Measuring Forest Floor, Mineral Soil, and Root Carbon Stocks

2008 ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Burton ◽  
Kurt S. Pregitzer
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Root Carbon

Does soil disturbance result in soil carbon losses? – A case study on bioturbation effects of wild boar

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Don ◽  
Christina Hagen ◽  
Erik Grüneberg ◽  
Cora Vos
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Carbon Turnover

<p>Soil disturbance and disruption is assumed to enhance mineralisation and cause losses of soil organic carbon. Therefore, no tillage is promoted as soil carbon sequestration measure. However, the experimental evidence of enhanced carbon turnover due to soil disturbance is rare.  We investigated soil disturbance in forest ecosystems with simulated bioturbation of wild boar. Wild boar are effective at mixing and grubbing in the soil and wild boar populations are increasing dramatically in many parts of the world. In a six-year field study, we investigated the effect of wild boar bioturbation on the stocks and stability of soil organic carbon in two forest areas at 23 plots. The organic layer and mineral soil down to 15 cm depth were sampled in the disturbed plots and adjacent undisturbed reference plots.</p><p>No significant changes in soil organic carbon stocks were detected in the bioturbation plots compared with non-disturbed reference plots. However, around 50% of forest floor carbon was transferred with bioturbation to mineral soil carbon and the stock of stabilised mineral-associated carbon increased by 28%. Thus, a large proportion of the labile carbon in the forest floor was transformed into more stable carbon. Carbon saturation of mineral surfaces was not detected, but carbon loading per unit mineral surface increased by on average 66% due to bioturbation. This indicates that mineral forest soils have non-used capacity to stabilise and store more carbon.</p><p>Our results indicate that soil disturbance and bioturbation alone does not affect soil carbon turnover and stocks, but only change the distribution of carbon in the soil profile. This is in line with results from no-tillage experiments. The prevailing effect is a redistribution of carbon in the soil profile with no changes in total soil carbon stocks. We discuss these findings in the light of soils as potential sinks for carbon.</p><p> </p>

Effect of tree species on carbon stocks in forest floor and mineral soil and implications for soil carbon inventories

2008 ◽  
Vol 256 (3) ◽  
pp. 482-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina J.E. Schulp ◽  
Gert-Jan Nabuurs ◽  
Peter H. Verburg ◽  
Rein W. de Waal
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Carbon Stocks

Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 3668-3676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria L. Sloan ◽  
Benjamin J. Fletcher ◽  
Malcolm C. Press ◽  
Mathew Williams ◽  
Gareth K. Phoenix
Keyword(s):  
Fine Root ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Root Carbon

Nitrogen storage and availability during stand development in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
P W Clinton ◽  
R B Allen ◽  
M R Davis
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Nitrogen Storage ◽  
Nothofagus Forest ◽  
Mature Stands

Stemwood production, N pools, and N availability were determined in even-aged (10, 25, 120, and >150-year-old) stands of a monospecific mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Poole) forest in New Zealand recovering from catastrophic canopy disturbance brought about by windthrow. Nitrogen was redistributed among stemwood biomass, coarse woody debris (CWD), the forest floor, and mineral soil following disturbance. The quantity of N in stemwood biomass increased from less than 1 kg/ha in seedling stands (10 years old) to ca. 500 kg/ha in pole stands (120 years old), but decreased in mature stands (>150 years old). In contrast, the quantity of N stored in CWD declined rapidly with stand development. Although the mass of N stored in the forest floor was greatest in the pole stands and least in the mature stands, N availability in the forest floor did not vary greatly with stand development. The mass of N in the mineral soil (0–100 mm depth) was also similar for all stands. Foliar N concentrations, net N mineralization, and mineralizable N in the mineral soil (0–100 mm depth) showed similar patterns with stage of stand development, and indicated that N availability was greater in sapling (25 years old) and mature stands than in seedling and pole stands. We conclude that declining productivity in older stands is associated more with reductions in cation availability, especially calcium, than N availability.

scholarly journals Dynamic of nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon in an alpine forested catchment: atmospheric deposition and soil solution trends

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 41-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaella Balestrini ◽  
Carlo Andrea Delconte ◽  
Andrea Buffagni ◽  
Alessio Fumagalli ◽  
Michele Freppaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Solution ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Forest Floor Leachates ◽  
Throughfall Deposition

A number of studies have reported decreasing trends of acidifying and N deposition inputs to forest areas throughout Europe and the USA in recent decades. There is a need to assess the responses of the ecosystem to declining atmospheric pollution by monitoring the variations of chemical species in the various compartments of the forest ecosystem on a long temporal scale. In this study, we report on patterns and trends in throughfall deposition concentrations of inorganic N, dissolved organic N (DON) and C (DOC) over a 20-year (1995–2015) period in the LTER site -Val Masino (1190 m a.s.l.), a spruce forest, in the Central Italian Alps. The same chemical species were studied in the litter floor leachates and mineral soil solution, at three different depths (15, 40 and 70 cm), over a 10-year period (2005–2015). Inorganic N concentration was drastically reduced as throughfall and litter floor leachates percolated through the topsoil, where the measured mean values (2 µeq L-1) were much lower than the critical limits established for coniferous stands (14 µeq L-1). The seasonal temperature dependence of throughfall DOC and DON concentration suggests that the microbial community living on the needles was the main source of dissolved organic matter. Most of DOC and DON infiltrating from the litter floor were retained in the mineral soil. The rainfall amount was the only climatic factor exerting a control on DOC and N compounds in throughfall and forest floor leachates over a decadal period. Concentration of SO4 and NO3 declined by 50% and 26% respectively in throughfall deposition. Trends of NO3 and SO4 in forest floor leachates and mineral soil solution mirrored declining depositions. No trends in both DON and DOC concentration and in DOC/DON ratio in soil solutions were observed. These outcomes suggest that the declining NO3 and SO4 atmospheric inputs did not influence the dynamic of DON and DOC in the Val Masino forest. The results of this study are particularly relevant, as they are based on a comprehensive survey of all the main compartments of the forest ecosystem. Moreover, this kind of long-term research has rarely been carried out in the Alpine region.

scholarly journals Improving models of fine root carbon stocks and fluxes in European forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 496-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Neumann ◽  
Douglas L. Godbold ◽  
Yasuhiro Hirano ◽  
Leena Finér
Keyword(s):  
Fine Root ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
European Forests ◽  
Root Carbon

scholarly journals Effects of land use change from natural forest to plantation on C, N and natural abundance of 13C and 15N along a climate gradient in eastern China

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbezele Junior Yannick Ngaba ◽  
Ya-Lin Hu ◽  
Roland Bol ◽  
Xiang-Qing Ma ◽  
Shao-Fei Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Mineral Soils

Abstract Soil C and N turnover rates and contents are strongly influenced by climates (e.g., mean annual temperature MAT, and mean annual precipitation MAP) as well as human activities. However, the effects of converting natural forests to intensively human-managed plantations on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) dynamics across various climatic zones are not well known. In this study, we evaluated C, N pool and natural abundances of δ13C and δ15N in forest floor layer and 1-meter depth mineral soils under natural forests (NF) and plantation forest (PF) at six sites in eastern China. Our results showed that forest floor had higher C contents and lower N contents in PF compared to NF, resulting in high forest floor C/N ratios and a decrease in the quality of organic materials in forest floor under plantations. In general, soil C, N contents and their isotope changed significantly in the forest floor and mineral soil after land use change (LUC). Soil δ13C was significantly enriched in forest floor after LUC while both δ13C and δ15N values were enriched in mineral soils. Linear and non-linear regressions were observed for MAP and MAT in soil C/N ratios and soil δ13C, in their changes with NF conversion to PF while soil δ15N values were positively correlated with MAT. Our findings implied that LUC alters soil C turnover and contents and MAP drive soil δ13C dynamic.

scholarly journals Free atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> enrichment increased above ground biomass but did not affect symbiotic N<sub>2</sub>-fixation and soil carbon dynamics in a mixed deciduous stand in Wales

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Hoosbeek ◽  
M. Lukac ◽  
E. Velthorst ◽  
A. R. Smith ◽  
D. L. Godbold
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Co2 ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Co2 Enrichment ◽  
Alnus Glutinosa ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Face Experiment ◽  
Leaf N Content

Abstract. Through increases in net primary production (NPP), elevated CO2 is hypothesized to increase the amount of plant litter entering the soil. The fate of this extra carbon on the forest floor or in mineral soil is currently not clear. Moreover, increased rates of NPP can be maintained only if forests can escape nitrogen limitation. In a Free atmospheric CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment near Bangor, Wales, 4 ambient and 4 elevated [CO2] plots were planted with patches of Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa and Fagus sylvatica on a former arable field. After 4 years, biomass averaged for the 3 species was 5497 (se 270) g m−2 in ambient and 6450 (se 130) g m−2 in elevated [CO2] plots, a significant increase of 17% (P = 0.018). During that time, only a shallow L forest floor litter layer had formed due to intensive bioturbation. Total soil C and N contents increased irrespective of treatment and species as a result of afforestation. We could not detect an additional C sink in the soil, nor were soil C stabilization processes affected by elevated [CO2]. We observed a decrease of leaf N content in Betula and Alnus under elevated [CO2], while the soil C/N ratio decreased regardless of CO2 treatment. The ratio of N taken up from the soil and by N2-fixation in Alnus was not affected by elevated [CO2]. We infer that increased nitrogen use efficiency is the mechanism by which increased NPP is sustained under elevated [CO2] at this site.

scholarly journals Thinning and Burning Effects on Long-Term Litter Accumulation and Function in Young Ponderosa Pine Forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-769
Author(s):  
Matt Busse ◽  
Ross Gerrard
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Litter Accumulation ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Essential Components

Abstract We measured forest-floor accumulation in ponderosa pine forests of central Oregon and asked whether selected ecological functions of the organic layer were altered by thinning and repeated burning. Experimental treatments included three thinning methods applied in 1989 (stem only, whole tree, no thin—control) in factorial combination with prescribed burning (spring 1991 and repeated in 2002; no burn—control). Forest-floor depth and mass were measured every 4–6 years from 1991 to 2015. Without fire, there was little temporal change in depth or mass for thinned (270 trees ha−1) and control (560–615 trees ha−1) treatments, indicating balanced litterfall and decay rates across these stand densities. Each burn consumed 50–70 percent of the forest floor, yet unlike thinning, postfire accumulation rates were fairly rapid, with forest-floor depth matching preburn levels within 15–20 years. Few differences in forest-floor function (litter decay, carbon storage, physical barrier restricting plant emergence, erosion protection) resulted from thinning or burning after 25 years. An exception was the loss of approximately 300 kg N ha−1 because of repeated burning, or approximately 13 percent of the total site N. This study documents long-term forest-floor development and suggests that common silvicultural practices pose few risks to organic layer functions in these forests. Study Implications: Mechanical thinning and prescribed fire are among the most widespread management practices used to restore forests in the western US to healthy, firewise conditions. We evaluated their effects on the long-term development of litter and duff layers, which serve dual roles as essential components of soil health and as fuel for potential wildfire. Our study showed that thinning and burning provided effective fuel reduction and resulted in no adverse effects to soil quality in dry ponderosa pine forests of central Oregon. Repeated burning reduced the site carbon and nitrogen pools approximately 9–13 percent, which is small compared to C located in tree biomass and N in mineral soil. Litter accumulation after burning was rapid, and we recommend burning on at least a 15–20-year cycle to limit its build-up.

Soil chemistry changes after 27 years under four tree species in southern Ontario

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 1648-1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Anne France ◽  
Dan Binkley ◽  
David Valentine
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Acid Neutralization ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Silver Maple ◽  
Paper Birch

After 27 years of stand development, the accumulated forest floor under replicated plots of white pine (Pinusstrobus L.), white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), paper birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.), and silver maple (Acersaccharinum L.) ranged from 240 g/m2 under maple to 3680 g/m2 under white pine. Forest floor pH ranged from a low under maple of 3.7 to a high under white spruce of 5.9. No significant differences were found in pH in 0–15 cm depth mineral soil; however, substantial differences in the acid neutralization capacities were evident among species, with soils under maple showing the lowest capacity to resist further acidification.

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