Overstory litter inputs and nutrient returns in an old-growth temperate forest ecosystem, Olympic National Park, Washington

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 742-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Edmonds ◽  
Georgia LD Murray
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Olympic National Park ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species ◽  
Woody Litter ◽  
Fine Wood ◽  
Temperate Forest Ecosystem

Overstory litterfall rates and nutrient returns were determined in an old-growth temperate rainforest watershed in the Hoh River valley, Olympic National Park, Washington. Litter was sorted into green needles, senescent needles, fine wood, reproductive, and miscellaneous litter (mostly arboreal lichens and mosses). Understory and coarse woody debris inputs were not determined. Total annual overstory litterfall averaged 3594 kg·ha–1 and varied among the six plant communities in the watershed. There was a trend for litterfall to be higher in the upper watershed; elevations ranged from 180 to 850 m. Needles provided the greatest amount of litterfall (60%) with woody litter and other material averaging 18 and 22%, respectively. Highest senescent needle litterfall occurred from July to October, but highest woody litterfall was from January to April. Green needles provided only 3% of annual needle litterfall. Green and senescent needle litterfall were related to western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) basal area, suggesting that this shade-tolerant species was the greatest contributor to needle litterfall. The following quantities (kg·ha–1) of nutrients were returned to the forest floor annually: Ca, 26.8; N, 24.6; K, 4.0; Mg, 3.0; P, 2.9; Mn, 1.7; and Na, 1.2.

scholarly journals Acumulación De Restos Lignino-Celulósicos (Necromasa) En Un Bosque Templado De Antiguo Crecimiento Dominado Por Nothofagus En El Centro- Sur De Chile

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Carlos Belezaca Pinargote ◽  
Darwin Salvatierra Piloso ◽  
Diana Delgado Campusano ◽  
Roberto Godoy Bórquez ◽  
Eduardo Valenzuela Flores ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
National Park ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Decomposition Level ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Forest Density ◽  
South Central

Coarse woody debris (CWD) are the necromass in wooded environments and comply with various ecosystems functions, such as seedling nursery, habitat other organisms, store carbon (C) and nutrients, etc.. Volume, necromass, and decay states of CWD dead in an old-growth temperate (OGTF) forest in Puyehue National Park, South-Central Chile were evaluated. In 10 plots of 900 m2 CWD was quantified (≥ 10 cm diameter), whose necromass classified using a scale of five categories/stages of decay, necromass (1 = lowest and 5 = highest degradation). The average forest density was 299 trees ha-1, 112 m2 ha-1 of basal area, and 2.395 m3 of stem volume. The upper arboreal stratum was dominated by N. betuloides. The greatest amount of CWD belonged to N. betuloides (95,2%), where logs (52,7%) and branches (35%), plant structures were present in greater numbers. The bulk of necromass found in advanced states of decomposition (level 4 and 5) with 56,5% and 34,1%, respectively. It was determined that the CWD volume was 632 m3 ha-1, representing a necromass of 321.5 Mg ha- 1. These results demonstrate that the old-growth temperate forests of southern Chile are significant reserves of coarse woody debris, which contributes to the biogeochemistry of these complex and remote ecosystems.

Diversity, production, and nutrient dynamics of fungal sporocarps on logs in an old-growth temperate rain forest, Olympic National Park, Washington

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 665-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Edmonds ◽  
David S Lebo
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
National Park ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Olympic National Park ◽  
Temperate Rain Forest

Fungal sporocarps were sampled on 47 logs in six 0.1-ha plots in an old-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) - western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) forest in the Hoh River Valley, Olympic National Park, Washington, from October 1993 to May 1994. Log biomass averaged 205 Mg/ha and the surface area of plots occupied by logs was 9.8%. Most fungal fruiting occurred on decay class 3 logs, the most common type on a scale from 1 (least decayed) to 5 (most decayed). Eighty-two taxa of fleshy fungi (63 saprophytic, 18 mycorrhizal, and one pathogenic) and six taxa of large annual or perennial fungi occurred on logs. Most fungi were basidiomycetes. Highest fleshy sporocarp production occurred in fall (456 g/ha) rather than spring (40 g/ha). Ischnoderma resinosum had the highest annual production (88 g/ha). Concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Na, Fe, Zn, Al, B, and Cu in fruiting bodies were determined. Lower N concentrations occurred in perennial fungi (0.45%) than mycorrhizal (4.33%) and fleshy saprophytic species (3.30%). Only a small fraction of the nutrient capital in the logs was exported to the forest floor in fungal sporophores.

Decomposition and nutrient release from green needles of western hemlock and Pacific silver fir in an old-growth temperate rain forest9 Olympic National Park, Washington

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1049-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Edmonds ◽  
Ted B. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
National Park ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Olympic National Park ◽  
Significant Difference

Decomposition rates and nutrient dynamics (for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Na) were determined for green needles of western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and Pacific silver fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forb.) in an old-growth forested watershed (58 ha West Twin Creek) in the Hoh River valley, Olympic National Park, Washington. The influence of temperature and substrate chemistry on decomposition was determined. Temperature was the dominant factor controlling decomposition rates in the first year in this watershed, with the fastest decomposition at an elevation of 275 m (lower watershed) and the slowest decomposition at 725 m (upper watershed). After 12 months mass loss averaged 36% in the lower watershed and 28% in the upper watershed. There was no significant difference in decomposition rates between species. Substrate chemistry, i.e., the lignin/N ratio, became a more important factor than temperature as decomposition proceeded. After 37 months mass loss for needles averaged 61% for western hemlock and 50% for Pacific silver fir, with no difference by watershed location. After 61 months both types of substrates appeared to be approaching similar substrate chemistry and similar decomposition rates and there were no significant differences by species or watershed location. Decomposition constants (k values) after 61 months were 0.26 and 0.20 year−1 for western hemlock needles in the lower and upper watershed, respectively, and 0.22 and 0.19 year−1 for Pacific silver fir needles in the lower and upper watershed, respectively. Nitrogen was immobilized during the first 12 months of decomposition in needles of both species and then released. No other elements were immobilized during the initial (0- to 12-month) decomposition period, except for Ca in Pacific silver fir needles. However, in the 37- to 61-month period there was a considerable immobilization of Mg and Na in both species in the upper and lower watershed and K and Mn in both species in the upper watershed.

Species richness and abundance of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete sporocarps on a moisture gradient in the Tsuga heterophylla zone

2000 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 1699-1711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E O'Dell ◽  
Joseph F Ammirati ◽  
Edward G Schreiner
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
National Park ◽  
Environmental Gradient ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Olympic National Park ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Sporocarps of epigeous ectomycorrhizal fungi and vegetation data were collected from eight Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. - Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco stands along a wet to dry gradient in Olympic National Park, Washington, U.S.A. One hundred and fifty species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were collected from a total sample area of 2.08 ha. Over 2 years, fungal species richness ranged from 19 to 67 taxa per stand. Sporocarp standing crop ranged from 0 to 3.8 kg/ha, averaging 0.58 kg/ha, 0.06 kg/ha in spring and 0.97 kg/ha in fall. Sporocarp standing crop and fungal species richness were correlated with precipitation. These results demonstrated that ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarp abundance and species richness can be partly explained in terms of an environmental gradient.

Stream channel configuration, landform, and riparian forest structure in the Cascade Mountains, Washington

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 699-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron W Rot ◽  
Robert J Naiman ◽  
Robert E Bilby
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Tree Diameter ◽  
Riparian Tree ◽  
Channel Configuration ◽  
Riparian Plant ◽  
Channel Type

The hierarchical relationship of five key elements, valley constraint, riparian landform, riparian plant community, channel type, and channel configuration, are described for 21 sites in mature to old-growth riparian forests of the western Cascades Mountains, Washington, U.S.A. Channel type (bedrock, plane-bed, and forced pool-riffle) was closely related to channel configuration (especially large woody debris (LWD) volume, density, and LWD-formed pools) at the smallest spatial scale and valley constraint at the largest. Valley constraint significantly influenced off-channel habitat (r2 = 0.71) and LWD volume within forced pool-riffle channels (r2 = 0.58). Riparian plant community composition was differentiated by four landform classes: three alluvial landforms based on height above the channel and one based on hillslope. Just above the active channel, floodplain landforms contained more deciduous stems than conifer and greater conifer basal area than deciduous. Conifers dominated other landforms. The diameter of in-channel LWD increased with the age of the riparian forest (r2 = 0.34). In old-growth forests, LWD diameter was equivalent to or greater than the average riparian tree diameter for all sites. In younger forests, the mixed relationship between LWD and riparian tree diameter may reflect a combination of LWD input from the previous old-growth stand and LWD input from the existing stand.

Selected Nova Scotia old-growth forests: Age, ecology, structure, scoring

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 632-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce J Stewart ◽  
Peter D Neily ◽  
Eugene J Quigley ◽  
Lawrence K Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Age Structure ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Old Growth

A study of four old-growth stands in Nova Scotia was conducted to document the ecological characteristics of these currently rare Acadian forest ecosystems. Stands were selected to represent the two dominant climax forest types, hemlock–red spruce–eastern white pine, and sugar maple–yellow birch–beech. Data include measurements of age structure, species composition, diameter distribution, basal area, height, coarse woody debris, snags, vertical structure, and canopy condition. All stands were determined to be uneven-aged. Old-growth reference ages calculated for the stands ranged from 164 to 214 years. All stands displayed broad diameter distributions that had peak basal area representation in the 40- to 50-cm diameter classes. Volumes of dead wood ranged from 111 to 148 m3/ha in the softwood stands and from 63 to 83m3/ha in the hardwood stands. Dead wood consisted of approximately one-third snags and two thirds downed coarse woody debris. Measurements from the stands were used to evaluate Nova Scotia's recently developed Old Forest Scoring System. Six stand attributes were rated for a maximum score of 100: stand age, primal value, number of large-diameter trees, length of large-diameter dead wood, canopy structure, and understorey structure. Based on the age attribute, three of the four stands were classed as Mature Old Growth and one was very close, indicating that all are in the shifting mosaic stage of late forest succession. The scores for all stands were relatively high, ranging from 75 to 85, as would be expected from some of the best old-growth stands in the province. Key words: old growth, climax, primal, late succession, uneven-aged, scoring, coarse woody debris, age structure, diameter, Acadian forest, northern hardwood, red spruce, eastern hemlock, white pine, sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech

Has canopy height and biomass recovered 78 years after an intense fire in south-western Australia's red tingle (Eucalyptus jacksonii) forests?

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Wardell-Johnson ◽  
Liam Crellin ◽  
Casey Napier ◽  
Garrett Meigs ◽  
Alyssa Stevenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
High Carbon ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Stand Height ◽  
Carbon Stores

Tall eucalypt old-growth forests are notable for their large, old (i.e. venerable) trees and have both significant conservation value and high carbon stores. We investigated whether canopy height and biomass had recovered in an old-growth red tingle (Eucalyptus jacksonii) forest 78 years after a high-intensity fire. We recorded species, diameter, hollow butting and height of all 596 trees >10-cm diameter at breast height, as well as fine and coarse woody debris, in a 3.55-ha plot near Nornalup, south-western Australia. Pre-fire canopy height was estimated by allometrics derived from tree height and diameter, and diameter and length of recently fallen branches. Of the basal area (75.0 m2 ha–1), 92.7% was eucalypt (chiefly E. jacksonii), with regeneration accounting for only 8.5% of the total. Although canopy species composition apparently did not change following fire, stand height and biomass had not recovered to pre-1937 levels by 2015. Canopy height remained 5.06 m (11%) less and biomass 25% less, 78 years after the fire. The combination of intense fire and a warmer, drier climate appears to have prevented recovery of forest height and structure at this site. These findings indicate that ecologically important, venerable trees are increasingly vulnerable to canopy fire and climate change.

Understory patch dynamics and ungulate herbivory in old-growth forests of Olympic National Park, Washington

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward G. Schreiner ◽  
Kirsten A. Krueger ◽  
Douglas B. Houston ◽  
Patricia J. Happe
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
National Park ◽  
Patch Dynamics ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Patch Type ◽  
Ungulate Herbivory ◽  
Olympic National Park ◽  
Old Growth Forests

The relationship between native ungulates (mainly Roosevelt elk, Cervuselaphus L.) and the occurrence of three patch types in an old-growth (220- to 260-year-old) Sitka spruce (Piceasitchensis (Bong.) Carrière)–western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) temperate coniferous rain forest was investigated on the South Fork Hoh River in Olympic National Park. The distribution, frequency, and size of two understory patches (grass, moss) and patches where shrubs had escaped herbivory (refugia) were sampled along transects. Vegetation standing crop, percent cover, species richness, and equitability along transects were compared with conditions in two 8-year-old 0.5-ha ungulate exclosures. Ungulate herbivory profoundly affected the distribution and abundance of understory patch types. Grass-dominated patches disappeared following 8 years of protection from ungulate herbivory. Ungulates maintained a reduced standing crop, increased forb species richness, and determined the distribution, morphology, and reproductive performance of several shrub species. There is clearly a dynamic relationship between patch type, tree fall, and ungulate herbivory in these old-growth forests. Our results show that ungulate herbivory is a driving force shaping vegetation patterns in coastal coniferous forests.

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