scholarly journals Admixing Fir to European Beech Forests Improves the Soil Greenhouse Gas Balance

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Rehschuh ◽  
Martin Fuchs ◽  
Javier Tejedor ◽  
Anja Schäfler-Schmid ◽  
Ruth-Kristina Magh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Black Forest ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Soil Atmosphere ◽  
N2o Fluxes ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soc Stocks

Research highlights: The admixture of fir to pure European beech hardly affected soil-atmosphere CH4 and N2O fluxes but increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at a site in the Black Forest, Southern Germany. Background and objectives: Admixing deep-rooting silver fir has been proposed as a measure to increase the resilience of beech forests towards intensified drying-wetting cycles. Hence, the goal of this study was to quantify the effect of fir admixture to beech forests on the soil-atmosphere-exchange of greenhouse gases (GHGs: CO2, CH4 and N2O) and the SOC stocks by comparing pure beech (BB) and mixed beech-fir (BF) stands in the Black Forest, Germany. Materials and methods: To account for the impact of drying-wetting events, we simulated prolonged summer drought periods by rainout shelters, followed by irrigation. Results: The admixture of fir to pure beech stands reduced soil respiration, especially during autumn and winter. This resulted in increased SOC stocks down to a 0.9 m depth by 9 t C ha−1 at BF. The mixed stand showed an insignificantly decreased sink strength for CH4 (−4.0 under BB and −3.6 kg C ha−1 year−1 under BF). With maximal emissions of 25 µg N m−2 h−1, N2O fluxes were very low and remained unchanged by the fir admixture. The total soil GHG balance of forest conversion from BB to BF was strongly dominated by changes in SOC stocks. Extended summer droughts significantly decreased the soil respiration in both BB and BF stands and increased the net CH4 uptake. Conclusions: Overall, this study highlights the positive effects of fir admixture to beech stands on SOC stocks and the total soil GHG balance. In view of the positive impact of increased SOC stocks on key soil functions such as water and nutrient retention, admixing fir to beech stands appears to be a suitable measure to mitigate climate change stresses on European beech stands.

scholarly journals The Impact of Adverse Weather and Climate on the Width of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Tree Rings in Southeastern Europe

Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Stjepanović ◽  
Bratislav Matović ◽  
Dejan Stojanović ◽  
Branislava Lalić ◽  
Tom Levanič ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Tree Rings ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Fagus Sylvatica L ◽  
The Impact

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is the most important deciduous tree species in Europe. According to different climate scenarios, there is a relatively high probability of a massive decline in and loss of beech forests in southern Europe and in the southern part of central Europe. Thus, the authors of this study explored the dynamics of tree diameter increments and the influence of extremely dry years on the width of tree rings. This study used dendroecological methods to analyze the growth and diameter increments of European beech trees at locations in Serbia and the Republic of Srpska. The sampling was conducted along the vertical distribution of beech forests, at five sites at the lower limit of the distribution, at five optimal sites of the distribution, and at five sites at the upper limit of the distribution. Long-term analyses indicate that dry conditions during a growing season can reduce tree-ring width, but a reduction in tree growth can be expected as a result of more than one season of unfavorable conditions. Low temperatures in autumn and winter and prolonged winters can strongly affect upcoming vegetation and reduce tree development even under normal thermal conditions during a growing season.

Admixing other tree species to European beech forests: Effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks. A review.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Rehschuh ◽  
Michael Dannenmann
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Soc Stocks

<p>Drought-sensitive European beech forests are increasingly challenged by climate change. Admixing other, preferably more deep-rooting, tree species has been proposed to increase the resilience of beech forests to summer drought. This might not only alter soil water dynamics and availability, but also soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage in soils. Since information of these effects is scattered, our aim was to synthesize results from studies that compared SOC/TN stocks of beech monocultures with those of mixed beech stands as well as of other monocultures. We conducted a meta-analysis including 40 studies with 208, 231 and 166 observations for forest floor, mineral soil and the total soil profile, respectively. Pure conifer stands had higher SOC stocks compared to beech in general, especially in the forest floor with up to 200% (larch forests). Other broadleaved tree species (ash, oak, lime, maple, hornbeam) showed in comparison to beech lower SOC storage in the forest floor, with little impact on total stocks.  Similarly, for mixed beech-conifer stands we found significantly increased SOC stocks of >10% and a small increase in TN stocks of approx. 4% compared to beech monocultures, which means a potential SOC storage increase of >0.1 t ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1 </sup>(transformation of mineral soil to 100 cm depth). In contrast, mixed beech-broadleaved stands did not show a significant change in total SOC stocks. Currently, the influence climatic and soil parameters on SOC changes due to admixture of other tree species is analyzed based on this dataset. This is expected to facilitate an assessment which mixtures with beech have the largest potential towards increasing SOC stocks.</p>

scholarly journals Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a forest soil

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 6341-6356
Author(s):  
Patrick Wordell-Dietrich ◽  
Anja Wotte ◽  
Janet Rethemeyer ◽  
Jörg Bachmann ◽  
Mirjam Helfrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Co2 Production ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Labelling Experiment ◽  
Total Soil Respiration ◽  
Fresh Litter

Abstract. Large amounts of total organic carbon are temporarily stored in soils, which makes soil respiration one of the major sources of terrestrial CO2 fluxes within the global carbon cycle. More than half of global soil organic carbon (SOC) is stored in subsoils (below 30 cm), which represent a significant carbon (C) pool. Although several studies and models have investigated soil respiration, little is known about the quantitative contribution of subsoils to total soil respiration or about the sources of CO2 production in subsoils. In a 2-year field study in a European beech forest in northern Germany, vertical CO2 concentration profiles were continuously measured at three locations, and CO2 production was quantified in the topsoil and the subsoil. To determine the contribution of fresh litter-derived C to CO2 production in the three soil profiles, an isotopic labelling experiment, using 13C-enriched leaf litter, was performed. Additionally, radiocarbon measurements of CO2 in the soil atmosphere were used to obtain information about the age of the C source in the CO2 production. At the study site, it was found that 90 % of total soil respiration was produced in the first 30 cm of the soil profile, where 53 % of the SOC stock is stored. Freshly labelled litter inputs in the form of dissolved organic matter were only a minor source for CO2 production below a depth of 10 cm. In the first 2 months after litter application, fresh litter-derived C contributed, on average, 1 % at 10 cm depth and 0.1 % at 150 cm depth to CO2 in the soil profile. Thereafter, its contribution was less than 0.3 % and 0.05 % at 10 and 150 cm depths, respectively. Furthermore CO2 in the soil profile had the same modern radiocarbon signature at all depths, indicating that CO2 in the subsoil originated from young C sources despite a radiocarbon age bulk SOC in the subsoil. This suggests that fresh C inputs in subsoils, in the form of roots and root exudates, are rapidly respired, and that other subsoil SOC seems to be relatively stable. The field labelling experiment also revealed a downward diffusion of 13CO2 in the soil profile against the total CO2 gradient. This isotopic dependency should be taken into account when using labelled 13C and 14C isotope data as an age proxy for CO2 sources in the soil.

Soil–atmosphere CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes in boreal forestry-drained peatlands

2010 ◽  
Vol 260 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paavo Ojanen ◽  
Kari Minkkinen ◽  
Jukka Alm ◽  
Timo Penttilä
Keyword(s):  
Soil Atmosphere ◽  
N2o Fluxes ◽  
Ch4 And N2o

scholarly journals CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes from soil of a burned grassland in Central Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 3459-3471 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Castaldi ◽  
A. de Grandcourt ◽  
A. Rasile ◽  
U. Skiba ◽  
R. Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Water Holding Capacity ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Soil Water Holding Capacity ◽  
N2o Fluxes ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Water Holding

Abstract. The impact of fire on soil fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O was investigated in a tropical grassland in Congo Brazzaville during two field campaigns in 2007–2008. The first campaign was conducted in the middle of the dry season and the second at the end of the growing season, respectively one and eight months after burning. Gas fluxes and several soil parameters were measured in each campaign from burned plots and from a close-by control area preserved from fire. Rain events were simulated at each campaign to evaluate the magnitude and duration of the generated gas flux pulses. In laboratory experiments, soil samples from field plots were analysed for microbial biomass, net N mineralization, net nitrification, N2O, NO and CO2 emissions under different water and temperature soil regimes. One month after burning, field CO2 emissions were significantly lower in burned plots than in the control plots, the average daily CH4 flux shifted from net emission in the unburned area to net consumption in burned plots, no significant effect of fire was observed on soil N2O fluxes. Eight months after burning, the average daily fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O measured in control and burned plots were not significantly different. In laboratory, N2O fluxes from soil of burned plots were significantly higher than fluxes from soil of unburned plots only above 70% of maximum soil water holding capacity; this was never attained in the field even after rain simulation. Higher NO emissions were measured in the lab in soil from burned plots at both 10% and 50% of maximum soil water holding capacity. Increasing the incubation temperature from 25 °C to 37 °C negatively affected microbial growth, mineralization and nitrification activities but enhanced N2O and CO2 production. Results indicate that fire did not increase post-burning soil GHG emissions in this tropical grasslands characterized by acidic, well drained and nutrient-poor soil.

scholarly journals Vertical partitioning of CO<sub>2</sub> production in a Dystric Cambisol

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Wordell-Dietrich ◽  
Axel Don ◽  
Anja Wotte ◽  
Janet Rethemeyer ◽  
Jörg Bachmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Co2 Production ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Labelling Experiment ◽  
Total Soil Respiration ◽  
Fresh Litter

Abstract. Large amounts of total organic carbon are temporarily stored in soils, which makes soil respiration one of the major sources of terrestrial CO2 fluxes within the global carbon cycle. More than half of global soil organic carbon (SOC) is stored in subsoils (below 30 cm), which represent a significant C pool. Although several studies and models have investigated soil respiration, little is known about the quantitative contribution of subsoils to total soil respiration or about the sources of CO2 production in subsoils. In a two-year field study in a European beech forest in northern Germany, vertical CO2 concentration profiles were continuously measured at three locations and CO2 production quantified in the topsoil and the subsoil. To determine the contribution of fresh litter-derived C to CO2 production in the three soil profiles, an isotopic labelling experiment using 13C-enriched leaf litter was performed. Additionally, radiocarbon measurements of CO2 in the soil atmosphere were used to obtain information about the age of the C source in CO2 production. At the study site, it was found that 90 % of total soil respiration was produced in the first 30 cm of the soil profile where 53 % of the SOC stock is stored. Freshly labelled litter inputs in the form of dissolved organic matter were only a minor source for CO2 production below a depth of 10 cm. In the first two months after litter application, fresh litter-derived C contributed on average 1 % at 10 cm depth and 0.1 % at 150 cm depth to CO2 in the soil profile. Thereafter, its contribution was less than 0.3 % and 0.05 % at 10 cm and 150 cm depths respectively. Furthermore CO2 in the soil profile had the same modern radiocarbon signature at all depths, indicating that CO2 in the subsoil originated from young C sources, despite a radiocarbon age bulk SOC in the subsoil. This suggests that fresh C inputs in subsoils in the form of roots and root exudates are rapidly respired and that other subsoil SOC seems to be relatively stable. The field labelling experiment also revealed a downward diffusion of 13CO2 in the soil profile against the total CO2 gradient. This isotopic dependency should be taken into account when using labelled 13CO2 and 14C isotope data as an age proxy for CO2 sources in the soil.

scholarly journals Fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O from soil of burned grassland savannah of central Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 4089-4126 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Castaldi ◽  
A. de Grandcourt ◽  
A. Rasile ◽  
U. Skiba ◽  
R. Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
No Production ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
N2o Fluxes ◽  
Ch4 And N2o ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Grassland savannah ecosystems subject to frequent fires are considered to have an almost neutral carbon balance, as the C released during burning mostly balance the C fixed by the photosynthetic process. However, burning might modify the net soil-atmosphere exchange of GHGs in the post burning phase so that the radiative balance of the site might shift from neutrality. In the present study the impact of fire on soil fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O was investigated in a grassland savannah (Congo Brazzaville) where high frequency burning is the typical management form of the region. An area was preserved for one season from annual burning and was used as "unburned" treatment. Two field campaigns were carried on at different time length from the fire event, 1 month, in the middle of the dry season, and 8 months after, at the end of the growing season. CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes, as well as several soil parameters, were measured in each campaign from burned and unburned plots. Rain events were simulated at each campaign to evaluate magnitude and length of the generated GHG flux pulses. In laboratory experiments, on soil samples from the two treatments, microbial biomass, net N mineralization, net nitrification, N2O, NO and CO2 emissions were analyzed in function of soil water and/or temperature variations. Results showed that fire had a significant effect on GHG fluxes but the effect was transient, as after 8 months differences between treatments were no longer significant. One month after burning CO2 soil emissions were significantly lower in the burned plots, CH4 fluxes were dominated by net emissions rather than net consumption in the unburned area and fire shifted the CH4 flux distribution towards more negative values. No significant effect of fire was observed in the field on N2O fluxes. It was assumed that the low water content was the main limiting factor as in fact laboratory data showed that only above 75% of water saturation, N2O emissions increased sharply and more strongly in the soil from burned plots. This soil water content was hardly reached in the field even in the watered plots. Burned also stimulated NO production in the laboratory, which was more evident at low water content. Differently from N2O, 25% of water saturation was sufficient to significantly stimulate CO2 production in the laboratory and rain simulation in the field stimulated soil respiration. However in the laboratory the highest fluxes were measured in burned soil whereas in the field the opposite was observed. Increasing the incubation temperature from 25 °C to 37 °C affected negatively microbial growth and activities (mineralization and nitrification) but stimulated gas production (N2O and CO2). Overall, data indicate that fire would have a reductive or null impact on soil GHG emissions in savannah sites presenting similar soil characteristics (acidic, well drained, nutrient poor) and land management (high fire frequency).

scholarly journals The impact of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management on regional biodiversity of multiple taxa in European beech forests

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Schall ◽  
Martin M. Gossner ◽  
Steffi Heinrichs ◽  
Markus Fischer ◽  
Steffen Boch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Effect of structure and dynamics of forests on the occurrence of Erythronium dens-canis

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 349-360
Author(s):  
Stanislav Vacek ◽  
Rostislav Linda ◽  
Ivo Králíček ◽  
Karel Vančura ◽  
Anna Prokůpková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Spruce Forests ◽  
Forest Stand Structure ◽  
Stand Density Index ◽  
The Impact

The paper presents the results of a study on the impact of forest stand structure and development in 1998 to 2018 on the occurrence of dog’s tooth violets (Erythronium dens-canis L.) in the Medník National Nature Monument, Czech Republic. The research was carried out in mixed European hornbeam and sessile oak stands, herb-rich European beech stands and the Sázava-river Norway spruce ecotype stands. The site and stand characteristics of the following three forest stand types were compared: 1) oak-hornbeam forests, 2) herb-rich beech forests and 3) secondary spruce forests. The results showed that the ratio of sterile and fertile plants was 2.9 to 1. The occurrence of E. dens-canis was higher in older stands with differentiated structure. On the contrary, stands characterized by a higher number of trees and basal area negatively affected the population size of E. dens‑canis. Significantly, the density of E. dens-canis decreased with increasing stand density index (SDI) and increased with increasing diameter differentiation index in relation to tree neighbours (TM<sub>d</sub>). During the period of 20 years, the E. dens-canis population increased by 40.4% on permanent research plots, while the highest changes were observed on spruce plots (+92.1%) and the lowest increase was in oak-hornbeam forests (+18.0%). The highest numbers of E. dens-canis plants were found in herb-rich beech forests (1 774 plants·ha<sup>–1</sup>), lower numbers occurred in oak-hornbeam forests (784 plants·ha<sup>–1</sup>) and minimal in secondary spruce forests (51 plants·ha<sup>–1</sup>). <br /><br />

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