The contribution of coarse woody debris to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1592-1603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raija Laiho ◽  
Cindy E Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Wood Decay ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Aboveground Litter

The contribution of coarse woody debris to C, N, and P cycles was assessed in forests of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) - Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) in southwestern Alberta. Mass loss and changes in C, N, and P concentrations in decomposing log segments were measured for 14 years. Litter input was measured during 10 years for coarse woody debris, 1 year for ground vegetation, and 5 years for other aboveground litter types. Release of C, N and P from decomposing litter were simulated for a period of 40 years. After 14 years, log segments of pine, spruce, and fir had lost on average 71, 38, and 40%, respectively, of their dry mass. The N content of the pine logs increased, spruce changed little, and fir lost N. Phosphorus accumulated in all logs. The greatest imports of N and P occurred at the pine sites and fir sites, respectively, where these nutrients were the least available, indicating that wood decay organisms may compete with vegetation for limiting nutrients in these forests. Coarse woody debris comprised 3-24% of aboveground litter and contributed less than 5% of the N and P released. Coarse woody debris does not appear to make a significant contribution to N and P cycling in these forests.

Mass loss and nutrient dynamics of coarse woody debris in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests: 21 year results

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Herrmann ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Wood Decay ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty

Mass loss and changes in C, N, and P concentrations were measured in 20 cm long log segments of lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) that had been placed in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests 21 years earlier. Pine, spruce, and fir lost 76%, 39%, and 64%, respectively, of their initial mass during the 21 years. The corresponding mean decay rates (k) were 0.072, 0.024 and 0.052·year–1. The decay patterns of pine and spruce were similar with the highest k between 6 and 14 years. Fir k increased during the course of decomposition with the highest rate between 14 and 21 years. The correlation between original dry mass and k was negative for pine (r = –0.28), positive for fir (r = 0.35), and not significant for spruce. C/N, C/P, and N/P ratios declined and converged to a similar value in relation to mass loss for all three species. The N/P ratios of logs of all three species stabilized at about 19. These findings indicate that patterns of wood decay are difficult to predict (even with 14 year data), and so models that incorporate wood-decay estimates will be associated with considerable uncertainty.

Coarse woody debris in sub-boreal spruce forests of west-central British Columbia

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
D F Clark ◽  
D D Kneeshaw ◽  
P J Burton ◽  
J A Antos
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
History Of

An evaluation of how coarse woody debris (CWD) changes in quantity and quality during stand development was conducted using a 426-year chronosequence of 71 stands in sub-boreal forests in British Columbia. Additional characteristics of CWD were determined in 14 of the stands. Most stands are fire initiated and input from the predisturbance stand is critical in controlling the amounts and characteristics of CWD within young stands. Log volume declines from over 100 m3/ha in young stands (0-50 years) to just over 60 m3/ha in stands from 51 to 200 years old, and then increases to greater than 140 m3/ha in the oldest (>= 400-year-old) stands. Mean snag basal area is highest (31.6 m2/ha) in young, postfire stands, decreases to a very low value (2.0 m2/ha) in stands 51-100 years old, and then reaches a second maximum (12.1 m2/ha) in stands that are 201-250 years old; it declines slightly in very old stands. The high snag basal area in stands 201-250 years old coincides with the successional transition from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) to stands dominated by subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) and interior spruce (hybrids of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea engelmannii Parry). Stand age, characteristics of the predisturbance forest, and the disturbance history of stands subsequent to stand initiation all appear to be very important in determining variation in both the quality and quantity of CWD in these sub-boreal forests.

Suillus tomentosus tuberculate ectomycorrhizal abundance and distribution in Pinus contorta woody debris

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 460-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie R Paul ◽  
Bill K Chapman ◽  
Christopher P Chanway
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Nitrogen Economy ◽  
Basaltic Soils ◽  
Abundance And Distribution

Tuberculate ectomycorrhizae (TEM) have been observed in decaying coarse woody debris (CWD) and may play a role in the nitrogen economy of forests. This study evaluates the occurrence of Suillus tomentosus (Kauff.) Singer, Snell and Dick TEM within CWD in Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm. stands and relates their occurrence to CWD and soil characteristics as well as stand age. TEM were more abundant in the basal end of CWD incorporated in the forest floor than in the middle and top portions. Tubercle abundance was positively correlated with moisture and texture of CWD, degree of incorporation of CWD into the forest floor, and the amount of roots within CWD. There were significantly more TEM in CWD in young stands than in old stands and on sites with granitic soils than on sites with basaltic soils. Highly degraded CWD that is well incorporated in the forest floor appears to be an important microhabitat for the formation and occurrence of TEM.

Movement and characteristics of stream-borne coarse woody debris in adjacent burned and undisturbed watersheds in Wyoming

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1933-1938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Young
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Mountain Streams ◽  
Bank Stability ◽  
Stream Surface ◽  
Riparian Trees ◽  
Mean Diameter ◽  
Debris Transport ◽  
The Mean

Following fire, changes in streamflow and bank stability in burned watersheds can mobilize coarse woody debris. In 1990 and 1991, I measured characteristics of coarse woody debris and standing riparian trees and snags in Jones Creek, a watershed burned in 1988, and in Crow Creek, an unburned watershed. The mean diameter of riparian trees along Jones Creek was less than that of trees along Crow Creek, but the coarse woody debris in Jones Creek was greater in mean diameter. Tagged debris in Jones Creek was three times as likely to move, and moved over four times as far as such debris in Crow Creek. In Jones Creek, the probability of movement was higher for tagged pieces that were in contact with the stream surface. Larger pieces tended to be more stable in both streams. It appears that increased flows and decreased bank stability following fire increased the transport of coarse woody debris in the burned watershed. Overall, debris transport in Rocky Mountain streams may be of greater significance than previously recognized.

scholarly journals Characterizing the Assemblage of Wood-Decay Fungi in the Forests of Northwest Arkansas

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 309
Author(s):  
Nawaf Alshammari ◽  
Fuad Ameen ◽  
Muneera D. F. AlKahtani ◽  
Steven Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Wood Decay ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Decay Fungi ◽  
Wood Decay Fungi ◽  
Northwest Arkansas ◽  
Decaying Wood

The study reported herein represents an effort to characterize the wood-decay fungi associated with three study areas representative of the forest ecosystems found in northwest Arkansas. In addition to specimens collected in the field, small pieces of coarse woody debris (usually dead branches) were collected from the three study areas, returned to the laboratory, and placed in plastic incubation chambers to which water was added. Fruiting bodies of fungi appearing in these chambers over a period of several months were collected and processed in the same manner as specimens associated with decaying wood in the field. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA region was sequenced, and these sequences were blasted against the NCBI database. A total of 320 different fungal taxa were recorded, the majority of which could be identified to species. Two hundred thirteen taxa were recorded as field collections, and 68 taxa were recorded from the incubation chambers. Thirty-nine sequences could be recorded only as unidentified taxa. Collectively, the specimens of fungi collected in the forests of northwest Arkansas belong to 64 and 128 families and genera, respectively.

scholarly journals The Effects of Fire on Coarse Woody Debris in Rocky Mountain Coniferous Forests

1995 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 37-38
Author(s):  
Dennis Knight ◽  
Daniel Tinker
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Micro Organisms

Primary productivity, the accumulation of nutrients, and other important ecosystem processes are largely dependent on the mineral soil organic matter that has developed during hundreds or thousands of years. In forest ecosystems, the decomposition of coarse woody debris, woody roots, twigs, leaves and micro-organisms is a primary source of this organic matter. Large quantities of coarse woody debris are typically produced following natural disturbances such as fires, pest/pathogen outbreaks, and windstorms, which make a significant contribution to the formation of soil organic matter (SOM). In contrast, timber harvesting often removes most of the coarse woody debris (CWD), which could result in a decrease in the quantity and a change in the quality of mineral soil organic matter.

Decay and nutrient dynamics of coarse woody debris in northern coniferous forests: a synthesis

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raija Laiho ◽  
Cindy E Prescott
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Northern Forests ◽  
Aboveground Litter

We synthesize current information on input, accumulation, and decay of coarse woody debris (CWD) compared with other aboveground litter to assess the role of CWD in the nutrient cycles of northern coniferous forests. CWD contributes between 3% and 73% of aboveground litter input, but <20% of N, P, K, and Ca. Although CWD accounts for up to 54% of accumulated organic matter (including forest floor and soil), it contributes <5% of the N, <10% of the P, and <25% of the K, Ca, and Mg. Decay rates of CWD in northern forests range from 0.0025 to 0.071 year-1. Nitrogen or P concentrations in CWD increase during decay, depending on the initial N/P ratio, which eventually converges at about 20. CWD is initially a sink for N and (or) P, whichever is least available, but becomes a source later in decay. CWD contributes <5% of the N released annually. There is little evidence that CWD retains significant amounts of excess N following disturbance. We conclude that CWD is of minor importance in the nutrient cycles of northern coniferous forests, and that guidelines for CWD retention should be based on other perceived benefits of CWD.

Height and foliar responses of white spruce and lodgepole pine seedlings to deep tillage of Gray Luvisols

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
L B Nadeau ◽  
D J Pluth ◽  
P V Blenis
Keyword(s):  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Deep Tillage ◽  
Orthogonal Components ◽  
Deep Plowing

Seedlings of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) were grown for 8 years under five different levels of deep tillage. These were, in increasing order of disturbance: control, vibration ripping, deep plowing, deep plowing plus residue, and Marttiini plowing. Five-year growth curves of each tree were partitioned into three orthogonal components: mean, linear, and quadratic trends. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and mass of the current-year needles were analyzed. Deep plowing plus residue significantly reduced pine heights relative to both vibration ripping and the control, whereas spruce heights were less in the control treatment than in the vibration-ripped treatment. Tillage treatments did not affect nitrogen or phosphorus concentrations of current-year pine or spruce needles. In pine, deep plowing plus residue treatment resulted in the lightest needles, and Marttiini plowing, deep plowing and control treatments resulted in the heaviest needles. In spruce, needle mass was lowest for the deep plowing plus residue treatment and similar among the other treatments. Vibration ripping of medium-textured, well to imperfectly drained Gray Luvisols may be recommended to increase spruce seedling height growth, but any of the deep-tillage treatments used cannot be recommended for pine.

scholarly journals Tree Growth Response Along Seismic Lines in Alberta

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. E. Bella
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Radial Increment ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Seismic Lines

Stem growth data from breast height were collected from about 2000 trees on 192 sample transects (plots) located adjacent to seismic lines. Sampled stands represented the most important forest cover types between 10 and 100 years of age over a range of site conditions in the foothills of western Albetra from Rocky Mountain House to Grande Prairie. Line clearing stimulated breast height radial increment fairly consistently in the 20% range of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) trees. This improvement expressed in terms of stand growth, however, fell far short of that required to make up for the loss of wood production over these lines if the cut trees are not utilized. The lack of significant stimulation from line clearing in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands indicates a complete loss of production due to the lines.

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