Effects of timber harvest on carbon pools in Ozark forests

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2337-2348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinglin Li ◽  
Jiquan Chen ◽  
Daryl L. Moorhead ◽  
Jared L. DeForest ◽  
Randy Jensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dead Wood ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
C Pools ◽  
Live Tree

We quantified and compared carbon (C) pools at a Missouri Ozark experimental forest 8 years after different harvest treatments. Total C pools were 182, 170, and 130 Mg C·ha–1 for the control (no-harvest management; NHM), single-tree, uneven-age management (UAM), and clearcut even-age management (EAM) stands, respectively. Harvesting reduced the live tree C pool by 31% in the UAM, 93% in EAM stands, and increased the coarse woody debris (CWD) C pool by 50% in UAM and 176% for EAM, compared with NHM stands. UAM significantly (p = 0.02) increased the mineral soil C pool by 14%, whereas EAM had no effect. More interestingly, the distribution of C among various components (i.e., live, dead wood, CWD, litter, and soil) ranged from 0.7% to 29% on NHM stands and from 0.1% to 43% on EAM stands. Soil nitrogen (N) (%) was significantly correlated with soil C (%) in the UAM stands, whereas soil temperature was negatively related to live tree C. Soil N (%) and canopy cover were significantly correlated with live tree and soil C (%) pools at EAM stands. Our results revealed that the largest C pool in these forests was living trees. The soil and CWD C pool sizes suggest the importance of dynamics of decaying harvest debris, which influences N retention.

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 Boreal-forest soil chemistry drives soil organic carbon bioreactivity along a 314-year fire chronosequence

SOIL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-213
Author(s):  
Benjamin Andrieux ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Julien Beguin ◽  
Pierre Grondin ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Pools ◽  
Time Since Fire ◽  
C Stock

Abstract. Following a wildfire, organic carbon (C) accumulates in boreal-forest soils. The long-term patterns of accumulation as well as the mechanisms responsible for continuous soil C stabilization or sequestration are poorly known. We evaluated post-fire C stock changes in functional reservoirs (bioreactive and recalcitrant) using the proportion of C mineralized in CO2 by microbes in a long-term lab incubation, as well as the proportion of C resistant to acid hydrolysis. We found that all soil C pools increased linearly with the time since fire. The bioreactive and acid-insoluble soil C pools increased at a rate of 0.02 and 0.12 MgC ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and their proportions relative to total soil C stock remained constant with the time since fire (8 % and 46 %, respectively). We quantified direct and indirect causal relationships among variables and C bioreactivity to disentangle the relative contribution of climate, moss dominance, soil particle size distribution and soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable manganese and aluminum, and metal oxides) to the variation structure of in vitro soil C bioreactivity. Our analyses showed that the chemical properties of podzolic soils that characterize the study area were the best predictors of soil C bioreactivity. For the O layer, pH and exchangeable manganese were the most important (model-averaged estimator for both of 0.34) factors directly related to soil organic C bioreactivity, followed by the time since fire (0.24), moss dominance (0.08), and climate and texture (0 for both). For the mineral soil, exchangeable aluminum was the most important factor (model-averaged estimator of −0.32), followed by metal oxide (−0.27), pH (−0.25), the time since fire (0.05), climate and texture (∼0 for both). Of the four climate factors examined in this study (i.e., mean annual temperature, growing degree-days above 5 ∘C, mean annual precipitation and water balance) only those related to water availability – and not to temperature – had an indirect effect (O layer) or a marginal indirect effect (mineral soil) on soil C bioreactivity. Given that predictions of the impact of climate change on soil C balance are strongly linked to the size and the bioreactivity of soil C pools, our study stresses the need to include the direct effects of soil chemistry and the indirect effects of climate and soil texture on soil organic matter decomposition in Earth system models to forecast the response of boreal soils to global warming.

Changes in carbon storage of broadcast burn plantations over 20 years

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Kranabetter ◽  
A M Macadam
Keyword(s):  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Forest Floors

The extent of carbon (C) storage in forests and the change in C stocks after harvesting are important considerations in the management of greenhouse gases. We measured changes in C storage over time (from postharvest, postburn, year 5, year 10 and year 20) in logging slash, forest floors, mineral soils and planted lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) trees from six prescribed-burn plantations in north central British Columbia. After harvest, site C in these pools averaged 139 Mg ha-1, with approximately equal contributions from mineral soils (0–30 cm), forest floors and logging slash. Together these detrital pools declined by 71 Mg C ha-1, or 51% (28% directly from the broadcast burn, and a further 23% postburn), in the subsequent 20 yr. Postburn decay in logging slash was inferred by reductions in wood density (from 0.40 to 0.34 g cm-3), equal to an average k rate of 0.011 yr-1. Losses in forest floor C, amounting to more than 60% of the initial mass, were immediate and continued to year 5, with no reaccumulation evident by year 20. Mineral soil C concentrations initially fluctuated before declining by 25% through years 10 and 20. Overall, the reductions in C storage were offset by biomass accumulation of lodgepole pine, and we estimate these plantations had become a net sink for C before year 20, although total C storage was still less than postharvest levels. Key words: C sequestration, forest floors; coarse woody debris; soil organic matter

Changes in carbon stocks of <i>Fagus</i> forest ecosystems along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Fanjingshan in Southwest China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Cai ◽  
Chengjun Ji ◽  
Xuli Zhou ◽  
Wenjing Fang ◽  
Tianli Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C Pools ◽  
And Function

Abstract. There are four components of carbon (C) pools in a natural forest ecosystem: vegetation, soil, litter and woody debris. Quantifying these C pools and their contributions to forest ecosystems is important in understanding C cycling in forests. Here, we investigated these four C pools in nine beech (Fagus L., Fagaceae) forests along an altitudinal gradient in southwest China. We found that the C pools of beech forest ecosystems ranged from 190.7 to 503.9 Mg C ha−1, mainly attributed to vegetation C (accounting for 33.7–73.9 %) and soil C (accounting for 24.6–65.4 %). No more than 4 % of ecosystem C pools were stored in woody debris (0.25–3.4 %) and litter (0.2–0.7 %). Ecosystem C storage increased significantly with altitude, where the vegetation and woody debris C pools increased concomitantly with increasing altitude, while those of litter and soil exhibited no significant variations. The forest stand age was found to be a key driver of such altitudinal patterns, especially for vegetation C storage. The present study provides reliable data for understanding the structure and function of Chinese beech forests, and emphasizes the importance of considering the influence of stand age on C accumulation.

Effect of timber harvest on soil carbon storage at Blodgett Experimental Forest, California

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1385-1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A. Black ◽  
J.W. Harden
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C And N

Four plots from a mixed conifer forest were similarly cleared, burned, and replanted at various times over 17 years; a plot logged 79 years before sampling was used as a control. The plots had similar slope (2 to 15%, midslope position), aspect (south to southeast), and soil type (Holland series: mesic Haploxeralf; a Gray Brown Luvisol in the Canadian classification system). Twenty sites at each plot were sampled volumetrically by horizon to 20 cm below the organic–mineral soil boundary. Samples were analyzed for bulk density, organic C, and total N. There was an initial loss (15%) of organic C from the soil within 1 to 7 years, likely the result of oxidation (burning and decomposition) and erosion. For 17 years of forest regrowth, the soil continued to lose C (another 15%), probably owing to decomposition of slash material and possibly erosion, despite the slight accumulation of new litter and roots. After 80 years of regrowth, rates of carbon accumulation exceeded rates of loss, but carbon storage had declined and was not likely to recover to preharvest levels. Timber harvest and site preparation dramatically altered soil C and N distribution, in which C/N ratios after site preparation were initially high throughout the upper 20 cm. Subsequently, C/N ratios became lower with depth and with recovery age. Although stocks of C and N varied considerably among the plots and did not change consistently as a function of recovery age, the C/N ratios did vary systematically with recovery age. We hypothesize that the amount of C ultimately stored in the soil at steady state depends largely on N reserves and potentials, which appear to vary with erosion, intensity of burning, and site treatment.

scholarly journals Boreal forest soil chemistry drives soil organic carbon bioreactivity along a 314-year fire chronosequence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Andrieux ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Julien Beguin ◽  
Pierre Grondin ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Pools ◽  
Time Since Fire ◽  
C Stock

Abstract. Following wildfire, organic carbon (C) accumulates in boreal forest soils. The long-term patterns of accumulation as well as the mechanisms responsible for continuous soil C stabilization or sequestration are poorly known. We evaluated post-fire C stock changes in functional reservoirs (bioreactive and recalcitrant) using the proportion of C mineralized in CO2 by microbes in a long-term lab incubation, as well as the proportion of C resistant to acid hydrolysis. We found that all soil C pools increased linearly with time since fire. The bioreactive and acid-insoluble soil C pools increased at a rate of 0.02 MgC ha−1 yr−1 and 0.12 MgC ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and their proportions relative to total soil C stock remained constant with time since fire (8 % and 46 %, respectively). We quantified direct and indirect causal relationships among variables and carbon bioreactivity to disentangle the relative contribution of climate, moss dominance, soil particle size distribution and soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable Mn and Al, and metal oxides) to the variation structure of in vitro soil carbon bioreactivity. Our analyses showed that the chemical properties of Podzolic soils that characterise the study area were the best predictors of soil carbon bioreactivity. For the FH horizon (O-layer), pH and exchangeable Mn were the most important (model-averaged estimator for both: 0.34) factors directly related to soil organic C bioreactivity, followed by time since fire (0.24), moss dominance (0.08) and climate and texture (0 for both). For the mineral soil, exchangeable aluminum was the most important factor (model-averaged estimator: −0.32), followed by metal oxide (−0.27), pH (−0.25), time since fire (0.05), climate and texture (~ 0 for both). Of the four climate factors examined in this study (i.e., mean annual temperature, growing degree-days above 5 °C, mean annual precipitation and water balance) only those related to water availability, and not to temperature, had indirect effect (FH horizon) or a marginal indirect effect (mineral soil) on soil carbon bioreactivity. Given that predictions of the impact of climate change on soil carbon balance are strongly linked to the size and the bioreactivity of soil C pools, our study stresses the need to include the direct effects of soil chemistry and the indirect effects of climate and soil texture on soil C decomposition in Earth System Models to forecast the response of boreal soils to global warming.

scholarly journals Biomass of Coarse Woody Debris Following Disturbance in Rocky Mountain Coniferous Forests

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 115-117
Author(s):  
Daniel Tinker ◽  
Dennis Knight
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Natural Variability

Primary productivity, the accumulation of nutrients, and other important ecosystem processes are largely dependent on the mineral soil organic matter that has developed during hundreds or thousands of years. In forest ecosystems, the decomposition of coarse woody debris, woody roots, twigs, leaves and micro-organisms is a primary source of this organic matter. Large quantities of coarse woody debris are typically produced following natural disturbances such as fires, pest/pathogen outbreaks, and windstorms, and make a significant contribution to the formation of soil organic matter (SOM). In contrast, timber harvesting often removes most of the coarse woody debris (CWD), which could result in a decrease in the quantity and a change in the quality of mineral soil organic matter. The 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park continue to provide an excellent opportunity to study the effects of fires of various intensities on ecosystem processes. Ecosystems develop under conditions that are constantly changing, but which remain within some range of natural variability. At present, national forest managers are uncertain as to the quantity of CWD which should be left in a stand following timber harvest in order to maintain levels of SOM which are within the range of natural variability. Little empirical data exist which help characterize the range of natural variability with regard to CWD in lodgepole pine forests, and it is therefore difficult to assess current timber harvesting practices in terms of how much CWD should be left at each site. We began a pilot study in late summer 1995 to begin to address this deficiency. A larger study of broader scope is planned for an additional two to three years, beginning this year, in 1996. This research will attempt to measure specific processes which include the distribution, decomposition, combustion by natural fires, and removal of CWD. The specific objectives of our study are: i) compare the mass and distribution of coarse woody debris that remains following fires of varying intensities to that which remains following clearcutting in the Rocky Mountain Region; ii) estimate the amount of CWD that is combusted or converted to charcoal following fires of varying intensities in stands of varying stages of development; and iii) estimate the length of time necessary for every square meter of the forest soil to be affected by CWD under natural conditions.

Forest carbon stocks in Newfoundland boreal forests of harvest and natural disturbance origin I: field study

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 2135-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Moroni ◽  
C. H. Shaw ◽  
P. Otahal
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Disturbance History ◽  
Dead Tree ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Live Tree ◽  
Forest C

Quantification of stand and forest C stocks in response to different disturbances is necessary to develop climate change mitigation strategies and to evaluate forest C accounting tools. Live tree, dead tree, woody debris (WD), stump, buried wood, and organic and mineral soil C stocks are described in chronosequences of black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) (harvest and fire origin) and balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) (insect and harvest origin). The largest C stocks were found in mineral soil (≤179 Mg·ha–1), organic soil (≤123 Mg·ha–1), and live tree (≤93 Mg·ha–1) pools. Live tree C changed predictably with disturbance history and time since disturbance, increasing with forest age. Regeneration growth slowed under snags. Thinning accelerated production of larger trees but reduced site live tree C. Dead tree and WD C were temporally dynamic and strongly influenced by disturbance history and time since disturbance, but abundances in differently disturbed forests converged at low levels 40–60 years after disturbance. Only immediately following natural disturbances were there large amounts of snag C (26–30 Mg·ha–1). WD C was relatively abundant <3 years after harvesting (15–17 Mg·ha–1) and 31–36 years after natural disturbance (9 Mg·ha–1). Buried wood stocks were small, but comparable with WD stocks in some forests.

Comparison of coniferous forest carbon stocks between old-growth and young second-growth forests on two soil types in central British Columbia, Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1411-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur L Fredeen ◽  
Claudette H Bois ◽  
Darren T Janzen ◽  
Paul T Sanborn
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
C Stocks

Carbon (C) stocks were assessed for hybrid interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.)-dominated upland forests within the Aleza Lake Research Forest in central British Columbia, Canada. Four old-growth (141–250 years old) and four young second-growth (<20 years old) forest plots were established on the two dominant soil texture types, coarse and fine, for a total of 16 plots. Mean total C stocks for old-growth stands ranged from 423 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 324 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), intermediate between Pacific Northwest temperate forests and upland boreal forests. Total C was lower in second-growth stands because of lower tree (mostly large tree stem), forest floor, and woody debris C stocks. In contrast, old-growth forest-floor C stocks ranged from 78 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) to 35 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.9- and 1.2-fold higher than in corresponding second-growth stands, respectively. Woody debris C stocks in old-growth stands totaled 35 Mg C·ha–1 (coarse) and 31 Mg C·ha–1 (fine), 2.7- and 3.4-fold higher than in second-growth stands, respectively. Mineral soil C to 1.07 m depth was similar across soil type and age-class, with totals ranging from 115 to 106 Mg C·ha–1. Harvesting of old-growth forests in sub-boreal British Columbia lowers total C stocks by 54%–41%.

scholarly journals Regional Assessment of Carbon Pool Response to Intensive Silvicultural Practices in Loblolly Pine Plantations

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Jason G. Vogel ◽  
Rosvel Bracho ◽  
Madison Akers ◽  
Ralph Amateis ◽  
Allan Bacon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Relative Effect ◽  
Intensity Increase ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
C Cycle

Tree plantations represent an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle and are expected to increase in prevalence during the 21st century. We examined how silvicultural approaches that optimize economic returns in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations affected the accumulation of C in pools of vegetation, detritus, and mineral soil up to 100 cm across the loblolly pine’s natural range in the southeastern United States. Comparisons of silvicultural treatments included competing vegetation or ‘weed’ control, fertilization, thinning, and varying intensities of silvicultural treatment for 106 experimental plantations and 322 plots. The average age of the sampled plantations was 17 years, and the C stored in vegetation (pine and understory) averaged 82.1 ± 3.0 (±std. error) Mg C ha−1, and 14.3 ± 0.6 Mg C ha−1 in detrital pools (soil organic layers, coarse-woody debris, and soil detritus). Mineral soil C (0–100 cm) averaged 79.8 ± 4.6 Mg C ha−1 across sites. For management effects, thinning reduced vegetation by 35.5 ± 1.2 Mg C ha−1 for all treatment combinations. Weed control and fertilization increased vegetation between 2.3 and 5.7 Mg C ha−1 across treatment combinations, with high intensity silvicultural applications producing greater vegetation C than low intensity (increase of 21.4 ± 1.7 Mg C ha−1). Detrital C pools were negatively affected by thinning where either fertilization or weed control were also applied, and were increased with management intensity. Mineral soil C did not respond to any silvicultural treatments. From these data, we constructed regression models that summarized the C accumulation in detritus and detritus + vegetation in response to independent variables commonly monitored by plantation managers (site index (SI), trees per hectare (TPH) and plantation age (AGE)). The C stored in detritus and vegetation increased on average with AGE and both models included SI and TPH. The detritus model explained less variance (adj. R2 = 0.29) than the detritus + vegetation model (adj. R2 = 0.87). A general recommendation for managers looking to maximize C storage would be to maintain a high TPH and increase SI, with SI manipulation having a greater relative effect. From the model, we predict that a plantation managed to achieve the average upper third SI (26.8) within our observations, and planted at 1500 TPH, could accumulate ~85 Mg C ha−1 by 12 years of age in detritus and vegetation, an amount greater than the region’s average mineral soil C pool. Notably, SI can be increased using both genetic and silviculture technologies.

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