An assessment of phosphorus limitations to soil nitrogen availability across forest ecosystems of north coastal British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 530-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A Banner ◽  
A de Groot
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
P Availability ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors

The wet, slow-growing forests of western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) and salal (Gaultheria shallon Pursh) on the north coast of British Columbia are characteristically low in available phosphorus (P) compared with more productive forest ecosystems. It has been suggested that declining P availability can eventually limit soil biological activity and restrict nitrogen (N) cycling. We investigated this potential link between P availability and N cycling for three forest types (cedar–salal, hemlock – lanky moss and spruce – sword fern) covering a wide gradient in site productivity. Forest floors (upper 20 cm) and mineral soils (20 cm depth) were collected from five replicate sites of each forest type and incubated for 20 weeks at field moisture content with and without an amendment of NaH2PO4. We found that organic P concentrations of both forest floors and mineral soils were positively correlated to extractable inorganic N concentrations (unamended soils over 20 weeks). The addition of P to the low-productivity cedar–salal soils led to significant increases in extractable inorganic N in the forest floors and mineral soils. P amendments led to either a smaller or nonsignificant increase in extractable N for moderately and highly productive soils. Soil respiration of CO2 and respiration quotients were substantially reduced in forest floors with a P amendment, suggesting N mineralization was governed by exoenzyme allocation rather than decomposition rates. These results demonstrate a possible enhancement in N supplies with an application of P to low-productivity cedar–salal forests.

Selected biological and chemical properties of forest floors across bedrock types on the north coast of British Columbia

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 971-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A Banner
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
The North ◽  
Forest Floors

We examined some of the factors related to nutrient availability of forest floors developed over saprolitic and colluvial mineral soils of four bedrock types (granodiorite, gneissic diorite, schist, and limestone) on the outer northern coast of British Columbia. All sites were relatively well drained with old-growth coniferous forests. Forest floor morphology was quite similar across sites, with friable, moderately aggregated horizons dominating the profile. There were significant differences in concentrations of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, total sulphur, and condensed tannins across bedrock types. We found detritivores such as sowbugs, millipedes, and potworms across all sites. We could not detect differences in turnover rates (via laboratory respiration) of organic matter between bedrock types. Turnover rates instead were negatively correlated with forest floor carbon and total canopy cover. Overall, forest floor properties were quite similar across the range in parent materials because of the strong influence of climate and vegetation on soil development.

Sphagnum invasion after clear-cutting and excavator mounding in a hypermaritime forest of British Columbia

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1730-1746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taro Asada ◽  
Barry G Warner ◽  
Allen Banner
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Lower Productivity ◽  
Sphagnum Girgensohnii ◽  
Thuja Plicata Donn

Sphagnum invasion 8 years after an experimental clear-cut and mounding field trial was examined in a mesic western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) – western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) forest on the outer north coast of British Columbia. Sphagnum invasion was prominent in wet hollows in the mounded blocks. Pioneer species, Sphagnum pacificum Flatb. and Sphagnum angustifolium (C. Jens. ex Russ.) C. Jens., were common despite being minor components in the precut forest. Sphagnum girgensohnii Russ., a species of forests, showed expanding colonies and contained some Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. Comparisons of vertical growth and decomposition rates of Sphagnum in the experimental field site and in a nearby natural peatland suggest that peat accumulation potential in the Sphagnum colonies in the mounded blocks is similar to that in the natural peatland. These observations suggest that open peatland-type plant communities become established and paludification processes are beginning. Mounding may be an effective strategy for silvicultural management to improve tree growth in the short term but may initiate paludification and negatively impact forest productivity in the long term in hypermaritime lower productivity forests.

Postglacial paleoecology and successional relationships of a bog woodland near Prince Rupert, British Columbia

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 938-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Banner ◽  
J. Pojar ◽  
G. E. Rouse
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Site Factors ◽  
Southeast Alaska ◽  
The North ◽  
Drainage Patterns ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Scrub Forest ◽  
Alluvial Forest

The historical development of a bog woodland on the north coast of British Columbia is reconstructed using pollen analysis, peat stratigraphy, and 14C dating. The succession spans 8700 ± 210 years in the following sequence: Pinuscontorta Dougl. – Alnusrubra Bong. – ferns/pioneer alluvial forest; Piceasitchensis (Bong.) Carr. – Alnus – Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. – (Thujaplicata) Donn. – Lysichitonamericanum Hulten & St. John – ferns/moist productive alluvial forest on regosols; Thuja – Chamaecyparisnootkatensis (D. Don) Spach – Tsuga – Pinus/scrub forest on peaty mineral soils; Pinus – Chamaecyparis – ericaceous shrubs – Sphagnum L. spp./bog woodland on organic soils. This ecosystem sequence is correlated with changes in paleoclimate reported for southwestern British Columbia and may also be associated with edaphic factors such as changing drainage patterns, the formation of cemented soil horizons, and the accumulation of thick organic surface horizons. The succession from forest to muskeg is contrasted with other evidence for succession from muskeg to forest in north-coastal British Columbia and southeast Alaska. We interpret the regional vegetation and soils as a dynamic complex of ecosystems linked successionally through climatically sensitive pathways. Local site factors such as topography, landform, drainage, and nutrient regime are important secondary factors controlling the direction of succession.

Mineralogy and genesis of selected soils and their implications for forest management in central and northeastern British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Arocena ◽  
P. Sanborn
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Clay Fraction ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Parent Materials ◽  
Fine Soil ◽  
Glaciofluvial Deposits ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors

Soil properties in central and northeastern British Columbia are strongly influenced by parent materials because of geologically young till, glaciolacustrine, and glaciofluvial deposits. We examined pedogenesis on various parent materials to support studies of long-term forest productivity. We sampled nine pedons developed on till (Bobtail, Lucille Mountain, Skulow Lake, Log Lake, Topley, and Kiskatinaw), glaciofluvial (Bowron), and glaciolacustrine (Aleza Lake 1, 2) deposits. The Skulow Lake pedon is distinctive in the occurrence of talc, while the Lucille Mountain pedon has the only clay fraction in which kaolinite is absent. Other pedons on till contain mica, kaolinite, chlorite, smectite, and vermiculite. The Bowron pedon has mica, kaolinite, and chlorite, while the Aleza Lake pedons have mica, kaolinite, chlorite, and 2:1 expanding minerals. In pedons with low amount of 2:1 expanding clays in the C horizon, mica and chlorite appear to degrade into 2:1 expanding clays, while in pedons with C horizons containing 2:1 expanding clays, mica and chlorite seem stable and the formation of hydroxy-interlayered clays is the predominant process. Podzolization and lessivage are major pedogenic processes, while redoximorphic processes are observed in some pedons with illuvial Bt horizons. Significant soil compaction hazards are presented by the medium and fine soil surface textures. Although clay-rich Bt horizons may benefit soil nutrient regimes, conservation of nutrient-rich forest floors is important, given the low S contents in mineral soils. High contents of feldspars in these soils provide a large reserve of nutrients such as Ca and K. Key words: Clay minerals, parent material, podzolization, lessivage

Soil and lodgepole pine foliar responses to two fertilizer sulphur forms in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone, central interior British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 2316-2322 ◽  
Author(s):  
P T Sanborn ◽  
J Prietzel ◽  
R P Brockley
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Foliar N ◽  
S Mineralization ◽  
Slight Elevation ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors ◽  
Surface Mineral

Sulphur (S) fractions, total nitrogen (N) concentrations, and cumulative net S mineralization of forest floors and surface mineral soils (0-20 cm) were measured 13 years after an S-deficient lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) stand was fertilized (100 kg S·ha–1 + 400 kg N·ha–1) in 1990. Fertilizer treatments compared two S sources: elemental S (S0) and ammonium sulphate (AS). Total S and ester sulphate-S (SO4-S) concentrations and cumulative net S mineralization in forest floors were significantly higher in the S0 treatment than in the control and AS treatment. Except for a slight elevation of extractable SO4-S, such differences were absent in the mineral soils. Total S and SO4-S concentrations in current-year (2002) pine foliage from the S0 treatment were significantly higher than in foliage from the control and AS treatment, while foliar N concentrations indicated that all treatments had caused a return to N-deficiency. These results indicate that prolonged amelioration of S deficiencies in lodgepole pine stands in central interior British Columbia may be possible with single applications of S0.

scholarly journals Evidence for Freshwater Residualism in Coho Salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, From a Watershed on the North Coast of British Columbia

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A Parkinson ◽  
Chris J Perrin ◽  
Daniel Ramos-Espinoza ◽  
Eric B Taylor
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Kisutch ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
North Coast ◽  
The North ◽  
Seaward Migration ◽  
Mature Fish

The Coho Salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is one of seven species of Pacific salmon and trout native to northeastern Pacific Ocean watersheds. The species is typically anadromous; adults reproduce in fresh water where juveniles reside for 1–2 years before seaward migration after which the majority of growth occurs in the ocean before maturation at 2–4 years old when adults return to fresh water to spawn. Here, we report maturation of Coho Salmon in two freshwater lakes on the north coast of British Columbia apparently without their being to sea. A total of 15 mature fish (11 males and four females) were collected in two lakes across two years. The mature fish were all at least 29 cm in total length and ranged in age from three to five years old. The occurrence of Coho Salmon that have matured in fresh water without first going to sea is exceedingly rare in their natural range, especially for females. Such mature Coho Salmon may represent residual and distinct breeding populations from those in adjacent streams. Alternatively, they may result from the ephemeral restriction in the opportunity to migrate seaward owing to low water levels in the spring when Coho Salmon typically migrate to sea after 1–2 years in fresh water. Regardless of their origin, the ability to mature in fresh water without seaward migration may represent important adaptive life history plasticity in response to variable environments.

scholarly journals Short-term effects of phosphate fertilizer enriched with low molecular weight organic acids on phosphorus release kinetic and availability under calcareous conditions in arid region

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Adil Mihoub ◽  
Mustapha Daddi Bouhoun ◽  
Asif Naeem
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Acid Solution ◽  
Organic Acids ◽  
Phosphorus Release ◽  
Favorable Effect ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Release Kinetic ◽  
P Availability ◽  
Phosphate Fertilizers

Phosphate reactions and retention in the soil are of paramount importance from the perspective of plant nutrition and fertilizer use efficiency. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of some low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) on phosphorus release kinetic and its availability in calcareous soil. Experiments were conducted in laboratory. Soil-limestone mixtures were prepared to achieve highly calcareous samples (i.e. 50% CaCO3). The prepared samples were mixed thoroughly with phosphate fertilizers i.e. Triple super phosphate (TSP) and Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP) and watered with distilled water only (CK), with citric acid solution (CA) and with oxalic acid solution (OA). The treatments were arranged in a CRD with three replications and incubated at 25 ± 2°C and 80% soil moisture for a period of 960 h. The parabolic model was used for describing the decrease in P with time. As a result, all treatments showed a significant decrease in available P with time. Using LMWOAs showed important results and combination of phosphate fertilizers with both LMWOAs solutions exerted a very favorable effect on P availability in soil. The parabolic diffusion equation used was fitted well to experimental data. Addition of LMWOAs decreased loss in extractability of P with increasing soil available phosphorus fraction. Moreover, treatments irrigated by LMWOAs solutions released a lot of phosphorus compared to untreated treatments.

Variations of belowground C and N cycling between arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal forests across China

Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiwei Li ◽  
Zhouping Shangguan ◽  
Lei Deng
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
N Cycle ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Litter Input ◽  
C And N ◽  
C And N Cycling

Forests associating with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi may have distinct belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycle processes. However, there are little available data providing evidence for the effects of trees associating with mycorrhizal type on belowground C and N cycling in forest ecosystems in China. Here, we collected a database of 26 variables related to belowground C and N cycling from 207 studies covering 209 sampling sites in China, to better understand the variations in belowground C and N cycling between the two mycorrhizal types in forest ecosystems along a climatic gradient. The AM forests had significantly lower soil total C and N contents, and soil microbial biomass C and N, than ECM forests, probably due to differences in litter quality (N and C/N) between AM and ECM forest types. In contrast, AM forests had significantly higher litter input, litter decomposition and soil respiration than ECM forests. Temperature and precipitation had significant positive effects on litter input and decomposition, soil total C and N contents, and soil respiration in AM and ECM forests. Overall, our results indicated that mycorrhizal type strongly affected belowground C and N cycle processes in forest ecosystems. Moreover, AM forests are likely more sensitive and ECM forests have a greater ability to adapt to global climate change.

Susceptibility of Western Conifers to Laminated Root Rot (Phellinus weirii) in Oregon and British Columbia Field Tests

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Nelson ◽  
Rona N. Sturrock
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Root Rot ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Giant Sequoia ◽  
Phellinus Weirii

Abstract Several species of conifers were outplanted around infected stumps in Oregon and British Columbia to measure their susceptibility to laminated root rot caused by Phellinus weirii. Grand fir (Abies grandis) experienced nearly 30% mortality caused by P. weirii. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) mortality exceeded 20%. Noble fir (A. procera), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) mortality averaged less than 10%. Western white pine (P. monticola) and lodgepole pine (P. contorta) mortality was less than 1%. Phellinus weirii did not cause mortality of western redcedar (Thuja plicata) or redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Apparent susceptibility, based on mortality over 17-20 growing seasons, was similar to that recorded in past field observations. West. J. Appl. For. 8(2):67-70.

Species diversity and forest health in northwest British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 892-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J Woods
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Root Disease ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Interior Spruce ◽  
Dothistroma Needle Blight ◽  
Needle Blight

Forest management in the Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) zone of the Kispiox TSA in northwest British Columbia has focused on two tree species. Interior spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry ex Engelm. × Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Dougl. ex Loud.) have dominated plantations, while historically, western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), true firs (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. and (Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex Forbes) and western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), have dominated the landscape. Tomentosus root disease (Inonotus tomentosus (Fr.) Teng) and Dothistroma needle blight (Mycosphaerella pini Rostr. in Munk) are the principal diseases affecting interior spruce and lodgepole pine plantations, respectively. Tomentosus root disease was found in 92% of spruce-dominated stands 100 years and older in the study area. The annual recruitment of dead interior spruce and lodgepole pine tree volume due to the disease in those stands is 4.29 m3/ha or 51 990 m3. The incidence of Tomentosus root disease in ten randomly selected spruce leading plantations aged 25–30 years ranged from 0.6% to 10.4% and averaged 5.9% of the host trees. Dothistroma needle blight was the most prevalent pest in a survey of 100 randomly selected lodgepole pine plantations and has caused considerable crop tree mortality. The disease has even caused mortality in 55-year-old lodgepole pine trees. Maintaining species diversity is essential to long-term forest health. Intensive planting of interior spruce and lodge-pole pine in this study area appears to have exacerbated disease problems. Key words: forest health, species diversity, interior spruce, lodgepole pine, Tomentosus root disease, Dothistroma needle blight

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document