scholarly journals Cellulose decomposition rate and features of organic matter in forest soils in the Tatra mountains

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 70-80
Author(s):  
K. Wasak
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Decomposition Rate ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Tatra Mountains ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Cellulose Decomposition ◽  
The Tatra Mountains

The cellulose decomposition rate measurement and soil micromorphology have been used to determine the influence of parent material and tree species on mechanisms responsible for organic matter form differentiation in woodland soils in the Tatra Mountains in Poland. The study area is located in the lower montane belt of the Tatra Mountains. Investigated soils are developed on dolomites and shale. In the past, beech and beech-fir forests had been the dominant form of vegetation in the study area. Since the 16th century, these areas were deforested until the 19th century, when reforestation efforts were undertaken. Reforestation efforts provided mainly spruce; hence, it is the dominant species in the lower montane belt at the moment, although in some areas, natural or semi-natural beech and beech-fir forests have survived. Four plots were compared – two with soils developed on calcareous material (Rendzic Leptosols), one under beech forest and one under spruce forest, and two developed on shale (Haplic Cambisols), one under beech forest and one under spruce forest. Cellulose filters were placed in organic O-horizons and humus A-horizons in every plot to measure the cellulose decomposition rate. Before being placed in the soil, cellulose filters were boiled in KOH, rinsed in distilled water, dried, weighed, and set on glass plates in a nylon bag (1.5 mm mesh). The bags were placed in the soil vertically at approx. 15 cm intervals. After taken up, the filters were boiled in KOH, rinsed, dried, and weighed. The amount of ash was determined via combustion. The research was carried out during a period of 10 weeks between June and August as well as during a period of 1 year. Measurements were repeated ten times. A weighted average and standard deviation were calculated for every plot. The cellulose filter method is useful because of the homogeneity of the substrate, which helps to exclude differences connected with the chemical composition of the plant material, a factor that affects the decomposition rate. Undisturbed soil samples were taken from humus A-horizons in every soil profile. The thin sections were prepared and features of organic matter were described. It was concluded that the presence of calcarous material negatively affects organic matter decomposition rates which is pronounced in both: higher amount of organic matter residues in humus-A horizons and slower cellulose decomposition rates in Rendzic Leptosols than in Haplic Cabisols. The influence of tree species on organic matter features is observed only in Haplic Cambisols, where the cellulose decomposition rate under spruce is lower than under beech. This suggests that tree species indirectly affect the cellulitic microflora only in acidic soils.

Relationships between cellulose decomposition, Jenny's k, forest-floor nitrogen, and soil temperature in Alaskan taiga forests

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 789-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Fox ◽  
Keith Van Cleve
Keyword(s):  
Decomposition Rate ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Cellulose Decomposition ◽  
Taiga Forest ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cellulose Filter

Forest-floor decomposition is compared among 16 Alaskan taiga forest stands. These include black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), and birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.), aspen {Populustremuloides Michx.), and balsam poplar (Populusbalsamifera L.) types, spanning a wide range in decomposition rates, forest-floor microclimates, and litter quality. Jenny's index of decomposition rate, k, is reasonably well correlated with annual cellulose (filter-paper) decomposition differences among stands. Both estimates of decomposition rate are correlated with forest-floor heat sum and forest-floor nitrogen concentration. These between-site correlations support inferences based upon experimental work claiming that temperature and forest-floor chemical quality have a major influence upon the level of decomposition in a particular stand. Inferences about the factors regulating decomposition rate around an average level within one stand cannot legitimately be made from the same correlations. Moisture has not been considered in this analysis, but could also be important to between-stand differences in decomposition rate.

scholarly journals The role of Hylastes cunicularius Erichson (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in transferring uropodine mites in a mountain spruce forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 258-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Kršiak ◽  
P. Zach ◽  
J. Kulfan
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Tatra Mountains ◽  
West Carpathians ◽  
The Tatra Mountains

The bark beetle Hylastes cunicularius was studied in the Tatra Mountains, West Carpathians, to clarify its role in transferring phoretic uropodine mites during dispersal in a mountain spruce forest. Emphasis was placed on the proportion of beetles vectoring deutonymphs of uropodine mites, and on assemblage structure, frequency distribution and placement of uropodids on the bark beetle vector. A total of 3,302 adults of H. cunicularius were caught into flight interception traps, of which 529 (16%) vectored a total of 1,020 individuals and four species of uropodine mites: Trichouropoda pecinai Hirschmann & Wisniewski, Trichouropoda obscura (C.L.Koch), Uroobovella vinicolora (Vitzthum), Uroobovella ipidis (Vitzthum). The uropodine mite assemblage was dominated by T. pecinai, which represented 94.6% of the collected mite individuals. T. pecinai and U. vinicolora were documented as new associates of H. cunicularius. Frequency distribution of uropodids on the beetle was L-shaped. The number of vectored mites and the number of dispersing individuals of H. cunicularius were positively correlated.

scholarly journals Impact of deadwood decomposition on soil organic carbon sequestration in Estonian and Polish forests

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Błońska ◽  
Jarosław Lasota ◽  
Arvo Tullus ◽  
Reimo Lutter ◽  
Ivika Ostonen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Content ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Organic Carbon Sequestration

Abstract Key message The deadwood of different tree species with different decomposition rates affects soil organic carbon sequestration in Estonian and Polish forests. In warmer conditions (Poland), the deadwood decomposition process had a higher rate than in cooler Estonian forests. Soil organic matter fractions analysis can be used to assess the stability and turnover of organic carbon between deadwood and soil in different experimental localities. Context Deadwood is an important element of properly functioning forest ecosystem and plays a very important role in the maintenance of biodiversity, soil fertility, and carbon sequestration. Aims The main aim was to estimate how decomposition of deadwood of different tree species with different decomposition rates affects soil organic carbon sequestration in Estonian and Polish forests. Methods The investigation was carried out in six forests in Poland (51° N) and Estonia (58° N). The study localities differ in their mean annual air temperature (of 2 °C) and the length of the growing season (of 1 month). The deadwood logs of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), common aspen (Populus tremula L.), and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) were included in the research. Logs in three stages of decomposition (III–V) were selected for the analysis. Results There were differences in the stock of soil organic carbon in two experimental localities. There was a higher soil carbon content under logs and in their direct vicinity in Polish forests compared to those in the cooler climate of Estonia. Considerable differences in the amount of soil organic matter were found. The light fraction constituted the greatest quantitative component of organic matter of soils associated with deadwood. Conclusion A higher carbon content in surface soil horizons as an effect of deadwood decomposition was determined for the Polish (temperate) forests. More decomposed deadwood affected soil organic matter stabilization more strongly than less decayed deadwood. This relationship was clearer in Polish forests. Higher temperatures and longer growing periods primarily influenced the increase of soil organic matter free light fraction concentrations directly under and in close proximity to logs of the studied species. The slower release of deadwood decomposition products was noted in Estonian (hemiboreal) forests. The soil organic matter mineral fraction increased under aspen and spruce logs at advanced decomposition in Poland.

scholarly journals Combined effects of water temperature, grazing snails and terrestrial herbivores on leaf decomposition in urban streams

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyong Xiang ◽  
Yixin Zhang ◽  
David Atkinson ◽  
Raju Sekar
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Decomposition Rate ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Urban Streams ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Terrestrial Insects

The decomposition of organic matter in freshwaters, such as leaf litter, can affect global nutrient (e.g., carbon) cycling. This process can be influenced by fast urbanization through increased water temperature, reduced aquatic diversity and changed leaf litter quality traits. In this study, we performed a mesocosm experiment to explore the individual and combined effects of warming (8°C higher and ambient), the presence versus absence of grazing snails (Parafossarulus striatulus), and intraspecific difference of leaf litter quality (intact versus > 40% area of Liriodendron chinense leaves grazed by terrestrial insects) on litter decomposition in urban streams. Litter decomposition rates ranged from 0.019 d−1 to 0.058 d−1 with an average decomposition rate of 0.032 ± 0.002 d−1. All the three factors had significant effects on litter decomposition rate. Warming and the presence of snails accelerated litter decomposition rates by 60% and 35% respectively. Litter decomposition rates of leaves damaged by terrestrial insects were 5% slower than that of intact leaves, because litter quality of terrestrial insect-damaged leaves was lower (i.e., higher specific leaf weight) than intact leaves. For treatments with snails, warming stimulated microbial and snail mediated litter decomposition rates by 35% and 167%, respectively. All combinations of treatments showed additive effects on litter decomposition except for the interaction between warming and snails which showed positive synergistic effects. In addition, neither temperature nor litter quality affected snail growth rate. These results imply that higher water temperature and the presence of abundant snails in urban streams greatly enhanced litter decomposition. Moreover, the effect of pest outbreaks, which resulted in lower litter quality, can cascade to aquatic ecosystems by retarding microbe-mediated litter decomposition. When these factors co-occurred, warming could synergistically interact with snails to speed up the depletion of organic matter, while the effect of leaf quality on litter decomposition may be diminished at high water temperature. These effects could further influence stream food webs and nutrient cycling.

scholarly journals A new diatom training set for the reconstruction of past water pH in the Tatra Mountain lakes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elwira Sienkiewicz ◽  
Michał Gąsiorowski ◽  
Ladislav Hamerlík ◽  
Peter Bitušík ◽  
Joanna Stańczak
Keyword(s):  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Tatra Mountains ◽  
Training Set ◽  
Statistical Parameters ◽  
The Past ◽  
Water Ph ◽  
Inferred Ph ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Tatra Mountains ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractLakes located in the Polish and Slovak parts of the Tatra Mountains were included in the Tatra diatom database (POL_SLOV training set). The relationship between the diatoms and the water chemistry in the surface sediments of 33 lakes was the basis for the statistical and numerical techniques for quantitative pH reconstruction. The reconstruction of the past water pH was performed using the alpine (AL:PE) and POL_SLOV training sets to compare the reliability of the databases for the Tatra lakes. The results showed that the POL_SLOV training set had better statistical parameters (R2 higher by 0.16, RMSE and max. bias lower by 0.2 and 0.36, respectively) compared to the AL:PE training set. The better performance of the POL_SLOV training set is particularly visible in the case of Przedni Staw Polski where the curve of the inferred water pH shows an opposite trend for the period from the 1960s to 1990 compared to that based on the AL:PE dataset. The reliability of the inferred pH was confirmed by the comparison with current instrumental measurements.

scholarly journals Urbanization pressures alter tree rhizosphere microbiomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl L. Rosier ◽  
Shawn W. Polson ◽  
Vincent D’Amico ◽  
Jinjun Kan ◽  
Tara L. E. Trammell
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Yellow Poplar ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Structural Formation

AbstractThe soil microbial community (SMC) provides critical ecosystem services including organic matter decomposition, soil structural formation, and nutrient cycling. Studies suggest plants, specifically trees, act as soil keystone species controlling SMC structure via multiple mechanisms (e.g., litter chemistry, root exudates, and canopy alteration of precipitation). Tree influence on SMC is shaped by local/regional climate effects on forested environments and the connection of forests to surrounding landscapes (e.g., urbanization). Urban soils offer an ideal analog to assess the influence of environmental conditions versus plant species-specific controls on SMC. We used next generation high throughput sequencing to characterize the SMC of specific tree species (Fagus grandifolia [beech] vs Liriodendron tulipifera [yellow poplar]) across an urban–rural gradient. Results indicate SMC dissimilarity within rural forests suggests the SMC is unique to individual tree species. However, greater urbanization pressure increased SMC similarity between tree species. Relative abundance, species richness, and evenness suggest that increases in similarity within urban forests is not the result of biodiversity loss, but rather due to greater overlap of shared taxa. Evaluation of soil chemistry across the rural–urban gradient indicate pH, Ca+, and organic matter are largely responsible for driving relative abundance of specific SMC members.

scholarly journals The intensity of slope and fluvial processes after a catastrophic windthrow event in small catchments in the Tatra Mountains

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1405-1423
Author(s):  
Dariusz Strzyżowski ◽  
Elżbieta Gorczyca ◽  
Kazimierz Krzemień ◽  
Mirosław Żelazny
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Tatra Mountains ◽  
Salvage Logging ◽  
Fluvial Processes ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Tatra Mountains ◽  
The Impact

AbstractStrong wind events frequently result in creating large areas of windthrow, which causes abrupt environmental changes. Bare soil surfaces within pits and root plates potentially expose soil to erosion. Absence of forest may alter the dynamics of water circulation. In this study we attempt to answer the question of whether extensive windthrows influence the magnitude of geomorphic processes in 6 small second- to third-order catchments with area ranging from 0.09 km2 to 0.8 km2. Three of the catchments were significantly affected by a windthrow which occurred in December 2013 in the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains, and the other three catchments were mostly forested and served as control catchments. We mapped the pits created by the windthrow and the linear scars created by salvage logging operations in search of any signs of erosion within them. We also mapped all post-windthrow landslides created in the windthrow-affected catchments. The impact of the windthrow on the fluvial system was investigated by measuring a set of channel characteristics and determining bedload transport intensity using painted tracers in all the windthrow-affected and control catchments. Both pits and linear scars created by harvesting tend to become overgrown by vegetation in the first several years after the windthrow. The only signs of erosion were observed in 10% of the pits located on convergent slopes. During the period from the windthrow event in 2013 until 2019, 5 very small (total area <100 m2) shallow landslides were created. The mean distance of bedload transport was similar (t-test, p=0.05) in most of the windthrow-affected and control catchments. The mapping of channels revealed many cases of root plates fallen into a channel and pits created near a channel. A significant amount of woody debris delivered into the channels influenced the activity of fluvial processes by creating alternating zones of erosion and accumulation.

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