Soil carbon and nitrogen eroded after severe wildfire and erosion mitigation treatments

Erosion of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) following severe wildfire may have deleterious effects on downstream resources and ecosystem recovery. Although C and N losses in combustion and runoff have been studied extensively, soil C and N transported by post-fire erosion has rarely been quantified in burned landscapes. To better understand the magnitude and temporal pattern of these losses, we analysed the C and N content of sediment collected in severely burned hillslopes and catchments across the western USA over the first 4 post-fire years. We also compared soil C and N losses from areas receiving common erosion-mitigation treatments and untreated, burned areas. The concentrations of C and N in the eroded material (0.23–0.98gCkg−1 and 0.01–0.04gNkg−1) were similar to those of mineral soils rather than organic soil horizons or combusted vegetation. Losses of eroded soil C and N were highly variable across sites, and were highest the first 2 years after fire. Cumulative erosional losses from untreated, burned areas ranged from 73 to 2253kgCha−1 and from 3.3 to 110kgNha−1 over 4 post-fire years. Post-fire erosion-mitigation treatments reduced C and N losses by up to 75% compared with untreated areas. Losses in post-fire erosion are estimated to be <10% of the total soil C and N combusted during severe wildfire and <10% of post-fire soil C and N stocks remaining in the upper 20cm of mineral soil. Although loss of soil C and N in post-fire erosion is unlikely to impair the productivity of recovering vegetation, export of C and N may influence downstream water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

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Effects of organic matter removal and soil compaction on fifth-year mineral soil carbon and nitrogen contents for sites across the United States and Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x05-259 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 565-576 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Felipe G Sanchez ◽

Allan E Tiarks ◽

J Marty Kranabetter ◽

Deborah S Page-Dumroese ◽

Robert F Powers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Treatment Effects ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

The United States ◽

Organic Matter Removal ◽

Soil C ◽

Competition Control ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

This study describes the main treatment effects of organic matter removal and compaction and a split-plot effect of competition control on mineral soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Treatment effects on soil C and N pools are discussed for 19 sites across five locations (British Columbia, Northern Rocky Mountains, Pacific Southwest, and Atlantic and Gulf coasts) that are part of the Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network and were established over 5 years ago. The sites cover a broad range of soil types, climatic conditions, and tree species. Most sites showed increased soil C and N levels 5 years after study establishment; however, the rate and magnitude of the changes varied between sites. Organic matter removal, compaction, or competition control did not significantly affect soil C and N contents at any site, except for the Northern Rocky Mountain site, where competition control significantly affected soil C and N contents. The observation that, after 5 years, the soil C and N contents were not negatively affected by even the extreme treatments demonstrates the high resiliency of the soil, at least in the short term, to forest management perturbations.

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Spatially Related Sampling Uncertainty in the Assessment of Labile Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in an Irish Forest Plantation

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11052139 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 2139

Author(s):

Junliang Zou ◽

Bruce Osborne

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Limited Information ◽

Sampling Area ◽

Soil C ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

Highly Correlated

The importance of labile soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil biogeochemical processes is now well recognized. However, the quantification of labile soil C and N in soils and the assessment of their contribution to ecosystem C and N budgets is often constrained by limited information on spatial variability. To address this, we examined spatial variability in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) in a Sitka spruce forest in central Ireland. The results showed moderate variations in the concentrations of DOC and DTN based on the mean, minimum, and maximum, as well as the coefficients of variation. Residual values of DOC and DTN were shown to have moderate spatial autocorrelations, and the nugget sill ratios were 0.09% and 0.10%, respectively. Distribution maps revealed that both DOC and DTN concentrations in the study area decreased from the southeast. The variability of both DOC and DTN increased as the sampling area expanded and could be well parameterized as a power function of the sampling area. The cokriging technique performed better than the ordinary kriging for predictions of DOC and DTN, which are highly correlated. This study provides a statistically based assessment of spatial variations in DOC and DTN and identifies the sampling effort required for their accurate quantification, leading to improved assessments of forest ecosystem C and N budgets.

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Intensive Cultivation of Kiwifruit Alters the Detrital Foodweb and Accelerates Soil C and N Losses

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2019.00686 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

María del Carmen F. Lago ◽

Pedro P. Gallego ◽

María J. I. Briones

Keyword(s):

N Losses ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

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Distribution and soil carbon stocks of agroforestry vegetation on dry land in Aceh Besar regency

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/896/1/012022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 896 (1) ◽

pp. 012022

Author(s):

H A Umar ◽

Endiyani ◽

S Agustina ◽

Irhami ◽

C Anwar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Content ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Dry Land ◽

Soil C ◽

Two Samples ◽

Soil Carbon Stocks ◽

C Value ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Abstract Research to find out how big the potential of soil carbon in agroforestry vegetation in Aceh Besar regency. This research was conducted on agroforestry vegetation on dry land in the Aceh Besar regency. Content carbon on the type of agroforestry land-use, two samples were taken each composite soil on depth 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm, 30-70 cm and 70-100. For the analysis of carbon content, activities are carried out in the soil laboratory and plants of the Faculty of Agriculture, Syiah Kuala University. The carbon content in agroforestry vegetation is quite high, and this can be described in the percentage of carbon which has a classification from high to very low. Soil depth 0-5 cm has a carbon percentage with a high classification value of 3.40 and at a depth of 30-70 cm has the lowest % C value of 0.35% with a very low classification. tends to increase soil C and N through increased root complementarity, lower underground competition.

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Straw export in continuous winter wheat and the ability of oil radish catch crops and early sowing of wheat to offset soil C and N losses: A simulation study

Agricultural Systems ◽

10.1016/j.agsy.2016.01.002 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 143 ◽

pp. 195-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C. Peltre ◽

M. Nielsen ◽

B.T. Christensen ◽

E.M. Hansen ◽

I.K. Thomsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Simulation Study ◽

Catch Crops ◽

N Losses ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

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The effects of gaps and liming on forest floor decomposition and soil C and N dynamics in a Fagus sylvatica forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x03-218 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 509-518 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

J Bauhus ◽

T Vor ◽

N Bartsch ◽

A Cowling

Keyword(s):

Fagus Sylvatica ◽

Forest Floor ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

N Dynamics ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

C And N Pools ◽

Gap Creation ◽

C And N Dynamics

Despite the importance of gaps in the dynamics and management of many forest types, very little is known about the medium- to long-term soil C and N dynamics associated with this disturbance. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that gap creation and lime application, a routine measure in many European forests to ameliorate soil acidity, lead to accelerated litter decomposition and thus a reduction in the forest floor and soil C and N pools. Four gaps were created in 1989 in a mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest on acid soil with a moder humus, and lime (3 t dolomite·ha1) was applied to two of these and surrounding areas. Litter and fine-root decomposition was measured in 19921993 and 19961998 using litterbags. Forest floor (L, F, and H layers) and mineral soil (040 cm) C and N pools were determined in 1989 and 1997. Eight years following silvicultural treatments, there was no change in C and N over the entire forest soil profile including forest floor. Reductions in the F and H layers in limed gaps were compensated for by increases in soil C and N in the surface (010 cm) mineral soil. Decomposition of F litter was significantly accelerated in limed gaps, leading to the development of a mullmoder, whereas gap creation alone had no effect on mass loss of F material in litterbags. Gap size disturbances in this acid beech forest appear to have minimal influences on soil C and N stocks. However, when combined with liming, changes in the humus form and vertical distribution of soil C and N may occur.

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Afforestation With Tropical N-Fixing Species in The Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest: Carbon and Nitrogen in The Soil Profile

10.21203/rs.3.rs-594747/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David Pessanha Siqueira ◽

Emanuela Forestieri Gama-Rodrigues ◽

Marcos Vinícius Winckler Caldeira ◽

Carlos Eduardo Rezende ◽

Claudio Roberto Marciano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Profile ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Species Traits ◽

Atlantic Rainforest ◽

Opposite Pattern ◽

Soil Layers ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Abstract Aims Atlantic Rainforest biome is one of the most threatened in the world by deforestation where afforestation programs are urgently needed. N-fixing species should be prioritized in re-establishing forest covers as they can enhance soil C and N and stimulate cycling of other nutrients. Yet, tropical ecosystems play a key role in global warming and remain underestimated in the global biogeochemical balances. We aimed to investigate the effects of tropical N-fixing species on soil C and N pools after pasture conversionMethods We selected: Plathymenia reticulata, Hymenaea courbaril, and Centrolobium tomentosum 27-year-old monospecific stands. We evaluated soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (STN), and the natural abundance of 13C and 15N in the soil profile up to 100 cm depth. Results SOC was higher for P. reticulata, but an opposite pattern was observed when combining only soil layers up to 30 cm soil depth. Meanwhile, STN was similar across species and d15N values showed enrichment at intermediate soil layers indicating 14N gaseous loss. Most of the SOC originated from the planted trees rather than the former pasture, except beneath C. tomentosum where C4 derived C is decreasing at a slower rate. Conclusion This study presents novel insights in the understanding of tropical N-fixing species effects on soil C and N where specific-species traits appear to mediate SOC retention to the mineral soil rather than the N-fixing ability per se.

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Effects of litter and root manipulations on soil carbon and nitrogen in a Schrenk’s spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forest

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247725 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247725

Author(s):

Haiqiang Zhu ◽

Lu Gong ◽

Zhaolong Ding ◽

Yuefeng Li

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Microbial Biomass ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Soil C ◽

Plant Detritus ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N ◽

Root Exclusion

Plant detritus represents the major source of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and changes in its quantity can influence below-ground biogeochemical processes in forests. However, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how above- and belowground detrital inputs affect soil C and N in mountain forests in an arid land. Here, we explored the effects of litter and root manipulations (control (CK), doubled litter input (DL), removal of litter (NL), root exclusion (NR), and a combination of litter removal and root exclusion (NI)) on soil C and N concentrations, enzyme activity and microbial biomass during a 2-year field experiment. We found that DL had no significant effect on soil total organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) but significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass C, N and inorganic N as well as soil cellulase, phosphatase and peroxidase activities. Conversely, NL and NR reduced soil C and N concentrations and enzyme activities. We also found an increase in the biomass of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the DL treatment, while NL reduced the biomass of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungi by 5.15%, 17.50% and 14.17%, respectively. The NR decreased the biomass of these three taxonomic groups by 8.97%, 22.11% and 21.36%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that soil biotic factors (enzyme activity and microbial biomass) and abiotic factors (soil moisture content) significantly controlled the change in soil C and N concentrations (P < 0.01). In brief, we found that the short-term input of plant detritus could markedly affect the concentrations and biological characteristics of the C and N fractions in soil. The removal experiment indicated that the contribution of roots to soil nutrients is greater than that of the litter.

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Repeated thinning treatments reduce long-term soil carbon and nitrogen storage: An 87-year study at the Petawawa Research Forest, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2020-0296 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hans Dávila Reátegui ◽

Vincent Poirier ◽

Marie R. Coyea ◽

Alison D. Munson

Keyword(s):

Soil Carbon ◽

Wood Quality ◽

N Accumulation ◽

Soil C ◽

Forest Region ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Surface Disturbance ◽

Permanent Sample Plot ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Forest management activities are increasingly analyzed through a lens that quantifies their effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage, because forest soils are an important C sink. Data on the longer-term impacts of repeated interventions are often lacking. At the Petawawa Research Forest, Ontario, treatments to evaluate the effect of repeated thinnings on wood quality of red and white pine were initiated in 1918 with the first experimental plots in Canada, permanent sample plot 1 (thinned) and 2 (control). In 2005, 16 years after the last thinning in 1989, we observed that repeated thinnings reduced soil C and N stocks in the surface L and F and Ah horizons. Contrary to our hypotheses, concentrations and stocks of C and N increased in the Bm1 horizon, indicating that these elements could be accumulated in deeper horizons after surface disturbance and potentially increased decomposition associated with thinning. However, total C and N accumulation in the profile to 30 cm contributed to reduced storage (-35 % for C, and -30 % for N). Many forest sites in the Great Lakes Forest Region that are selectively cut repeatedly over decades could experience this level of soil C and N decline.

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