Effects of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control on 5-year seedling performance: a regional comparison of Long-Term Soil Productivity sites

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Fleming ◽  
Robert F Powers ◽  
Neil W Foster ◽  
J Marty Kranabetter ◽  
D Andrew Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Seedling Performance ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Wide Range

We examined fifth-year seedling response to soil disturbance and vegetation control at 42 experimental locations representing 25 replicated studies within the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) program. These studies share a common experimental design while encompassing a wide range of climate, site conditions, and forest types. Whole-tree harvest had limited effects on planted seedling performance compared with the effects of stem-only harvest (the control); slight increases in survival were usually offset by decreases in growth. Forest-floor removal improved seedling survival and increased growth in Mediterranean climates, but reduced growth on productive, nutrient-limited, warm–humid sites. Soil compaction with intact forest floors usually benefited conifer survival and growth, regardless of climate or species. Compaction combined with forest-floor removal generally increased survival, had limited effects on individual tree growth, and increased stand growth in Mediterranean climates. Vegetation control benefited seedling growth in all treatments, particularly on more productive sites, but did not affect survival or alter the relative impact of organic matter removal and compaction on growth. Organic matter removal increased aspen coppice densities and, as with compaction, reduced aspen growth.

Effects of forest soil compaction and organic matter removal on leaf litter decomposition in central British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Kranabetter ◽  
B. K. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Nutrient Translocation ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Whole Tree

As part of the long-term soil productivity study in central British Columbia, we examined the effect of soil compaction and organic matter removal on trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) litter decomposition. We compared three levels of organic matter removal (stem-only, whole-tree harvest, and scalped mineral soil) and two levels of compaction (no compaction and heavy compaction) in a factorial design replicated as blocks on three sites. Whole-tree harvesting significantly increased litter decomposition rates compared to stem-only (by 36%) and scalped (by 41%) treatments. Soil compaction had inconsistent effects on decomposition rates (k) for forest floor and scalped treatments and, overall, did not significantly affect litter decomposition rates. Litter on scalped plots had higher rates of nutrient translocation than litter on forest floors. We found the treatments altered soil heat sums, so changes in temperatures at the soil surface might be partly responsible for the changes in decomposition rates. We could not detect differences in soil mesofauna populations collected from the litter bags, so treatment effects on fauna probably had less influence than microclimate on decomposition rates. The effects of these early changes in litter decomposition on biological productivity will be part of the ongoing long-term soil productivity study. Key words: Litter decomposition, soil compaction, scalping, whole-tree harvest, nutrient translocation

scholarly journals Aspen and white spruce productivity is reduced by organic matter removal and soil compaction

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (03) ◽  
pp. 306-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Organic Matter Removal

Declines in forest productivity have been linked to losses of organic matter and soil porosity. To assess how removal of organic matter and soil compaction affect short-term ecosystem dynamics, pre-treatment and year 1, 5 and 10 post-treatment soil properties and post-treatment plant community responses were examined in a boreal trembling aspen (Populus tremuloidesMichx.)-dominated ecosystem in northeastern British Columbia. The experiment used a completely randomized design with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems only; stems and slash; stems, slash and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none, intermediate [2-cm impression], heavy [5-cm impression]). Removal of the forest floor initially stimulated aspen regeneration and significantly reduced height growth of aspen (198 cm compared to 472–480 cm) as well as white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) height (82 cm compared to 154–156 cm). The compaction treatments had no effect on aspen regeneration density. At Year 10, heights of both aspen and white spruce were negatively correlated with upper mineral soil bulk density and were lowest on forest floor + whole tree removal treatments. Recovery of soil properties was occurring in the 0 cm to 2 cm layer of mineral soil. Bulk density values for the 0 cm to 10 cm depth remained above 86% of the maximum bulk density for the site, a soil condition where reduced tree growth can be expected.

scholarly journals Soil properties and aspen development five years after compaction and forest floor removal

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas M. Stone ◽  
John D. Elioff
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Organic Matter Removal

Forest management activities that decrease soil porosity and remove organic matter have been associated with declines in site productivity. In the northern Lake States region, research is in progress in the aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx. and P. grandidentata Michx.) forest type to determine effects of soil compaction and organic matter removal on soil properties and growth of aspen suckers, associated woody species, herbaceous vegetation, and on stand development. Four treatments: (1) total tree harvest (TTH); (2) TTH plus soil compaction (CPT); (3) TTH plus forest floor removal (FFR); and (4) TTH plus CPT + FFR were applied after winter-harvest of a 70-yr-old aspen stand growing on a loamy sand with a site index(age50) of 20.7 m. The CPT treatment significantly increased bulk density and soil strength of the surface 30 cm of soil and neither have recovered during the 5 yr since treatment. The CPT plots had 19.6 thousand (k) suckers ha−1, less than half that of the TTH and FFR treatments; mean diameter (19.4 mm) and height (271 cm) were greatest on the TTH plots. The disturbance treatments (CPT, FFR, and CPT + FFR) each reduced biomass of foliage, stems, and total suckers compared with the TTH treatment. Total aboveground biomass (herbs + shrubs + suckers) was less than half that of TTH plots. There were 5.0 k saplings (suckers >2.5 cm DBH) ha−1 on the TTH plots, but fewer than 1.0 k ha−1 in the other treatments. The disturbance treatments decreased 5-yr growth of potential crop trees, delayed early stand development, and temporarily reduced stockability and site productivity of an aspen ecosystem. Key words: Soil compaction, organic matter removal, site productivity, stand development

Effects of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control on Collembolan populations

Pedobiologia ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J Eaton ◽  
Mary Barbercheck ◽  
Marilyn Buford ◽  
William Smith
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Vegetation Control

Aspen plant community response to organic matter removal and soil compaction

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 2030-2044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
Richard Kabzems
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Soil Aeration ◽  
Year Effect

Organic matter removal and reduced soil aeration porosity during logging are important factors influencing the sustained productivity of managed forest ecosystems. We studied the 4-year effect of these factors on diversity and composition of a trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) plant community in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, in a completely randomized experiment with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems; stems and slash; stems, slash, and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none; intermediate (2-cm impression); heavy (5-cm impression)). Tree stem removal caused the greatest change in species diversity (30% of variance; ANOVA p ≤ 0.01), increasing the dominance of aspen and Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv. over other species. Slash removal had little effect. Forest floor removal caused the greatest compositional change (37% of variance; MANOVA p = 0.001), favoring ruderal over bud-banking species. Presence or absence of forest floor better explained these changes than any soil physical or chemical parameter. Although dominance of aspen over Calamagrostis was positively correlated with soil aeration porosity (R2 = 0.50, n = 27, p < 0.001), there were few differences between intermediate and heavy compaction. In this ecosystem, disturbances that reduce forest floor thickness without compacting soils will likely optimize plant species diversity and enhance aspen regrowth.

scholarly journals Nine-Year Response of Hardwood Understory to Organic Matter Removal and Soil Compaction

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Ponder
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Woody Vines ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Whole Tree ◽  
Measurement Period

Abstract The effects of three levels of organic matter removal (OMR) and three levels of soil compaction (SC) on the development of understory vegetation in a central hardwood forest were evaluated 9 years after treatments were applied as part of a national program of long-term soil productivityresearch. The three levels of biomass removal (OMR) were removal of merchantable boles only (OM0), removal of the whole tree (OM1), and removal of the whole tree plus forest floor (OM2). The three levels of soil compaction (SC) were none (C0), medium (C2), and severe (C2). Weeds were controlledin all plots for the first 2 years. Understory vegetation within 81 7.9-m2 subplots was inventoried by species and quantified into plant groups of woody (trees, shrubs, and woody vines) and herbaceous (annuals, perennials, and grasses) at year 5 (after 3 years of no weed control)and year 9 (after 7 years of no weed control). Vegetation was analyzed for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). OMR did not significantly affect the overall number of plants over the 5-year measurement period, but there were differences for both woodyvines and grasses, which were highest in the OM0 treatment in 1999, but by 2003, they were not different. There were no differences in plant numbers among plant groups for SC in the 1999 measurement period between treatments for any plant group, but there were significantly fewer trees andwoody vines in the C2 treatments than in the C0 or C1 treatments in 2003; the opposite was true for herbaceous annuals, which were highest in C1 and C2 treatments. Over the 5-year measurement period, only the height of woody vines was significantly affected by OMR, but SC significantly affectedthe height of all plant groups over the 5-year measurement period. Annually, however, trees were tallest in the OM0 and C0 treatment than in OM2 and C2 treatments. The annual height of other plants, excluding trees, was affected only 1 year of 5 by OMR. Fewer trees and shorter trees in thesevere compaction treatment suggest that, in the short term, soil productivity has been affected on the site.

Soil properties, aspen, and white spruce responses 5 years after organic matter removal and compaction treatments

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 2045-2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems ◽  
Sybille Haeussler
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Reduced Height

Retaining organic matter and preventing soil compaction are important factors affecting the sustainability of managed forests. To assess how these factors affect short-term ecosystem dynamics, pre-treatment and 1 year and 5 year post-treatment soil properties and post-treatment tree growth responses were examined in a boreal trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) dominated ecosystem in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The experiment used a completely randomized design with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems only; stems and slash; stems, slash, and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none, intermediate (2-cm impression), heavy (5-cm impression)). Removal of the forest floor initially stimulated aspen regeneration and significantly reduced height growth of aspen and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). The compaction treatments had no effect on aspen regeneration density. At year 5, heights of both aspen and white spruce were negatively correlated (r2 > 0.31, p < 0.0001) with upper mineral soil bulk density and were lowest on forest floor removal treatments, where minimal recovery from compaction was observed. There was some evidence for recovery of soil properties to preharvest conditions where expansion of herbaceous vegetation increased soil organic matter.

scholarly journals Douglas-Fir Biomass Allocation and Net Nutrient Pools 15–20 Years after Organic Matter Removal and Vegetation Control

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1022
Author(s):  
K. M. Littke ◽  
T. B. Harrington ◽  
S. M. Holub ◽  
W. R. Littke ◽  
R. B. Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Soil Base ◽  
Nutrient Pools ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Old Trees ◽  
Whole Tree

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesiivar. menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) plantation forests of the coastal Pacific Northwest have been intensively managed to improve the yield of forest products. However, the long-term effects of these management techniques have received limited research attention in this region. Three affiliate Long-Term Soil Productivity study sites were installed in Douglas-fir forests to understand the impacts of organic matter removals and vegetation control on soil productivity over time. Matlock and Fall River are located in Washington, USA and Molalla is located in Oregon. Organic matter removal treatments included traditional bole-only harvest (BO), whole tree removals (WT), and a whole tree plus coarse woody debris removal (WT+) (Fall River only). Five years of annual vegetation control (AVC) was compared with a conventional initial vegetation control (IVC) treatment at all sites. Douglas-fir biomass allocation to foliage, branch, and stem components was modeled using 15- to 20-year-old trees from this study along with 5- to 47-year-old trees from previous studies on these sites. Across all sites, model predictions indicated that the WT treatment had 7.1 to 9.7 Mg ha−1 less Douglas-fir biomass than the BO treatment. There was 1.5 to 20.5 Mg ha−1 greater Douglas-fir biomass in the AVC treatment than in the IVC treatment at all sites. Douglas-fir carbon and nitrogen biomass were consistently lower in the WT treatment, but there were no significant changes in overall site nutrient pools. The AVC treatment resulted in greater Douglas-fir nutrient pools yet there was a net loss in site calcium, magnesium, and potassium due to lower forest floor and soil base cation pools. While WT removals did not significantly affect site nutrition, the decrease in Douglas-fir biomass at all sites and increase in invasive Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) biomass at Matlock suggests that the standard practice of retaining harvest residuals is beneficial. The use of intensive vegetation control to improve Douglas-fir biomass and nutrition must be balanced with retaining soil base cations.

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