Sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen relationships in forest soils across the northern Great Lakes States as affected by atmospheric deposition and vegetation

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1386-1391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. David ◽  
David F. Grigal ◽  
Lewis F. Ohmann ◽  
George Z. Gertner

Relationships among forest soil carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, vegetation type, and atmospheric deposition of wet sulfate were tested using 169 forested plots across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Plots were geographically stratified into five zones, with wet sulfate deposition increasing from 156 (zone 1) to 380 (zone 5) equiv.•ha−1 • year−1. Total S concentrations, adjusted for N levels, indicated higher concentrations in eastern than in western zones in both the upper mineral soil (ca. 0.0152 and 0.0133% S, respectively) and forest floor (ca. 0.124 and 0.113% S, respectively). This illustrates that forest soil S levels reflect geographic gradients in atmospheric sulfate deposition. Total C and N concentrations and C:N and C:S ratios were affected by vegetation type. Jack pine and red pine mineral soil had lower concentrations of C and N compared with balsam fir, maple, and aspen. Forest floor C and N showed no clear pattern.

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1459-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Tau Strand ◽  
Ingeborg Callesen ◽  
Lise Dalsgaard ◽  
Heleen A. de Wit

Relationships between soil C and N stocks and soil formation, climate, and vegetation were investigated in a gridded database connected to the National Forest Inventory in Norway. For mineral soil orders, C and N stocks were estimated to be 11.1–19.3 kg C·m−2 and 0.41–0.78 kg N·m−2, respectively, declining in the following order: Gleysols > Podzols > Brunisols > Regosols. Organic peat-type soils stored, on average, 31.3 kg C·m−2 and 1.10 kg N·m−2, whereas shallow Organic folisols stored, on average, 10.2 kg C·m−2 and 0.34 kg N·m−2. For Norway’s 120 000 km2 of forest, the total of soil C stocks was estimated to be 1.83 Gt C, with a 95% CI of 1.71–1.95 Gt C. Podzolic soils comprise the largest soil group and store approximately 50% of the forest soil C. Sixty percent of the soil C stock in Podzolic soils was stored in the mineral soil, increasing with temperature and precipitation. Poorly drained soil types store approximately 47% of the total forest soil C in Norway. Soils with water saturation have large C stocks mainly in the forest floor, suggesting that they are more susceptible to forest management and environmental change. Soil C stocks under pine and spruce forests were similar, although pine forests had larger C stocks in the forest floor, while spruce forests had the highest C stocks in the mineral soil compartment. C stocks in the forest floor increase from dry to moist ground vegetation, while ground vegetation nutrient classes reflect better the C and N stocks in the mineral soil.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 2455-2464 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. W. Giesen ◽  
S. S. Perakis ◽  
K. Cromack

Episodic stand-replacing wildfire is a significant disturbance in mesic and moist Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests of the Pacific Northwest. We studied 24 forest stands with known fire histories in the western Cascade Range in Oregon to evaluate long-term impacts of stand-replacing wildfire on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and dynamics within the forest floor (FF, Oe and Oa horizons) and the mineral soil (0–10 cm). Twelve of our stands burned approximately 150 years ago (“young”), and the other 12 burned approximately 550 years ago (“old”). Forest floor mean C and N pools were significantly greater in old stands than young stands (N pools: 1823 ± 132 kg·ha–1vs. 1450 ± 98 kg·ha–1; C pools: 62 980 ± 5403 kg·ha–1vs. 49 032 ± 2965 kg·ha–1, mean ± SE) as a result of significant differences in FF mass. Forest floor C and N concentrations and C/N ratios did not differ by time since fire, yet potential N mineralization rates were significantly higher in FF of old sites. Old and young mineral soils did not differ significantly in pools, concentrations, C/N ratios, or cycling rates. Our results suggest that C and N are sequestered in FF of Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir forests over long (∼400 year) intervals, but that shorter fire return intervals may prevent that accumulation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Petrenko ◽  
Julia Bradley-Cook ◽  
Emily M. Lacroix ◽  
Andrew J. Friedland ◽  
Ross A. Virginia

Shrub species are expanding across the Arctic in response to climate change and biotic interactions. Changes in belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage are of global importance because Arctic soils store approximately half of global soil C. We collected 10 (60 cm) soil cores each from graminoid- and shrub-dominated soils in western Greenland and determined soil texture, pH, C and N pools, and C:N ratios by depth for the mineral soil. To investigate the relative chemical stability of soil C between vegetation types, we employed a novel sequential extraction method for measuring organo-mineral C pools of increasing bond strength. We found that (i) mineral soil C and N storage was significantly greater under graminoids than shrubs (29.0 ± 1.8 versus 22.5 ± 3.0 kg·C·m−2 and 1.9 ± .12 versus 1.4 ± 1.9 kg·N·m−2), (ii) chemical mechanisms of C storage in the organo-mineral soil fraction did not differ between graminoid and shrub soils, and (iii) weak adsorption to mineral surfaces accounted for 40%–60% of C storage in organo-mineral fractions — a pool that is relatively sensitive to environmental disturbance. Differences in these C pools suggest that rates of C accumulation and retention differ by vegetation type, which could have implications for predicting future soil C pool storage.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Matschullat ◽  
Roberval Monteiro Bezerra de Lima ◽  
Sophie F. von Fromm ◽  
Solveig Pospiech ◽  
Andrea M. Ramos ◽  
...  

Abstract. Given the dimensions of the Amazon basin (7.5 million km2), its internal dynamics, increasing anthropogenic strain on this large biome, and its global role as one of two continental biospheric tipping elements, it appears crucial to have data-based knowledge on carbon and nitrogen concentrations and pools as well as on possible intra-annual dynamics. We quantified carbon (Ct, Corg), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) concentrations in litter (ORG) and mineral soil material (TOP 0–20 cm, BOT 30–50 cm) of upland (terra firme) oxisols across Amazonas state and present a first pool calculation. Data are based on triplicate seasonal sampling at 29 sites (forest and post-forest) within the binational project EcoRespira-Amazon (ERA). Repeated sampling increased data accuracy and allows for interpreting intra-annual (seasonal) and climate-change related dynamics. Extreme conditions between the dry season in 2016 and the subsequent wet season (ENSO-related) show differences more clearly. Median CNS in the Amazon basin TOP soils (Ct 1.9, Corg 1.6, N 0.15, S 0.03 wt-% under forest canopy) as well as Corg / N ratios show concentrations similar to European soils (FOREGS, GEMAS). TOP Ct concentrations ranged from 1.02 to 3.29 wt-% (medianForest 2.17 wt-%; medianPost-Forest 1.75 wt-%), N from 0.088 to 0.233 wt-% (medianForest 0.17 wt-%; medianPost-Forest 0.09 wt-%) and S from 0.012 to 0.051 wt.-% (medianForest 0.03 wt.-%; medianPost-Forest 0.02 wt-%). Corg / N ratios ranged from 6 to 14 (median 10). A first pool calculation (hectare-based) illustrates forest versus post-forest changes. The elements are unevenly distributed in the basin with generally higher CNS values in the central part (Amazonas graben) as compared to the southern part of the basin. Deforestation and drought conditions lead to C and N losses – within 50 years after deforestation, C and N losses average 10 to 15 %. Regional climate change with increased drought will likely speed up carbon and nitrogen losses.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1040
Author(s):  
R. Kasten Dumroese ◽  
Martin F. Jurgensen ◽  
Deborah S. Page-Dumroese

Research Highlights: This experiment compares a range of combinations of harvest, prescribed fire, and wildfire. Leveraging a 30-year-old forest management-driven experiment, we explored the recovery of woody species composition, regeneration of the charismatic forest tree species Larix occidentalis Nutt., and vegetation and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Background and Objectives: Initiated in 1967, this experiment intended to explore combinations of habitat type phases and prescribed fire severity toward supporting regeneration of L. occidentalis. At onset of the experiment, a wildfire affected a portion of the 60 research plots, allowing for additional study. Our objective was to better understand silvicultural practices to support L. occidentalis regeneration and to better understand the subsequent impacts of silvicultural practices on C and N pools within the vegetation and soil. Materials and Methods: We categorized disturbance severity based on loss of forest floor depth; 11 categories were defined, including controls for the two habitat type phases involved. We collected abundance, biomass, and C and N concentrations for the herbaceous layer, shrubs, and trees using nested quadrats and 6 to 10 experimental units per disturbance category plot. Moreover, we systematically sampled woody residue from transects, and forest floor, soil wood, and mineral soil with a systematic grid of 16 soil cores per disturbance category plot. Results: We found that (1) disturbance severity affected shrub species richness, diversity, and evenness within habitat type phases; (2) L. occidentalis regenerates when fire is part of the disturbance; (3) N-fixing shrub species were more diverse in the hotter, drier plots; (4) recovery levels of C and N pools within the soil had surpassed or were closer to pre-disturbance levels than pools within the vegetation. Conclusions: We confirm that L. occidentalis regeneration and a diverse suite of understory shrub species can be supported by harvest and prescribed fire, particularly in southern and western aspects. We also conclude that these methods can regenerate L. occidentalis in cooler, moister sites, which may be important as this species’ climate niche shifts with climate change.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Z. Huang ◽  
J. J. Schoenau

The forms, amounts and distribution of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) were assessed in soil profiles under trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands in the southern boreal forest of Saskatchewan, Canada. The total mass of organic C storage in the LFH horizon and mineral soil to a depth of 1 m ranged from 95 352 to 103 430 kg ha−1, with an average of 99 220 kg ha−1. Organic C and N in the LFH horizon accounted for the greatest proportion of the total storage (47.3% of C and 34.2% of N), followed by the B horizon (22.4% of C and 32.7% of N) the A horizon (17.3% of C and 18.3% of N) and the C horizon (13.0% of C and 14.8% of N). Unlike C and N, more than 96% of the total P was found in the mineral soil and only 3.5% in the LFH horizon. Much of the P stored in the mineral horizons is contained in non-labile primary minerals forms. The greatest proportion (36.5%) of organic S was found in the C horizon with 26.6% in the LFH horizon. The contribution of the LFH horizon to total organic C and N stored in boreal forest soils should not be neglected in global nutrient cycling models. Key words: Forest floor, litter, nutrient storage, organic matter


1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1266-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.Z. Huang ◽  
J.J. Schoenau

The purpose of this study was to characterize the quantity, distribution, and variance of water-soluble organic C (WSOC) in a soil under trembling aspen (Populustremuloides Michx.) in the southern boreal forest of Canada. WSOC was determined monthly from May to October 1994 in the forest floor horizons (L, F, H) and mineral soil (Ae) of an aspen stand in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. The concentration of WSOC varied considerably with profile depth, but varied little among the slope positions and aspects. The L horizon had the highest WSOC concentration (425–8690 mg•kg−1 ovendried soil), followed by the F, H, and Ae horizons. The concentration of WSOC in the Ae horizon was significantly related to the concentration in forest floor horizons above. Water-soluble organic C in the Ae horizon likely was derived from the overlying organic layer by leaching. In a laboratory incubation, the rate of WSOC release (the net result of release and uptake) during incubation decreased continuously over time, but in the field, the rate of WSOC release decreased slightly early in the growing season, but increased later in the season as new litter fall reached the forest floor. This indicates that litter fall is a major factor in the replenishment of WSOC in aspen forest stands.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Bauhus ◽  
T Vor ◽  
N Bartsch ◽  
A Cowling

Despite the importance of gaps in the dynamics and management of many forest types, very little is known about the medium- to long-term soil C and N dynamics associated with this disturbance. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that gap creation and lime application, a routine measure in many European forests to ameliorate soil acidity, lead to accelerated litter decomposition and thus a reduction in the forest floor and soil C and N pools. Four gaps were created in 1989 in a mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest on acid soil with a moder humus, and lime (3 t dolomite·ha–1) was applied to two of these and surrounding areas. Litter and fine-root decomposition was measured in 1992–1993 and 1996–1998 using litterbags. Forest floor (L, F, and H layers) and mineral soil (0–40 cm) C and N pools were determined in 1989 and 1997. Eight years following silvicultural treatments, there was no change in C and N over the entire forest soil profile including forest floor. Reductions in the F and H layers in limed gaps were compensated for by increases in soil C and N in the surface (0–10 cm) mineral soil. Decomposition of F litter was significantly accelerated in limed gaps, leading to the development of a mull–moder, whereas gap creation alone had no effect on mass loss of F material in litterbags. Gap size disturbances in this acid beech forest appear to have minimal influences on soil C and N stocks. However, when combined with liming, changes in the humus form and vertical distribution of soil C and N may occur.


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