Barrantes ◽  
R. F. Fisher

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document