Litter decomposition in coastal hemlock stands: impact of nitrogen fertilizers on decay rates

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjit S. Gill ◽  
Denis P. Lavender
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Calcium Nitrate ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Litter Bags ◽  
Coated Urea ◽  
Qualitative Measure

Urea, gypsum-coated urea, and calcium nitrate fertilizers differentially affected indigenous rates of litter decomposition on the forest floor for coastal stands of western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). These differences were most pronounced during the first 6 months after fertilization. Urea and gypsum-coated urea both stimulated the rates of litter decomposition, although the effect of gypsum-coated urea was more gradual. In contrast, calcium nitrate somewhat retarded existing decomposition rates during the first 6 months; after 12 months, it had little or no impact. The significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation of percentage of lignin in litter with time renders it an important qualitative measure of decomposition rates in studies utilizing litter bags.

Nitrogen fertilization stimulates germination of dormant pin cherry seed

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 514-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Auchmoody
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Calcium Nitrate ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Triple Superphosphate ◽  
Breaking Dormancy ◽  
Muriate Of Potash

Nitrogen fertilizers triggered germination of dormant Prunuspensylvanica L. seed naturally buried in the forest floor of 60-year-old Allegheny hardwood stands. Neither triple superphosphate nor muriate of potash applied with urea increased germination over that which occurred with urea alone. Rates as low as 56 kg/ha N from urea and calcium nitrate and 112 kg/ha N from ammonium sulfate stimulated germination. Nitrate was apparently responsible for breaking dormancy.

Fertilisation azotée en forêt de pin gris (Pinusbanksiana). I. Cheminement des engrais dans le sol

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 414-422
Author(s):  
C. Camiré ◽  
B. Bernier
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Urea Formaldehyde ◽  
Calcium Nitrate ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Original Form ◽  
Coated Urea

Six nitrogen fertilizers (urea, sulfur-coated urea, urea-formaldehyde, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium nitrate) were individually applied, either in fall or in spring, at a rate of 224 kg N/ha and compared for nitrogen retention in the different horizons of a podzol under jack pine. Despite its susceptibility to nitrogen losses through ammonia volatilization, urea was by far, among readily available nitrogen fertilizers, the one whose nitrogen is best retained in soil surface horizons. Retention varied with weather conditions that prevailed immediately after fertilizer application. With the other fertilizers used, nitrogen retention followed this order: ammonium sulfate > ammonium nitrate > calcium nitrate. After four seasons, about 50% of the nitrogen applied as sulfur-coated urea and urea-formaldehyde was still found in its original form. Ammonium sulfate is next to urea among the recommended nitrogen sources for similar jack pine sites, considering that fertilizers with nitrate are prone to leaching and the sulfur-coated urea and urea-formaldehyde used presented problems of nitrogen availability.

scholarly journals DECOMPOSITION OF LEAF LITTER IN THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO, CERRADÃO AND FOREST ENVIRONMENTS IN THE AMAZON, BRAZIL

FLORESTA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Maria Clécia Gomes Sales ◽  
Milton César Costa Campos ◽  
Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho ◽  
Luís Antônio Coutrim Dos Santos ◽  
José Maurício Da Cunha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Nutrient Input ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Mass Percentage ◽  
Litter Bags ◽  
Litter Bag ◽  
Loss Analysis

The soils of the Amazon region, despite being under one of the densest forests in the world, are mostly characterized by low nutrient availability, with litter being the main nutrient input route. The present work aimed to evaluate the litter decomposition in forest, Cerrado and Cerradão environments in the Amazon. The litter decomposition rate was estimated by mass loss analysis using litter bags. The collections were performed at intervals of 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270 and 300 days, with four replications. Once collected, the material contained in each litter bag was placed to dry to obtain the dry mass. And so, the remaining mass percentage, the decomposition rates (k) and the half-life time (t1/2) are estimated. During the studied period, the Cerrado environment presented the lowest constant k (0.0017 g g-1 day-1) and consequently longer half-life (407 days). The monthly deposition in Cerrado input ranged from Mgha-1mother1 (June to September). Among the evaluated environments, the forest presented the highest decomposition speed and Cerrado presented the lowest one. It was evidenced that the decomposition process for all studied environments occurred with greater intensity in the rainy season.

scholarly journals Biochar addition affected nutrient leaching and litter decomposition rates in boreal sandy soils

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanna Saarnio ◽  
Riitta Kettunen
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Fine Sand ◽  
Nutrient Leaching ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Litter Bags ◽  
Total N ◽  
Nutrient Analyses ◽  
Total P

Effects of biochar addition on litter decomposition rates, nutrient leaching and soil moisture were tested in two boreal agricultural soils; a sandy till and a medium fine sand. Three litter bags were buried in soil basins, which were stored in the dark for 31 and 19 weeks in the sandy till experiment and medium fine sand experiment, respectively. Once per each temperature period, the soil was saturated in order to collect excess water for nutrient analyses. Biochar increased the decomposition rate of N-rich litter but did not affect the decomposition of N-poor litter. PO43--P and NO2--N were released from the biochar to the leached water and thus leaching of PO43--P, NO2--N and total P was increased in the soil with the finer texture. However, biochar retained water after heavy irrigation and leaching of PO43--P and total P was not increased on the coarser soil. Although pure biochar adsorbed NH4+-N from nutrient solutions, NH4+-N leaching from both soil types was generally not affected by biochar. Leaching of nitrate NO3--N and total N was decreased on both soils due to retention by the biochar.

Aspen and pine leaf litter decomposition in laboratory microcosms. II. Interactions of temperature and moisture level

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 1966-1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry R. Taylor ◽  
Dennis Parkinson
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Important Influence ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Rate Interaction

To explore the relative influences of substrate type, temperature, and moisture on litter decomposition rates, leaf litter of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and pine (Pinus contorta Loud, × P. banksiana Lamb.) was decomposed in laboratory microcosms for 16 weeks at 2, 10, 18, and 26 °C and 15, 30, or 60 mL∙week−1 watering rate. Multiple regressions on mass remaining indicated temperature was a more important influence than watering rate for both species, but the degree and nature of response were different for pine compared with aspen. Decay rates of aspen were strongly affected by temperature and less so by watering rate, but pine decomposition was quite insensitive to both. For aspen, watering rate was a more important influence on decay rates at low temperatures (2 and 10 °C), while for pine it was more important at high temperatures (18 and 26 °C). There was a very strong interaction of time with temperature in the determination of aspen decomposition rate, but none for pine. All these differences are attributable to the disparate chemical and physical natures of the two litter types. The time × watering rate interaction was weak for both species, and there was no temperature × watering rate interaction at all. As a consequence of these differences in response to climatic variables, aspen leaves decomposed faster than pine needles under most conditions, but under cold, dry conditions pine decomposed faster than aspen.

Effects of Robiniapseudoacacia on leaf litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in a northern hardwood stand

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Robert Hirschfeld ◽  
John Thomas Finn ◽  
William Albert Patterson III
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Nitrogen Mineralization ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Hardwood Species ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Mesh Bags ◽  
Lower Carbon

We studied the effects of the presence ofRobiniapseudoacacia L. on decomposition rates and nitrogen mineralization in the forest floor of two northern hardwood stands in western Massachusetts, one with and one without Robinia. Leaves from two hardwood species on the two sites and Robinia leaves were set out in mesh bags on the two sites for a total of 10 treatments. Increased nitrogen concentrations and lower carbon/nitrogen ratios were evident in leaves from the stand with Robinia, but this did not significantly affect rates of decomposition, which were the same for all 10 combinations of species, source, and site. Mineralization was observed only in leaves of Robinia placed on the Robinia stand and in leaves of Acersaccharum Marsh. placed on the stand without Robinia. Carbon/nitrogen ratios of Robinia litter were significantly lower than carbon/nitrogen ratios of Fraxinusamericana L. or Acer litter throughout the experiment. Site of decomposition did not appear to affect carbon/nitrogen ratios as decomposition proceeded.

Fertilisation azotée en forêt de pin gris (Pinusbanksiana) II. Variations de la masse foliaire et des éléments nutritifs du feuillage de pin gris et de quelques espèces du sous-bois

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Camiré ◽  
B. Bernier
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Nitrate ◽  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Urea Formaldehyde ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Calcium Nitrate ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽  
Coated Urea ◽  
Treatment Changes ◽  
Fertilisation Azotée

Fall or spring applications of six different nitrogen fertilizers (urea, sulfur-coated urea, urea-formaldehyde, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and calcium nitrate) at a rate of 224 kg N/ha in an 18-year-old jack pine stand induced a very rapid increase of nitrogen concentration in current year and 1-year-old needles, as well as in weight of current year needles. In the latter, nitrogen content (concentration × weight) increased more than 100% the 1st year following fertilization in the ammonium sulfate and the ammonium nitrate treatments applied in spring. Response did not last more than 2 years. Foliar analysis of other elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, and Mn) revealed a reduction of P concentration in the needles sampled the first fall after treatment together with a reduction of Ca and Mn in the current foliage of the second and third seasons after treatment. Changes in nitrogen concentration in Kalmiaangustifolia L. and particularly in Solidagopuberula Nutt. were in good correlation with those observed in jack pine needles.

A new microcosm approach to litter decomposition studies

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 1933-1939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Taylor ◽  
Dennis Parkinson
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Soil Organisms ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Soil Animals ◽  
Significant Deterioration ◽  
Field Situation ◽  
Natural Situation

Microcosms, simplified analogues of natural ecosystems, are a useful tool for studies of litter decomposition. A literature review shows that if microcosms are carefully constructed to mimic nature accurately, they allow researchers to control and independently vary normally covarying environmental factors (temperature, moisture, soil animals) that influence decomposition rates, while maintaining a sufficiently natural situation so that results of laboratory tests may be extrapolated to the field situation with confidence. A simple, inexpensive system of laboratory microcosms for decomposition studies is described and evaluated in this paper. The microcosm, housed within an airtight PVC chamber, consists of a litter layer overlying a core of forest floor strata collected with a minimum of disturbance to physical structure and populations of soil organisms. The microcosms have been tested with soil and litter from an aspen woodland and a pine forest, at temperatures ranging from −6 to +26 °C, and have been maintained in the laboratory for up to 6 months without significant deterioration. The microcosm system provided decomposition estimates that were precise, replicable, and rapidly obtained by measuring either mass loss or CO2 efflux from litter samples. Problems with the method include rapid increases in populations of some soil animals, difficulty in controlling relative humidity, and acceleration of decay rates compared with those in litter in the field.

Litter decomposition studies using mesh bags: spillage inaccuracies and the effects of repeated artificial drying

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 2157-2163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Suffling ◽  
David W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Litter Bags ◽  
Litter Bag ◽  
Modified Method ◽  
Mesh Bags ◽  
Source Of Error

A modified method of measuring litter decomposition using mesh bags is suggested in which the bags are reused during several time increments. The chief objections to this method are that litter may be lost through spillage and that repeated artificial drying may affect decomposition rates. Experimental results are presented to show that spillage represents a significant source of error with finely divided litter, even using conventional litter bag methods. A method for handling litter bags is suggested in which corrections may be made for spillage. In a second experiment it was found that decomposition rates were not significantly altered by repeated artificial drying of old-field litter so that repeated drying of litter in field experiments may be valid.

Influence of Mount St. Helens ash on litter decomposition. I. Pacific silver fir needle decomposition in the ash-fall zone

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 826-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Edmonds ◽  
Heather E. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Oxygen Levels ◽  
Ash Fall ◽  
Needle Decomposition ◽  
Substrate Moisture ◽  
Mount St Helens

The influence of air-fall tephra (ash) from the May 18 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens on decomposition of Pacific silver fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) needles was studied at two sites along the ash-fall plume northeast of the mountain, Elk Pass and Chambers Lake (20 and 60 km from the crater, respectively). Ash depths beneath the canopy of the old-growth stands at Elk Pass and Chambers Lake were 18 and 5 cm, respectively. Objectives of the study were to determine: (i) the decomposition rates of needles on the ash surface, buried under ash, and in control plots with ash removed; (ii) the effect of site on decomposition rates; and (iii) the influence of ash on forest floor temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels. Ash had considerable influence on litter decomposition. After 3 years, needles buried under ash had faster decomposition rates at both sites (k = 0.34 and 0.29/year at Elk Pass and Chambers Lake, respectively) than needles on the ash surface or in cleared control plots. There was a trend for needles on the ash surface to have slower decomposition (k = 0.18–0.23/year) than needles on control plots (k = 0.22–0.28/year). Site had little influence on buried needle decomposition; rates at Elk Pass and Chambers Lake were not significantly different, despite differences in ash texture and depth. Ash apparently did not reduce oxygen levels enough to reduce decomposition, but instead increased decomposition by influencing substrate moisture and temperature. Fastest decomposition occurred under the ash where conditions were moist and cool; slowest decomposition occurred on the ash surface where conditions were drier and warmer.

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