Influence of partial cutting on site microclimate, soil nitrogen dynamics, and microbial biomass in Douglas-fir stands in western Washington

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 705-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy K Barg ◽  
Robert L Edmonds
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Tree Retention ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Green Tree Retention

Partial cutting as an alternative to clear-cutting is being practiced in many Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands in the Pacific Northwest United States. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of (i) partial cutting (dispersed green-tree retention) and clear-cutting on air and soil temperatures and soil moisture, on surface mineral soil net ammonification, nitrification, and total N mineralization rates, and on soil microbial biomass and (ii) the proximity to trees in the green-tree retention areas on these factors. The study was conducted in 60- to 70-year-old stands in the Cedar River Watershed, about 70 km southeast of Seattle, Wash., between July 1994 and August 1995. Air and soil temperatures and soil moisture in the green-tree retention treatments were generally intermediate between the uncut forest and the clearcut treatments. There were no significant differences in net ammonification, nitrification, and total N mineralization rates and in soil microbial biomass among treatments. Soil moisture influenced net ammonification and total N mineralization rates and microbial biomass. Nitrogen dynamics were generally not influenced by nearness to trees in the green-tree retention treatment. Average microbial biomass, however, was higher near to green trees (1 m) than far (6 m).

scholarly journals A comparative account of the microbial biomass-N and N-mineralization of soils under natural forest, grassland and crop field from dry tropical region, India

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 223-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Singh Jay ◽  
D.P. Singh ◽  
A.K. Kashyap
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
N Mineralization ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Biomass N

This study investigated microbial biomass-N (MB-N) and N-mineralization in soils of four different vegetation systems including forest (sal), mixed forest, savanna and cropland ecosystems in the Vindhyan region, India. A change was noted in the above region due to physiographic differences and anthropogenic disturbances. Annually the soil moisture (SM) content across the different study sites ranged from 7.5 to 24.3% being maximum in forest sites compared to savanna and cropland sites. The NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N, NO <sup>-</sup><sub>3</sub> -N and MB-N concentrations varied from 4.3 to 10.2 &mu;g/g, 1.1 to 5.8 &mu;g/g and 21.3 to 90.2 &mu;g/g dry soil, respectively, with minimum values in the wet and maximum values in the dry season. The trend of seasonal variation in net N-mineralization was similar to that of moisture content but counter to the concentrations of inorganic-N and MB-N. The net N-mineralization rates at different investigated sites ranged from 4.5 to 37.6 &mu;g/g month. Cultivation reduced the N-mineralization and MB-N by 58.5% and 63.5%, respectively. Experiments showed that the percentage contribution of MB-N to total-N was 8.01 to 19.15%. MB-N was positively correlated with the inorganic-N (<i>n</i> = 180,<i>r</i>.80,<i>P</I> < 0.001) but negatively with soil moisture (<i>n</i> = 180, <i>r</i> = 0.79, <i>P</I> < 0.001) and net N-mineralization rates (<i>n</i> = 180, <i>r</i> = 0.92, <i>P</I> < 0.0001). The higher N-mineralization and MB-N in the soil of forest ecosystem was reported compared to savanna and cropland and the order of soil MB-N levels and net N-mineralization followed the sequence: forest (sal) > mixed forest > savanna > cropland.

Seasonal trends in selected soil biochemical attributes: Effects of crop rotation in the semiarid prairie

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
G. Wen ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
J. Schoenau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Light Fraction ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N

Measurements of seasonal changes in soil biochemical attributes can provide valuable information on how crop management and weather variables influence soil quality. We sampled soil from the 0- to 7.5-cm depth of two long-term crop rotations [continuous wheat (Cont W) and both phases of fallow-wheat (F–W)] at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, from early May to mid-October, 11 times in 1995 and 9 times in 1996. The soil is a silt loam, Orthic Brown Chernozem with pH 6.0, in dilute CaCl2. We monitored changes in organic C (OC) and total N (TN), microbial biomass C (MBC), light fraction C and N (LFC and LFN), mineralizable C (Cmin) and N (Nmin), and water-soluble organic C (WSOC). All biochemical attributes, except MBC, showed higher values for Cont W than for F–W, reflecting the historically higher crop residue inputs, less frequent tillage, and drier conditions of Cont W. Based on the seasonal mean values for 1996, we concluded that, after 29 yr, F–W has degraded soil organic C and total N by about 15% compared to Cont W. In the same period it has degraded the labile attributes, except MBC, much more. For example, WSOC is degraded by 22%, Cmin and Nmin by 45% and LFC and LFN by 60–75%. Organic C and TN were constant during the season because one year's C and N inputs are small compared to the total soil C or N. All the labile attributes varied markedly throughout the seasons. We explained most of the seasonal variability in soil biochemical attributes in terms of C and N inputs from crop residues and rhizodeposition, and the influences of soil moisture, precipitation and temperature. Using multiple regression, we related the biochemical attributes to soil moisture and the weather variables, accounting for 20% of the variability in MBC, 27% of that of Nmin, 29% for LFC, 52% for Cmin, and 66% for WSOC. In all cases the biochemical attributes were negatively related to precipitation, soil moisture, temperature and their interactions. We interpreted this to mean that conditions favouring decomposition of organic matter in situ result in decreases in these attributes when they are measured subsequently under laboratory conditions. We concluded that when assessing changes in OC or TN over years, measurements can be made at any time during a year. However, if assessing changes in the labile soil attributes, several measurements should be made during a season or, measurements be made near the same time each year. Key words: Microbial biomass, carbon, nitrogen, mineralization, water-soluble-C, light fraction, weather variables

For what, when, and where is green-tree retention better than clear-cutting? A review of the biodiversity aspects

2008 ◽  
Vol 255 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Rosenvald ◽  
Asko Lõhmus
Keyword(s):  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Tree Retention ◽  
Green Tree Retention ◽  
Better Than

Effects of Aridity and Salinization on Soil Microbial Biomass C in a Desert Ecosystem

2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 638-642
Author(s):  
Hai Ying Guan ◽  
Xin Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Soil Salt Content

In this study, we measured soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) under four different land cover types (canopy, litter, lichen and bare soil) to determine the effects of aridity and salinization on SMBC of a typical desert ecosystem. Results showed that higher SMBC with lower soil salt content and higher soil moisture were found in general if with vegetation, and the SMBC under canopy was especially higher than any other land cover types, which was near double of that of bare soil (115.34μg C g-1 soil vs. 61.88μg C g-1 soil). Linear regression analysis indicated that soil SMBC were positively correlated (p<0.01,r =0.899) with soil moisture but negatively correlated (r =-0.784, p<0.01) with soil salt content. These relationships may represent an evolutionary process, aiding in the conservation of essential vegetation in a fragile desert ecosystem.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF WATER AVAILABILITY ON SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS IN SECONDARY FOREST IN EASTERN AMAZONIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lívia Gabrig Turbay Rangel-Vasconcelos ◽  
Daniel Jacob Zarin ◽  
Francisco de Assis Oliveira ◽  
Steel Silva Vasconcelos ◽  
Cláudio José Reis de Carvalho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽  
Basal Respiration ◽  
Soil Water Availability ◽  
Soil Microbial

Soil microbial biomass (SMB) plays an important role in nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, and is limited by several factors, such as soil water availability. This study assessed the effects of soil water availability on microbial biomass and its variation over time in the Latossolo Amarelo concrecionário of a secondary forest in eastern Amazonia. The fumigation-extraction method was used to estimate the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen content (SMBC and SMBN). An adaptation of the fumigation-incubation method was used to determine basal respiration (CO2-SMB). The metabolic quotient (qCO2) and ratio of microbial carbon:organic carbon (CMIC:CORG) were calculated based on those results. Soil moisture was generally significantly lower during the dry season and in the control plots. Irrigation raised soil moisture to levels close to those observed during the rainy season, but had no significant effect on SMB. The variables did not vary on a seasonal basis, except for the microbial C/N ratio that suggested the occurrence of seasonal shifts in the structure of the microbial community.

Management of sugarcane harvest residues: consequences for soil carbon and nitrogen

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona A. Robertson ◽  
Peter J. Thorburn
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
C And N

The Australian sugar industry is moving away from the practice of burning the crop before harvest to a system of green cane trash blanketing (GCTB). Since the residues that would have been lost in the fire are returned to the soil, nutrients and organic matter may be accumulating under trash blanketing. There is a need to know if this is the case, to better manage fertiliser inputs and maintain soil fertility. The objective of this work was to determine whether conversion from a burning to a GCTB trash management system is likely to affect soil fertility in terms of C and N. Indicators of short- and long-term soil C and N cycling were measured in 5 field experiments in contrasting climatic conditions. The effects of GCTB varied among experiments. Experiments that had been running for 1–2 years (Harwood) showed no significant trash management effects. In experiments that had been running for 3–6 years (Mackay and Tully), soil organic C and total N were up to 21% greater under trash blanketing than under burning, to 0.10 or 0.25 m depth (most of this effect being in the top 50 mm). Soil microbial activity (CO2 production) and soil microbial biomass also increased under GCTB, presumably as a consequence of the improved C availability. Most of the trash C was respired by the microbial biomass and lost from the system as CO2. The stimulation of microbial activity in these relatively short-term GCTB systems was not accompanied by increased net mineralisation of soil N, probably because of the greatly increased net immobilisation of N. It was calculated that, with standard fertiliser applications, the entire trash blanket could be decomposed without compromising the supply of N to the crop. Calculations of possible long-term effects of converting from a burnt to a GCTB production system suggested that, at the sites studied, soil organic C could increase by 8–15%, total soil N could increase by 9–24%, and inorganic soil N could increase by 37 kg/ha.year, and that it would take 20–30 years for the soils to approach this new equilibrium. The results suggest that fertiliser N application should not be reduced in the first 6 years after adoption of GCTB, but small reductions may be possible in the longer term (>15 years).

Orchid abundance in hemiboreal forests: stand-scale effects of clear-cutting, green-tree retention, and artificial drainage

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1352-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asko Lõhmus ◽  
Tiiu Kull
Keyword(s):  
Scale Effects ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Artificial Drainage ◽  
Tree Retention ◽  
Green Tree Retention ◽  
Retention Trees ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Site Types

The current knowledge on the impact of forest management on plant species of conservation concern is poor. We asked how three basic silvicultural techniques (clear-cutting, green-tree retention, and artificial drainage) affect the abundance of terrestrial orchid species and their communities in Estonia, hemiboreal Europe. Fixed-area, fixed-effort surveys (4 h per 2 ha plot) were used in 29 plot clusters representing five site types, with each cluster including plots of four treatments (old growth, mature managed forest, and cutover with and without live retention trees). Altogether 11 species of orchids were recorded in those 116 plots, with the most complete sets of species in artificially drained plots and mature stands. Five species were widely distributed among treatments and site types, but most site types also hosted shade-tolerant orchids (six species) that characteristically disappeared after timber harvesting. Cutover areas (3–7 years after harvest) hosted no species absent from uncut forest stands, and retention of solitary trees had no effect on orchid abundance over clear-cuts. Modern Estonian forest landscapes appear to support viable populations of many orchids, with rotation ages sufficient for population development of the majority of shade-tolerant species.

scholarly journals Seasonal dynamics of soil microbial biomass C and N of Keteleeria fortunei var. cyclolepis forests with different ages

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 2377-2384
Author(s):  
Yong Wang ◽  
Xiongsheng Liu ◽  
Fengfan Chen ◽  
Ronglin Huang ◽  
Xiaojun Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Young Forest

Abstract Soil microbial biomass is an important indicator to measure the dynamic changes of soil carbon pool. It is of great significance to understand the dynamics of soil microbial biomass in plantation for rational management and cultivation of plantation. In order to explore the temporal dynamics and influencing factors of soil microbial biomass of Keteleeria fortunei var. cyclolepis at different stand ages, the plantation of different ages (young forest, 5 years; middle-aged forest, 22 years; mature forest, 40 years) at the Guangxi Daguishan forest station of China were studied to examine the seasonal variation of their microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) by chloroform fumigation extraction method. It was found that among the forests of different age, MBC and MBN differed significantly in the 0–10 cm soil layer, and MBN differed significantly in the 10–20 cm soil layer, but there was no significant difference in MBC for the 10–20 cm soil layer or in either MBC or MBN for the 20–40 cm soil layer. With increasing maturity of the forest, MBC gradually decreased in the 0–10 cm soil layer and increased firstly and then decreased in the 10–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers, and MBN increased firstly and then decreased in all three soil layers. As the soil depth increased, both MBC and MBN gradually decreased for all three forests. The MBC and MBN basically had the same seasonal variation in all three soil layers of all three forests, i.e., high in the summer and low in the winter. Correlation analysis showed that MBC was significantly positively correlated with soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and soil moisture, whereas MBN was significantly positively correlated with soil total nitrogen. It showed that soil moisture content was the main factor determining the variation of soil microbial biomass by Redundancy analysis. The results showed that the soil properties changed continuously as the young forest grew into the middle-aged forest, which increased soil microbial biomass and enriched the soil nutrients. However, the soil microbial biomass declined as the middle-age forest continued to grow, and the soil nutrients were reduced in the mature forest.

scholarly journals Restoration in soil and plant properties in landslide damaged forest ecosystem

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 40-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tej Narayan Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Shorea Robusta ◽  
Sal Forest ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Biomass Plant

The pattern of natural restoration in soil and plant components was studied in five landslide-damaged (1-58-year-old) sites in the tropical moist sal (Shorea robusta) forest ecosystem of Nepal Himalaya .Rate of restoration in soil properties was faster in the early successional stages (1-15 year) than late stages while plant biomass recovered rapidly after 15-year age. Based on the recovery in ecosystem properties; the 58- year-old landslide damaged site demonstrated the re-establishment of an ecosystem showing closer affinity with the mature sal forest. On the basis of best fit power function models it was concluded that the estimated times for the 58-year old site to reach the level of undisturbed matured sal forest would be about 30-35 years for microbial biomass (C and N) and plant biomass and about 100-150 year for soil organic Carbon and total N. Higher accumulation of soil microbial biomass, plant biomass and high N-mineralization rate at late successional stages indicated the re-establishment of an ecosystem with enriched soil and restitution of nutrient cycling during the course of ecosystem restoration DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njbs.v2i0.7488 Nepalese Journal of Biosciences 2 : 40-45 (2012)

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