The influence of basswood (Tilia americana) and soil chemistry on soil nitrate concentrations in a northern hardwood forest

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair D. Page ◽  
Myron J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Adirondack Mountains ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Overstory Tree

In the Arbutus Lake Watershed in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, two nearly adjacent catchments (14 and 15) varied significantly in volume-weighted stream water nitrate (NO3) export (54 and 17 μequiv.·L–1, respectively; P < 0.001). The most notable differences between the catchments were that Catchment 14 had significantly higher soil Ca concentrations and patches of basswood ( Tilia americana L.). We evaluated the possible contributions of basswood and soil Ca concentrations to soil water NO3 concentrations. Among the major overstory tree species, basswood leaf litter had the lowest C:N ratios, highest Ca concentrations, and among the lowest lignin:N ratios. Basswood basal area was significantly related to soil water NO3 concentrations (R = 0.46, P = 0.01). Forest floor and mineral soil Ca concentrations were positively correlated with basswood basal area and negatively correlated with American beech ( Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) basal area. Our results suggest that a relatively low-density, calciphilic species such as basswood may create, given the proper soil conditions, hotspots with elevated soil water NO3 concentrations. These hotspots result from the convergence of high soil Ca concentrations, due mostly to soil geology, with relatively labile litter substrate available for N mineralization and nitrification.

Assessing small-stem density in northern hardwood selection system stands

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph D. Nyland ◽  
Lindsay Nystrom ◽  
Diane H. Kiernan ◽  
Eddie Bevilacqua
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Peak Level ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Selection System ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Threshold Size ◽  
Northern Hardwood

Data from three uneven-aged northern hardwood stands in New York State were analyzed to assess the effects of understory American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) density on changes of small stems within the 2.54 to 5.08 cm diameter class during the first cutting cycle under single-tree selection system. Findings show that the amount of understory American beech on a regeneration plot, quantified using a species index value (SIV), affects the abundance of other species. Results reveal the future plot-level stocking of these small trees for (i) all species (including American beech) as related to time since cutting and residual basal area or (ii) non-beech species as influenced by beech interference (SIV), time since cutting, and residual basal area. Findings indicate that for plots with limited understory beech, small-stem stem density will increase from postcut levels to a peak at 8–12 years after selection system cutting and then decrease. The higher the residual basal area is, the sooner the numbers of small trees reach a peak level and the fewer are present of that threshold size. Findings confirm that no or only minimal numbers of small non-beech trees develop on plots with high levels of understory American beech (SIV ≥ 0.5).

Long-term impact of liming on growth and vigor of northern hardwoods

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1295-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Long ◽  
Stephen B. Horsley ◽  
Thomas J. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Crown Health ◽  
Lime Application ◽  
Species Specific

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) is a keystone species in the northern hardwood forest, and decline episodes have negatively affected the growth and health of sugar maple in portions of its range over the past 50+ years. Crown health, growth, survival, and flower and seed production of sugar maple were negatively affected by a widespread decline event in the mid-1980s on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau in northern Pennsylvania. A long-term liming study was initiated in 1985 to evaluate responses to a one-time application of 22.4 Mg·ha–1 of dolomitic limestone in four northern hardwood stands. Over the 23-year period ending in 2008, sugar maple basal area increment (BAINC) increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in limed plots from 1995 through 2008, whereas American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) BAINC was unaffected. For black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), the third principal overstory species, BAINC and survival were reduced in limed plots compared with unlimed plots. Foliar Ca and Mg remained significantly higher in sugar maple foliage sampled 21 years after lime application, showing persistence of the lime effect. These results show long-term species-specific responses to lime application.

Nutrient cycling in Huntington Forest and Turkey Lakes deciduous stands: nitrogen and sulfur

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Mitchell ◽  
N.W. Foster ◽  
J.P. Shepard ◽  
I.K. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Adirondack Mountains ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Turkey Lakes Watershed

Biogeochemical cycling of S and N was quantified at two hardwood sites (Turkey Lakes watershed (TLW) and Huntington Forest (HF)) that have sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) as the major overstory component and are underlain by Spodosols (Podzols). TLW and HF are located in central Ontario (Canada) and the Adirondack Mountains of New York (U.S.A), respectively. Major differences between the TLW and HF sites included stand age (300 and 100 years for TLW and HF, respectively), age of dominant trees (150–300 and 100 years for TLW and HF, respectively), and the presence of American beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) at HF as well as lower inputs of SO42− and NO3− (differences of 99 and 31 mol ion charge (molc)•ha−1•year−1, respectively) at TLW. There was an increase in concentration of SO42− and NO3− after passage through the canopy at both sites. A major difference in the anion chemistry of the soil solution between the sites was the much greater leaching of NO3− at TLW compared with HF (1300 versus 18 molc•ha−1•year−1, respectively). At HF, but not TLW, there was a marked increase in SO42− flux (217 molc•ha−1•year−1) when water leached from the forest floor through the mineral soil. The mineral soil was the largest pool (>80%) of N and S for both sites. The mineral soil of TLW had a C:N ratio of 16:1, which is much narrower than the 34:1 ratio at HF. This former ratio should favor accumulation of NH44+ and NO3− and subsequent NO3− leaching. Laboratory measurements suggest that the forest floor of TLW may have higher N mineralization rates than HF. Fluxes of N and S within the vegetation were generally similar at both sites, except that net requirement of N at TLW was substantially lower (difference of 9.4 kg N•ha−1•year−1). The higher NO3− leaching from TLW compared with HF may be attributed mostly to stand maturity coupled with tree mortality, but the absence of slow decomposing beech leaf litter and lower C:N ratio in the soil of the former site may also be contributing factors.

Winter foraging by individual porcupines

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2425-2428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uldis Roze
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Foraging Area ◽  
Winter Foraging ◽  
Study Population

Winter feeding of individual porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum L.) was studied in the northern Catskill Mountains of New York by following individual feeding trails in the snow. The study population as a whole fed primarily on beech (Fagus grandifolia) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and less frequently on eight other tree species. Individual porcupines limited their feeding to one or two species. An individual's primary food choice corresponded to the numerically most abundant tree species in its foraging area; its secondary food choice could not be related to relative density nor to relative basal area.

scholarly journals Development of air pollutant deposition, soil water chemistry and soil on Šerlich research plots, and water chemistry in a surface water source

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 263-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Lochman ◽  
V. Mareš ◽  
V. Fadrhonsová
Keyword(s):  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Western Slope ◽  
Mountain Ash ◽  
Beech Stand

&nbsp; In 1986 (1987) research plots were established in a forest stands on the south-western slope of &Scaron;erlich Mt., Orlick&eacute; hory Mts. (Kristina Colloredo-Mansfeld &ndash; Forest Administration Opočno), at the altitude of 950 to 970 m, to study deposition, chemistry of precipitation and soil water and development of soil chemistry. The plots were established on a clear-cut area, in a young stand and a mature stand of spruce, in a mature beech stand, and in an advanced growth of spruce and European mountain ash. The content of solutes in creek water was studied at the same time. Since 1993 the concentration of substances in precipitation water intercepted in the summit part of &Scaron;erlich Mt. has been measured. Research on water chemistry in the stands terminated in 1997. Soil analyses were done in 1986 (1987), 1993 and 1999. The load of acid air pollutants in these forest ecosystems was high in the eighties. After 1991 the deposition of H<sup>+</sup>, S/SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2&ndash;</sup>, N/NO<sub>3</sub><sup>&ndash; </sup>+ NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>, Mn, Zn, Al decreased. Similarly, an increase in pH was observed in soil water, and the concentrations of SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2&ndash;</sup>, and N, Al compounds decreased. But in 1993 the concentrations of SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2&ndash;</sup> and Al increased again under the spruce stand for several months. The concentrations of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>&ndash;</sup>, Mn, Zn and Al in the stream water also gradually decreased in the nineties. On the contrary, the average values of S-ions increased compared to those of 1987 to 1991. Strongly acid soil reaction developed in deeper layers until 1993. In the second half of the nineties the pH/H<sub>2</sub>O value somewhat increased again, however the reserve of K, Mg, Ca available cations in the mineral soil constantly decreased. The saturation of sorption complex by basic cations in the lower layer of rhizosphere did not reach even 10% in 1999. The forest ecosystems of &Scaron;erlich Mt. were also loaded by a high fall-out of Pb, and increased fall-out of Cu. The lack of balance of N-compound transformations and consumption in the soil and increased leaching of N in the form of nitrates contribute to soil acidification on the investigated plots.

Changes in faunal and vegetation communities along a soil calcium gradient in northern hardwood forests

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1141-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin M. Beier ◽  
Anne M. Woods ◽  
Kenneth P. Hotopp ◽  
James P. Gibbs ◽  
Myron J. Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Acidic Deposition ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Increasing Trends

Depletion of Ca from forest soils due to acidic deposition has had potentially pervasive effects on forest communities, but these impacts remain largely unknown. Because snails, salamanders, and plants play essential roles in the Ca cycle of northern hardwood forests, we hypothesized that their community diversity, abundance, and structure would vary with differences in biotic Ca availability. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 12 upland hardwood forests representing a soil Ca gradient in the Adirondack Mountains, New York (USA), where chronic deposition has resulted in acidified soils but where areas of well-buffered soils remain Ca rich due to parent materials. Along the gradient of increasing soil [Ca2+], we observed increasing trends in snail community richness and abundance, live biomass of redback salamanders ( Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)), and canopy tree basal area. Salamander communities were dominated by mountain dusky salamanders ( Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859) at Ca-poor sites and changed continuously along the Ca gradient to become dominated by redback salamanders at the Ca-rich sites. Several known calciphilic species of snails and plants were found only at the highest-Ca sites. Our results indicated that Ca availability, which is shaped by geology and acidic deposition inputs, influences northern hardwood forest ecosystems at multiple trophic levels, although the underlying mechanisms require further study.

Trace metal biogeochemical responses following wood ash addition in a northern hardwood forest

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Dawn Deighton ◽  
Shaun A. Watmough ◽  
Nathan Basiliko ◽  
Paul Hazlett ◽  
Carolyn Roberta Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metal ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Bottom Ash ◽  
Wood Ash ◽  
Metal Mobility ◽  
Hardwood Forest ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Northern Hardwood

Wood ash may be useful as a forest soil amendment in Canada, but trace metals can have detrimental effects if they accumulate in, or are transported from, forest ecosystems. Metal concentrations in soil water and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) seedling tissue chemistry were measured in a north temperate hardwood forest over four years following a biomass boiler ash addition field trial. Twenty plots (3 m x 3 m) were established in Haliburton Forest with both fly and bottom ash treatments of 0, 4 and 8 Mg ha-1 with four replicates, and tension lysimeters were positioned in each plot at 30, 50, and 100 cm depths. Over the four years soil water metal concentrations in treated plots were not significantly different to control plots. No differences in metal concentrations in foliage of sugar maple seedlings could be detected but there were significantly higher concentrations of some metals (Al, Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni and Sr) in roots of treated plots. Simulated drought mobilized several metals in upper mineral soil, but this mobilization occurred similarly in controls and ash-treated soils. These results suggest that doses below 8 Mg ha-1 industrial wood ash with trace metal concentrations below Canadian regulatory limits does not cause an increase in trace metal mobility or availability in northern hardwood forests with acidic soils during the first five years after application.

Spatial characteristics of canopy disturbances in riparian old-growth hemlock – northern hardwood forests, Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda T. Curzon ◽  
William S. Keeton
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Gap Dynamics ◽  
Adirondack Mountains ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Tree Damage ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Gap Fraction ◽  
Successional Forests ◽  
Damage Type

Gap dynamics in temperate, late-successional forests influence important riparian functions, including organic matter recruitment and light environments over streams. However, controls on gap dynamics specific to riparian forests are poorly understood. We hypothesized that (i) gaps are larger and more frequent nearer streams, (ii) gaps cluster at within-stand scales, and (iii) tree damage type and gap fraction vary among riparian landforms. All gaps within four 6–9 ha plots in riparian old-growth eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) – northern hardwood forest in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA, were mapped and measured. We recorded species, damage type, and diameter at breast height for gapmakers and dominant perimeter trees. Spatial distribution was assessed with Ripley’s K. Spatial autocorrelation in gap area and tree damage type were assessed using Moran’s I. Linear regression analysis defined relationships between proximity to streams and gap area and frequency. Expanded gap fraction ranged from 28.3% to 47.6%. Gaps were randomly distributed at scales ≤25 m and clustered at scales of 63–122 m. Distribution patterns were not consistent at other scales. Convergent and divergent landforms significantly influenced gap fraction, tree damage type, and species distributions. Positive correlations between convergent topography and gap area suggest an interaction between low-order riparian landforms and gap formation dynamics in late-successional forests.

scholarly journals Growing-Space Relationships in Young Even-Aged Northern Hardwood Stands Based on Individual-Tree and Plot-Level Measurements

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ray ◽  
Ruth D. Yanai ◽  
Ralph D. Nyland ◽  
Terry R. McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Projection Area ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Canopy Trees

Abstract The amount of growing space occupied by trees of given sizes and species is traditionally assessed on a plot basis, using observations from groups of trees growing within an area of fixed size. Our study combines individual-tree with plot-based observations of upper-canopy trees representing a range of shade tolerance (Fagus grandifolia ≥ Acer saccharum > Betula alleghaniensis ≥ Fraxinus americana) in three young, fully stocked, even-aged northern hardwood stands. The amount of canopy growing space used by a stem of given size was described by the ratios of crown projection area and crown surface area to stem basal area. These variables were related to species, stand, and relative basal area using analysis of covariance. Both ratios were generally highest in the youngest (19 years) stand, intermediate in the mid-aged stand (24 years), and lowest in the oldest stand (29 years). A few differences were detected among species, with shade-tolerants having larger ratios. Allometric models were used in conjunction with plot density data to estimate canopy cover at the stand level. Considerable crown overlap was indicated among upper-canopy trees in all three stands. Estimates from tree-centered plots suggested that crowns occupied 1.81 ± 0.02 times the ground area in the youngest stand and 1.45 ± 0.03 times in the mid-aged and oldest stands; when corrected for sampling bias, these ratios were at least 1.30 and 0.96, respectively. Combining individual-tree with plot-level measurements afforded a comprehensive assessment of trends in growing-space occupancy not possible using either technique alone.

scholarly journals Birch and conifer deadwood favour early establishment and shade tolerance in yellow birch juveniles growing in sugar maple dominated stands

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Bastien Lambert ◽  
Aitor Ameztegui ◽  
Sylvain Delagrange ◽  
Christian Messier
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Shade Tolerance ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Reduced Height

Small-seeded tree species such as yellow birch (YB, Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) require deadwood or mineral soil for their establishment. Although much research has been done comparing YB germination on leaf litter vs. exposed mineral soil, less is known about deadwood as a seedbed and how different seedbeds affect YB early growth along light availability and size gradients. We examine how three common seedbeds (deadwood, moss cover on deadwood, and mineral soil) affected establishment and growth, biomass partitioning, and morphological traits of YB juveniles growing in the understory of temperate mixed deciduous and coniferous forests in southern Quebec. A total of 274 YB were sampled in four sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) dominated northern hardwood stands where selective cuts had been applied 6 and 15 years prior to sampling. Over 75% of the YB found on deadwood were on material of birch and conifer origin, although these species made less than 40% of the basal area. YB juveniles growing on deadwood showed traits that improve survival in shade such as reduced height growth for tall plants, higher efficiency in resource capture, and multilayered crowns. Our results demonstrate the importance of deadwood of birch and conifer origin in maintaining an abundant, natural, spatially well-distributed, and multistoried regeneration of YB.

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