How do forest harvesting methods compare with wildfire? A case study of soil chemistry and tree nutrition in the boreal forest

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1658-1668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne Thiffault ◽  
Nicolas Bélanger ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Alison D. Munson
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Tree Nutrition

An important tenet of the natural disturbance paradigm as a basis for sustainable forest management is that impacts of interventions fall within the range of natural variation observed for the disturbance in question. We evaluated differences in soil nutrients, soil acid–base status, and tree nutrition between two harvesting methods (whole-tree (WTH) and stem-only (SOH)) and wildfire, 15–20 years after disturbance, to assess whether these harvesting methods have biogeochemical impacts that are within the natural range of variation caused by wildfires in boreal coniferous stands of Haute-Mauricie (Quebec). Both SOH and WTH created conditions of forest floor effective cation-exchange capacity, exchangeable Ca and K concentrations, base saturation, Ca:Al molar ratio, and organic C concentrations that were lower than the range of values for wildfires. We hypothesize that the immediate deposition of soluble base cations and the incorporation of recalcitrant organic matter that characterize wildfires generate biogeochemical conditions that are not emulated by either harvesting method. The improved soil nutritional environment after wildfire compared with SOH and WTH was reflected in jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) foliar nutrient composition but not in black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) foliage. The results raise uncertainties about the long-term base nutrient availability of the harvested sites on Boreal Shield soils.

Using knowledge of natural disturbances to support sustainable forest management in the northern Clay Belt

2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Pierre Drapeau ◽  
Sylvie Gauthier ◽  
Nicolas Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Natural Fire ◽  
Coarse Filter

Several concepts are at the basis of forest ecosystem management, but a relative consensus exists around the idea of a forest management approach that is based on natural disturbances and forest dynamics. This type of approach aims to reproduce the main attributes of natural landscapes in order to maintain ecosystems within their natural range of variability and avoid creating an environment to which species are not adapted. By comparing attributes associated with natural fire regimes and current forest management, we were able to identify four major differences for the black spruce forest of the Clay Belt. The maintenance of older forests, the spatial extent of cutover areas, the maintenance of residuals within cutovers and disturbance severity on soils are major issues that should be addressed. Silvicultural strategies that mitigate differences between natural and managed forests are briefly discussed. Key words: natural disturbance, landscape patterns, coarse filter, harvest pattern, volume retention, historic variability, even-aged management

Pools and composition of soils in the alpine zone of the Tatra Mountains

Biologia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Kopáček ◽  
Jiří Kaňa ◽  
Hana Šantrůčková
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Tatra Mountains ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Molar Ratios ◽  
Alpine Zone ◽  
The Tatra Mountains

AbstractThe basic physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of mountain soils were determined in alpine-zone meadow and moraine areas of the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia, Poland) in 2000–2001. The amount of soil (dry weight soil < 2 mm) varied from 38 to 255 kg m−2 (average of 121 kg m−2) in alpine meadows and averaged 13 kg m−2 in moraine areas. Concentration of organic C was the parameter that most strongly and positively correlated with N, P, S, effective cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable base cations, exchangeable acidity, and all biochemical parameters (C, N, and P in microbial biomass and C mineralisation rates). The relationship between C and P was less straightforward due to inorganic P forms associated with Fe and Al oxides. The average pools of C, N, P, and S, were respectively 696, 41, 2.9, and 1.9 mol m−2 (i.e., 84, 5.7, 0.91 and 0.61 t ha−1) in meadow soils, and 38, 2.1, 0.45 and 0.12 mol m−2 (i.e., 4.5, 0.30, 0.14 and 0.04 t ha−1) in moraine areas. Soil pH was generally low, with the lowest pHH 2 O values (3.8–4.9) in the A-horizons. Average pools of CEC were 12 and 0.7 eq m−2 in meadows and moraine areas, respectively. The base saturation (BS) was 4–45% (12% on average) of CEC, and was primarily based on Ca2+ and K+ (∼40% and ∼22% of BS, respectively). C:N molar ratios (14–20) were only slightly lower than those observed in the alpine Tatra Mountain zone ∼40 years ago. Concentrations of C, N, and P in soil microbial biomass were high (on average 1.6, 3.4, and 25% of total C, N, and P concentrations), suggesting high microbial activity in alpine soils.

Chemical and pedogenetic effects of simulated acid precipitation on two eastern Canadian forest soils. II. Metals

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 848-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. Rutherford ◽  
G. W. VanLoon ◽  
S. F. Mortensen ◽  
J. A. Hern
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Values ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Free Iron ◽  
Podzolic Soils ◽  
Exchange Cations ◽  
Field Evidence

A study to determine the effects of simulated acid rain on two Canadian Shield podzolic soils was performed on field plots and reconstructed profiles. Soils were irrigated with deionized water and HNO3 and H2SO4 (1:2 molar ratio) solutions at pH 3.5 and 2.0. Pore–water concentrations of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Al were measured at 15–60 cm over 2 years. Half the reconstructed profiles were dismantled after 1 year. Total organic C, exchange cations Ca, Mg, K, and Na, and titratable acidity were measured and three different extraction procedures were used to determine soil free iron and aluminum oxides. Al mobilization high in the profiles, with extreme values up to 40 mg/L at pH 2.0, was followed by redeposition lower in the profile. Up to threefold enhancement of Ca and Al leaching was observed under the most acidic conditions, particularly in the field. Evidence in the present study suggests that anion affinity of the mineral soil reduces the leaching of base cations. A significant decrease in free iron oxides just below the Ae horizon was observed in one of the soils.

Silviculture and planted species interact to influence reforestation success on a Kalmia-dominated site – a 15-year study

2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Thiffaul ◽  
Brian D Titus ◽  
Martin T Moroni
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Canopy Closure ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Kalmia Angustifolia ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments

Successful regeneration following harvesting or natural disturbance is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable forest management. However, some regenerating stands have poor juvenile growth rates, which compromise sustainable management objectives. In particular, the presence of some ericaceous species that proliferate after forest disturbance, such as Kalmia angustifolia, can slow succession of boreal stands to the point that ecosystem retrogression is induced. We used data from a silvicultural field trial established in central Newfoundland to evaluate how various combinations of silvicultural treatments (trench scarification, herbicide application, fertilization at planting) influenced growth of three conifer species planted on a Kalmia-dominated cutover. Ground-level diameter (GLD), height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and percent Kalmia cover were assessed at the end of 15 growing seasons after planting. We detected several interactions between silvicultural treatments and planted conifer species. Globally, height and estimates of foliar biomass of all conifer species responded positively to scarification. Fifteen-year height in both scarified and unscarified treatments was in the order Picea mariana < Pinus banksiana < Larix laricina. Black spruce and jack pine height increased when Kalmia was controlled with herbicide, but height of tamarack was not. The use of herbicide significantly increased 15-year GLD and volume index of all three conifer species, but only black spruce responded positively to fertilization at planting. Our results confirm that species-specific responses to silvicultural treatments are to be expected when managing Kalmia-dominated sites. Although chemical vegetation management has great silvicultural potential, our results suggest that mechanical site preparation can also be effective in promoting early conifer seedling growth that leads to rapid canopy closure. It is anticipated that canopy closure will lead to exclusion of Kalmia later in the rotation through natural successional pathways. Key words: Kalmia angustifolia, vegetation management, scarification, herbicide, fertilizer, black spruce, jack pine, tamarack

A stochastic characterisation of the natural disturbance regime of the boreal mixedwood forest with implications for sustainable forest management

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen W Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Class Structure ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Age Class ◽  
Boreal Mixedwood Forest ◽  
Random Draw ◽  
Negative Exponential ◽  
Burn Rate

The annual area burned on an 8.6 × 106 ha study area in the boreal mixedwood forest of northeastern Alberta, Canada, was characterised as a serially independent random draw from a lognormal distribution. This characterisation was applied in Monte Carlo simulations, which showed that estimates of the mean annual burn rates, even with long sample periods, are highly imprecise. Monte Carlo simulation was also used to simulate the development of a forest subject to lognormally distributed annual burn rate in an attempt to characterise the equilibrium age-class structure. No equilibrium age-class structure could be identified from the simulation results. The validity of equilibrium age-class distribution models (e.g., the negative exponential and Weibull) and analysis that relies on these models is questioned for forests where the annual burn rate is highly variable.

Saproxylic insect assemblages in Canadian forests: diversity, ecology, and conservation

2008 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Langor ◽  
H.E. James Hammond ◽  
John R. Spence ◽  
Joshua Jacobs ◽  
Tyler P. Cobb
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Saproxylic Insects ◽  
Associated Species ◽  
Experimental Burns

AbstractSaproxylic insect assemblages inhabiting dead wood in Canadian forests are highly diverse and variable but quite poorly understood. Adequate assessment of these assemblages poses significant challenges with respect to sampling, taxonomy, and analysis. Their assessment is nonetheless critical to attaining the broad goals of sustainable forest management because such species are disproportionately threatened elsewhere by the reductions in dead wood generally associated with commercial exploitation of northern forests. The composition of the saproxylic fauna is influenced by many factors, including tree species, degree of decay, stand age, and cause of tree death. Wildfire and forest harvesting have differential impacts on saproxylic insect assemblages and on their recovery in postdisturbance stands. Exploration of saproxylic insect responses to variable retention harvesting and experimental burns is contributing to the development of prescriptions for conserving saproxylic insects in boreal forests. Understanding of processes that determine diversity patterns and responses of saproxylic insects would benefit from increased attention to natural history. Such work should aim to provide a habitat-classification system for dead wood to better identify habitats (and associated species) at risk as a result of forest management. This tool could also be used to improve strategies to better maintain saproxylic organisms and their central nutrient-cycling functions in managed forests.

scholarly journals Riparian zone control on base cation concentration in boreal streams

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3849-3868 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. J. Ledesma ◽  
T. Grabs ◽  
M. N. Futter ◽  
K. H. Bishop ◽  
H. Laudon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stream Water ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Integration Model ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Zone Control ◽  
Precipitation Regimes

Abstract. Riparian zones (RZ) are a major factor controlling water chemistry in forest streams. Base cations' (BC) concentrations, fluxes, and cycling in the RZ merit attention because a changing climate and increased forest harvesting could have negative consequences, including re-acidification, for boreal surface waters. We present a two-year study of BC and silica (Si) flow-weighted concentrations from 13 RZ and 14 streams in different landscape elements of a boreal catchment in northern Sweden. The spatial variation in BC and Si dynamics in both RZ and streams was explained by differences in landscape element type, with highest concentrations in silty sediments and lowest concentrations in peat-dominated wetland areas. Temporal stability in BC and Si concentrations in riparian soil water, remarkably stable Mg/Ca ratios, and homogeneous mineralogy suggest that patterns found in the RZ are a result of a distinct mineralogical upslope signal in groundwater. Stream water Mg/Ca ratios indicate that the signal is subsequently maintained in the streams. Flow-weighted concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Na in headwater streams were represented by the corresponding concentrations in the RZ, which were estimated using the Riparian Flow-Concentration Integration Model (RIM) approach. Stream and RZ flow-weighted concentrations differed for K and Si, suggesting a stronger biogeochemical influence on these elements, including K recirculation by vegetation and retention of Si within the RZ. Potential increases in groundwater levels linked to forest harvesting or changes in precipitation regimes would tend to reduce BC concentrations from RZ to streams, potentially leading to episodic acidification.

Portrait préindustriel dans un contexte de grande variabilité naturelle: une étude de cas dans le centre du Québec (Canada)

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (05) ◽  
pp. 612-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Alvarez ◽  
Louis Bélanger ◽  
Louis Archambault ◽  
Frédéric Raulier
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
White Birch ◽  
Industrial Landscape ◽  
Industrial Forest ◽  
Landscape Scales

Pre-industrial forest cover portrait is a recognized method for establishing the bases of sustainable forest management. However, it is a spatially and temporally dependant concept that should be used with caution in presence of big fires. The objective of the study was to portray the pre-industrial landscape in a mixedwood temperate forest in central Quebec at different spatial scales. The study was based on archival records from a forest company. The pre-industrial forest cover landscape of our study area was mainly composed of mature or old-growth (>100 years) stands and dominated by mixedwood forest stands with intolerant hardwoods. The main tree species were white birch, black spruce and jack pine, three species associated to forest succession after fire in the boreal forest. Considering the great variability caused by the fires and partial knowledge of this variability, for each spatial scale considered, we propose some management targets based on the main pre-industrial characteristics of this forest. To respect the pre-industrial variability, our study suggested that silviculture should be adapted at different landscape scales. Cover types and age class targets should be based on main preindustrial characteristics at each landscape scale analyzed.

Alternate Strip Clearcutting in Upland Black Spruce: III. Regeneration Options for Leave Strips

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 446-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Wood ◽  
Richard Raper
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Transparent Plastic ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Biological Criteria ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Topographic Positions

In the alternate strip clearcutting system, first-cut strips are regenerated by seed produced by black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) in the forested leave strips. However, after the second cut, such a seed source is not available for regenerating the leave strips. Therefore, the forest manager must consider a number of alternative regeneration options. The selection of the most appropriate regeneration option is dependent upon several economic and biological criteria. These include future costs of delivered wood, site productivity, post-harvest site condition, future alternative sources of supply, and future demand for industrial wood. Regeneration options such as preservation of advance growth and direct seeding are recommended for sites on which the manager is concerned primarily with regenerating first cut strips and is willing to accept a lower level of stocking in leave strips. Planting, the most intensive option discussed, should be reserved for sites offering the highest potential return or greatest future cost savings. Direct seeding of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) should be considered on the upland portions of this patterned site type. Mixing jack pine and black spruce is a suggested regeneration option if the site contains both upland and lowland topographic positions. Other seeding options include the use of semi-transparent plastic seed shelters. The manager might consider combining two or more of these options to meet management objectives.

scholarly journals Linking the lithogenic, atmospheric, and biogenic cycles of silicate, carbonate, and organic carbon in the ocean

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 6579-6599
Author(s):  
S. V. Smith ◽  
J.-P. Gattuso
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
North Pacific Ocean ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Co2 Gas ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Geochemical theory describes long term cycling of atmospheric CO2 between the atmosphere and rocks at the Earth surface in terms of rock weathering and precipitation of sedimentary minerals. Chemical weathering of silicate rocks takes up atmospheric CO2, releases cations and HCO3− to water, and precipitates SiO2, while CaCO3 precipitation consumes Ca2+ and HCO3− and releases one mole of CO2 to the atmosphere for each mole of CaCO3 precipitated. At steady state, according to this theory, the CO2 uptake and release should equal one another. In contradiction to this theory, carbonate precipitation in the present surface ocean releases only about 0.6 mol of CO2 per mole of carbonate precipitated. This is a result of the buffer effect described by Ψ, the molar ratio of net CO2 gas evasion to net CaCO3 precipitation from seawater in pCO2 equilibrium with the atmosphere. This asymmetry in CO2 flux between weathering and precipitation would quickly exhaust atmospheric CO2, posing a conundrum in the classical weathering and precipitation cycle. While often treated as a constant, Ψ actually varies as a function of salinity, pCO2, and temperature. Introduction of organic C reactions into the weathering-precipitation couplet largely reconciles the relationship. ψ in the North Pacific Ocean central gyre rises from 0.6 to 0.9, as a consequence of organic matter oxidation in the water column. ψ records the combined effect of CaCO3 and organic reactions and storage of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean, as well as CO2 gas exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. Further, in the absence of CaCO3 reactions, Ψ would rise to 1.0. Similarly, increasing atmospheric pCO2 over time, which leads to ocean acidification, alters the relationship between organic and inorganic C reactions and carbon storage in the ocean. Thus, the carbon reactions and ψ can cause large variations in oceanic carbon storage with little exchange with the atmosphere.

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