scholarly journals Forms, amounts and distribution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in a boreal aspen forest soil

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Z. Huang ◽  
J. J. Schoenau
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Nutrient Storage ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C And N ◽  
Aspen Forest ◽  
Total P ◽  
Total Organic C

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

Comparison of carbon and nitrogen storage in mineral soils of graminoid and shrub tundra sites, western Greenland

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Petrenko ◽  
Julia Bradley-Cook ◽  
Emily M. Lacroix ◽  
Andrew J. Friedland ◽  
Ross A. Virginia
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil C ◽  
N Storage ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
C Pools ◽  
C And N

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.

scholarly journals Distribution and vertical stratification of carbon and nitrogen in soil under different managements in the pampean region of Argentina

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1985-1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Rosa Álvarez ◽  
Alejandro Oscar Costantini ◽  
Alfredo Bono ◽  
Miguel Ángel Taboada ◽  
Flavio Hernán Gutiérrez Boem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Layer ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Pools ◽  
No Till ◽  
Total Organic C

One of the expected benefits of no-tillage systems is a higher rate of soil C sequestration. However, higher C retention in soil is not always apparent when no-tillage is applied, due e.g., to substantial differences in soil type and initial C content. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of no-tillage management to increase the stock of total organic C in soils of the Pampas region in Argentina. Forty crop fields under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems and seven undisturbed soils were sampled. Total organic C, total N, their fractions and stratification ratios and the C storage capacity of the soils under different managements were assessed in samples to a depth of 30 cm, in three layers (0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm). The differences between the C pools of the undisturbed and cultivated soils were significant (p < 0.05) and most pronounced in the top (0-5 cm) soil layer, with more active C near the soil surface (undisturbed > no-tillage > conventional tillage). Based on the stratification ratio of the labile C pool (0-5/5-15 cm), the untilled were separated from conventionally tilled areas. Much of the variation in potentially mineralizable C was explained by this active C fraction (R² = 0.61) and by total organic C (R² = 0.67). No-till soils did not accumulate more organic C than conventionally tilled soils in the 0-30 cm layer, but there was substantial stratification of total and active C pools at no till sites. If the C stratification ratio is really an indicator of soil quality, then the C storage potential of no-tillage would be greater than in conventional tillage, at least in the surface layers. Particulate organic C and potentially mineralizable C may be useful to evaluate variations in topsoil organic matter.

Autumn and spring applications of ammonium nitrate and urea to bromegrass influence total and light fraction organic C and N in a thin Black Chernozem

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
S S Malhi ◽  
J T Harapiak ◽  
M. Nyborg ◽  
K S Gill ◽  
N A Flore
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Light Fraction ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N ◽  
Light Fraction Organic C ◽  
Total Organic C

An adequate level of organic matter is needed to sustain the productivity, improve the quality of soils and increase soil C. Grassland improvement is considered to be one of the best ways to achieve these goals. A field experiment, in which bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) was grown for hay, was conducted from 1974 to 1996 on a thin Black Chernozemic soil near Crossfield, Alberta. Total organic C (TOC) and total N (TN), and light fraction organic C (LFOC) and light fraction N (LFN) of soil for the treatments receiving 23 annual applications of 112 kg N ha-1 as ammonium nitrate (AN) or urea in early autumn, late autumn, early spring or late spring were compared to zero-N check. Soil samples from 0- to 5- cm (layer 1), 5- to 10- cm (layer 2), 10- to 15- cm (layer 3) and 15- to 30-cm depths were taken in October 1996. Mass of TOC, TN, LFOC and LFN was calculated using equivalent mass technique. The concentration and mass of TOC and LFOC, TN and LFN in the soil were increased by N fertilization compared to the zero-N check. The majority of this increase in C and N occurred in the surface 5-cm depth and predominantly occurred in the light fraction material. In layer 1, the average increase from N fertilization was 3.1 Mg C ha-1 for TOC, 1.82 Mg C ha-1 for LFOC, 0.20 Mg N ha-1 for TN and 0.12 Mg N ha-1 for LFN. The LFOC and LFN were more responsive to N fertilization compared to the TOC and TN. Averaged across application times, more TOC, LFOC, TN and LFN were stored under AN than under urea in layer 1, by 1.50, 1.21, 0.06 and 0.08 Mg ha-1, respectively. Lower volatilization loss and higher plant uptake of surfaced-broadcast N were probable reasons from more soil C and N storage under AN source. Time of N application had no effect on the soil characteristics studied. In conclusion, most of the N-induced increase in soil C and N occurred in the 0- to 5-cm depth (layer 1) and in the light fraction material, with the increases being greater under AN than urea. Key words: Bromegrass, light fraction C and N, N source, soil, total organic C and N

Root effects on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in a Pinus radiata D. Don plantation on a coastal sand

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Des J. Ross ◽  
Neal A. Scott ◽  
Kevin R. Tate ◽  
Natasha J. Rodda ◽  
Jackie A. Townsend
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Pinus Radiata ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Production Values ◽  
C And N ◽  
Microbial C ◽  
Coastal Sand ◽  
Root Effects

Although the contribution of roots to soil carbon (C) fluxes and biochemical processes is recognised, it is difficult to quantify. One approach to assess their importance is the use of trenched plots, in which C inputs to the soil and respiration by living roots has ceased. We give here an account of C and nitrogen (N) pools and mineralisation in samples taken 27 months after trenching in a 26-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don plantation on a coastal sand (an Aquic Udipsamment); above-ground litter inputs continued throughout the 27-month period.Moisture contents were higher in FH material and mineral soil from the trenched than from the control plots. Trenching had no effect on total organic C and N concentrations, but led to decreases in extractable C, microbial C and N, and CO2-C production values at some depths in the soil profile. Mineral-N concentrations and gross nitrification rates were, in contrast, initially higher in the trenched-plot samples, but were similar in both treatments after incubation of the samples at 25°C for 57 days. Mineral-N concentrations were also higher in the trenched than control mineral soil after in situ incubation. On an area basis (to 20 cm depth of mineral soil), inputs from roots were estimated to account for about 40% of the extractable C pool, 28% of microbial C, 26% of microbial N, and 23% of heterotrophic CO2-C production (0–7 days at 25°C) in the control soil. Overall, our results suggest a tight connection between N cycling rates and the labile C pools derived from below-ground inputs, with nitrification in particular increasing as C availability declined as a result of trenching.

Distribution of water-soluble organic carbon in an aspen forest soil

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1266-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.Z. Huang ◽  
J.J. Schoenau
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Litter Fall ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Water Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Soluble Organic Carbon ◽  
Prince Albert National Park ◽  
Aspen Forest

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.

scholarly journals Mineralisation, leaching and stabilisation of <sup>13</sup>C-labelled leaf and twig litter in a beech forest soil

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 2195-2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kammer ◽  
F. Hagedorn
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Swiss Jura ◽  
C Mineralisation

Abstract. Very few field studies have quantified the different pathways of C loss from decomposing litter even though the partitioning of C fluxes is essential to understand soil C dynamics. Using 0.75 kg m−2 of 13C-depleted leaf (δ13C = −40.8 ‰) and 2 kg m−2 of twig litter (δ13C = −38.4 ‰), we tracked the litter-derived C in soil CO2 effluxes, dissolved organic C (DOC), and soil organic matter of a beech forest in the Swiss Jura. Autotrophic respiration was reduced by trenching. Our results show that mineralisation was the main pathway of C loss from decomposing litter over 1 yr, amounting to 24 and 31 % of the added twig and leaf litter. Contrary to our expectations, the leaf litter C was mineralised only slightly (1.2 times) more rapidly than the twig litter C. The leaching of DOC from twigs amounted to half of that from leaves throughout the experiment (2 vs. 4 % of added litter C). Tracing the litter-derived DOC in the soil showed that DOC from both litter types was mostly removed (88–96 %) with passage through the top centimetres of the mineral soil (0–5 cm) where it might have been stabilised. In the soil organic C at 0–2 cm depth, we indeed recovered 4 % of the initial twig C and 8 % of the leaf C after 1 yr. Much of the 13C-depleted litter remained on the soil surface throughout the experiment: 60 % of the twig litter C and 25 % of the leaf litter C. From the gap in the 13C-mass balance based on C mineralisation, DOC leaching, C input into top soils, and remaining litter, we inferred that another 30 % of the leaf C but only 10 % of twig C could have been transported via soil fauna to soil depths below 2 cm. In summary, over 1 yr, twig litter was mineralised more rapidly relative to leaf litter than expected, and much less of the twig-derived C was transported to the mineral soil than of the leaf-derived C. Both findings provide some evidence that twig litter could contribute less to the C storage in these base-rich forest soils than leaf litter.

Transfer of live aspen root fragments, an effective tool for large-scale boreal forest reclamation

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1056-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon M. Landhäusser ◽  
Julia Wachowski ◽  
Victor J. Lieffers
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Vegetative Regeneration ◽  
Aspen Forest

An operational-scale transfer of salvaged forest floor material (FFM) containing trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) roots was done to explore its feasibility for aspen forest restoration on heavily disturbed lands. This technique takes advantage of aspen’s ability of regenerate vegetatively from root fragments. Surface soils from an intact 4 ha aspen forest were salvaged at two depths (15 cm and 40 cm) and immediately placed onto a reclamation site of the same size and at the same two depths. Over the next two growing seasons, aspen sucker density, mortality, and height growth were assessed in relation to root fragment density, burial depth, and root fragment size. Sucker density, height growth, and survival increased with salvage and placement depth, likely related to the fact that deeper salvage depths allowed for more roots to be in good mineral soil contact and proportionately fewer roots to be placed close to the surface (0–5 cm), decreasing their risk of exposure. Large-diameter root fragments buried deeper than 20 cm did not produce viable suckers, so placement of FFM thicker than 20 cm cannot be recommended for the vegetative regeneration of aspen. However, if possible, a deeper salvage of the FFM that contains the aspen root system could allow the material containing the roots to be spread over a larger area and still achieve vegetative regeneration of aspen from suckering, although the overall root propagule density is lower.

Accumulation of soil carbon and nutrients along a 127-yr soil chronosequence in the Hailuogou Glacier retreat area

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shouqin Sun ◽  
Genxu Wang ◽  
Xinbao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Glacier Retreat ◽  
Depth Interval ◽  
Slow Increase ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Ecological Sites ◽  
C And N ◽  
Total P

&lt;p&gt;Climate change is resulting in accelerated retreat of glaciers worldwide, leaving behind bare soil and succeeding vegetation at ecological sites that share similar attributes but represent different ages across chronosequences of primary succession. These glacial succession chronosequences provide a space for time exchange opportunity to investigate the development of soil and vegetation from the very beginning. In this study we investigated how soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrients were accumulated along a 127-yr primary successional chronosequence on Hailuogou glacier, China, where the soil samples were collected at 1-cm depth interval from 9 sectioned profiles with ages ranged from 27 yr to 127 yr on the glacial retreated area. Soil organic C (SOC) and TN showed an increasing trend along the chronosequence. The organic C and N accumulation was minimal after 27 yr of succession; with succession the soil had slightly C and N accumulation at the surface 0-1 cm depth after 45 to 53 years, and had obvious accumulation at the 0-2 cm depth after 59-72 years; the SOC and N accumulation extended to the 0-5 cm depth after 87 yr and to the 0-10 cm depth after 102 yrs. In contrast soil total P exhibited a depleting trend along the succession. Results indicated that the C and N accumulation along a glacier retreat chronosequence is not linear, but a slow increase in accumulating rates in the first 72 years, followed by a sharp increase between 72 to 87 years and then slow down with succession proceeded.&lt;/p&gt;

Recruitment of Picea mariana, Pinus banksiana, and Populus tremuloides across a burn severity gradient following wildfire in the southern boreal forest of Quebec

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1845-1857 ◽  
Author(s):  
D F Greene ◽  
J Noël ◽  
Y Bergeron ◽  
M Rousseau ◽  
S Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Seed Supply

Most studies of postfire tree recruitment have occurred in severely burned portions, despite the fact that partial burning is common. In this study we examined regeneration following a 1997 fire in the boreal forest of Quebec. A model of postfire recruitment was elaborated using parameters such as the proportion of trees killed (severity), the proportions of postfire seedbed types and their associated juvenile survivorship, the available seed supply, the available bud supply (for Populus tremuloides Michx.), and the granivory rate. All three species had peak recruitment in the first or second summer, and the recruitment episode was essentially finished after the third year. Mineral soil and surviving Sphagnum were the best seedbeds for both conifer species. Seedbed frequency was essentially independent of crown fire severity except for surviving Sphagnum, which was concentrated primarily where severity was light. Conifer fecundity was much lower in the lightly burned stands, a result we attribute to a higher granivory rate. The fecundity (seedlings/basal area for the conifers or suckers/basal area for Populus) in the severe sites was typical of the few other North American studies of postfire recruitment, where the published data permit us to make the comparison.

Cultivation and grassland type effects on light fraction and total organic C and N in a Dark Brown Chernozemic soil

2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Malhi ◽  
S. Brandt ◽  
K. S. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Light Fraction ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Chernozemic Soil ◽  
Annual Crops ◽  
Grassland Type ◽  
C And N ◽  
Total Organic C

Light fraction of organic matter is a source of nutrients for plants and a substrate for microbes, while total organic matter is critical for optimum physical conditions and retention of nutrients and other chemicals in soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cultivation and grassland type on light fraction and total C and N in a Dark Brown Chernozemic soil. Three paired-sets of soil samples, in five replications, were collected from three cultivated field areas under annual crops [mostly wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)] and from three adjacent grassland areas. The three sets were a 30-yr-old bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.)/alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) dominated stand cut annually for hay (Lm) and cultivated area 1 (Ct1), an unbroken native grass stand having no vegetation removed (Ng) and cultivated area 2 (Ct2) and a bromegrass/crested wheatgrass (A gropyron cristatum L. Gaertn.) dominated stand on a land reverted to grassland 60 yr ago having no vegetation removed (Og) and cultivated area 3 (Ct3). Soil samples from the 0- to 5-cm, 5- to 10-cm, 10- to 15-cm, 15- to 20-cm and 20- to 30-cm depths were taken using a 4-cm-diameter coring tube sampler. Total organic C (TOC), total N (TN), light fraction organic C (LFOC) and light fraction N (LFN) in soil were determined and the equivalent mass technique was used to calculate their masses in different soil layers. Total mass (for all soil layers) was less in the cultivated areas compared to the grassland areas by 31 to 43% for TOC, by 84 to 85% for LFOC, by 15 to 34% for TN and by 82 to 84% for LFN. The effect of cultivation was much greater in the surface 5-cm depth compared to deeper soil layers. The proportions of LFOC in TOC and LFN in TN as well as the TOC:TN ratios were lower in the cultivated areas than in the grassland areas, whereas the LFOC:LFN ratios were similar in cultivated and grassland areas. The light fractions of C and N were thus more responsive to change from grassland to cultivation of annual crops compared to the total C and N. Within the grassland areas, the mass of TOC and TN in most of the soil layers was greater in the Lm compared to both Ng and Og areas, while the LFOC and LFN did not show the effect of grassland type. The differences in the mass of both total and light fraction C and N in the cultivated areas were small and generally not significant. The findings suggest that including legume in grassland stands can sequester more organic C and N into the soil even when used for hay production. Key words: Cultivated land, light fraction C and N, native grassland, total organic C and N

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