scholarly journals Influence of scattered trees in grazing areas on soil properties in the Piedmont region of the Colombian Amazon

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261612
Author(s):  
Faver Álvarez ◽  
Fernando Casanoves ◽  
Juan Carlos Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Species Trees ◽  
Tree Crown ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Scattered Trees ◽  
Colombian Amazon ◽  
Cattle Systems ◽  
Piedmont Region

Trees dispersed in grazing areas are contribute to the sustainability of livestock systems. The interactions between trees and soil are ecological processes that allow the modification of the biology, fertility, and physics of the soil. This study was aimed to assess the influence of dispersed trees in pastures on soil properties in grazing areas for dual-purpose cattle systems in the Piedmont region of the Colombian Amazon. The work was done in grazing areas with scattered trees at the Centro de Investigaciones Amazónicas CIMAZ–Macagual in Florencia—Caquetá—Colombia. We evaluated the effect of five tree species, Andira inermis, Bellucia pentámera, Guarea Guidonia, Psidium guajava and Zygia longifolia, on soil properties (up to 30 cm soil depth) under and outside the influence of the crown. Under the tree crown, three points were systematically taken in different cardinal positions. This was done at a distance corresponding to half the radius of the tree crown. The sampling points in the open pasture area (out of crown) were made in the same way, but at 15 m from the crown border. The ANOVA showed significant interaction (P < 0.0001) between tree species and location for macrofauna abundance up to 30 cm soil depth. For this reason, we performed the comparison between locations for each tree species. Chemical soil variables up to 10 cm soil depth only showed interaction of tree species-location for exchangeable potassium (P = 0.0004). Soil physical soil characteristics up to 30 cm soil depth only showed interaction of tree species-location at 20 cm soil depth (P = 0.0003). The principal component analysis for soil properties explained 61.1% of the total variability of the data with the two first axes. Using Monte Carlo test, we found crown effect for all species. Trees help to control exchangeable mineral elements that can affect the soil, potentiate basic cations such as magnesium and potassium, increase the abundance of soil macrofauna; but some trees with high ground level of shade in grazing areas could increase soil compaction due to the greater concentration of cattle in these areas.

scholarly journals Earthworms as an Ecological Indicator of Soil Recovery after Mechanized Logging Operations in Mixed Beech Forests

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Hadi Sohrabi ◽  
Meghdad Jourgholami ◽  
Mohammad Jafari ◽  
Farzam Tavankar ◽  
Rachele Venanzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Ecological Indicator ◽  
Traffic Intensity ◽  
Soil Biological Properties ◽  
Density And Biomass ◽  
Soil Recovery ◽  
The Impact

Soil damage caused by logging operations conducted to obtain and maximize economic benefits has been established as having long-term effects on forest soil quality and productivity. However, a comprehensive study of the impact of logging operations on earthworms as a criterion for soil recovery has never been conducted in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in soil biological properties (earthworm density and biomass) and its recovery process under the influence of traffic intensity, slope and soil depth in various intervals according to age after logging operations. Soil properties were compared among abandoned skid trails with different ages (i.e., 3, 10, 20, and 25 years) and an undisturbed area. The results showed that earthworm density and biomass in the high traffic intensity and slope class of 20–30% at the 10–20 cm depth of the soil had the lowest value compared to the other treatments. Twenty-five years after the logging operations, the earthworm density at soil depth of 0–10 and 10–20 cm was 28.4% (0.48 ind. m−2) and 38.6% (0.35 ind. m−2), which were less than those of the undisturbed area, respectively. Meanwhile, the earthworm biomass at a soil depth of 0–10 and 10–20 cm was 30.5% (2.05 mg m−2) and 40.5% (1.54 mg m−2) less than the values of the undisturbed area, respectively. The earthworm density and biomass were positively correlated with total porosity, organic carbon and nitrogen content, while negatively correlated with soil bulk density and C/N ratio. According to the results, 25 years after logging operations, the earthworm density and biomass on the skid trails were recovered, but they were significantly different with the undisturbed area. Therefore, full recovery of soil biological properties (i.e., earthworm density and biomass) takes more than 25 years. The conclusions of our study reveal that the effects of logging operations on soil properties are of great significance, and our understanding of the mechanism of soil change and recovery demand that harvesting operations be extensively and properly implemented.

scholarly journals Zuwachs und Klimasensitivität von Baumarten im Ökogramm der kollinen und submontanen Stufe

2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 380-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Weber ◽  
Caroline Heiri ◽  
Mathieu Lévesque ◽  
Tanja Sanders ◽  
Volodymyr Trotsiuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Climate Sensitivity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Basal Area Increment ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Mean Sensitivity

Growth potential and climate sensitivity of tree species in the ecogram for the colline and submontane zone In forestry practice a large amount of empirical knowledge exists about the productivity of individual tree species in relation to site properties. However, so far, only few scientific studies have investigated the influence of soil properties on the growth potential of various tree species along gradients of soil water as well as nutrient availability. Thus, there is a research gap to estimate the productivity and climate sensitivity of tree species under climate change, especially regarding productive sites and forest ad-mixtures in the lower elevations. Using what we call a «growth ecogram», we demonstrate species- and site-specific patterns of mean annual basal area increment and mean sensitivity of ring width (strength of year-to-year variation) for Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Picea abies, Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris, based on tree-ring data from 508 (co-)dominant trees on 27 locations. For beech, annual basal area increment ( average 1957–2006) was significantly correlated with tree height of the dominant sampling trees and proved itself as a possible alternative for assessing site quality. The fact that dominant trees of the different tree species showed partly similar growth potential within the same ecotype indicates comparable growth limitation by site conditions. Mean sensitivity of ring width – a measure of climate sensitivity – had decreased for oak and ash, while it had increased in pine. Beech showed diverging reactions with increasing sensitivity at productive sites (as measured by the C:N ratio of the topsoil), suggesting an increasing limitation by climate at these sites. Hence, we derive an important role of soil properties in the response of forests to climate change at lower elevations, which should be taken into account when estimating future forest productivity.

scholarly journals The Relative Pollen Productivity and Pollen Representation of North European Trees, and Correction Factors for Tree Pollen Spectra. Determined by Surface Pollen Analyses from Forests

1970 ◽  
Vol 96 ◽  
pp. 1-99
Author(s):  
Svend Th. Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Pollen Deposition ◽  
Correction Factors ◽  
Tree Crown ◽  
Tree Pollen ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Pollen Productivity ◽  
Pollen Analyses

The present work deals primarily with a determination of the relative pollen productivity of various trees from North Europe by means of their representation in pollen analyses of surface samples from forests, with the aim to calculate correction factors for pollen diagrams.Surface samples from 2 forests in Denmark were examined. The forest composition was determined by tree crown areas and tree basal areas in small sample plots. The relation of the tree crown areas to the tree basal areas was determined for the various tree species, and the data for crown area composition, basal area composition and tree frequency were compared.The pollen preservation in the various surface samples was examined.Data on wind conditions are mentioned in the chapter about pollen dispersal in the forest, and the various modes of pollen transfer are discussed. The amount of exotic pollen in the samples is used as a calculation basis for the tree pollen frequencies, and the occurrence and composition of the exotic pollen is discussed.The relationship of the forest composition to the tree pollen deposition is discussed. Pollen deposition and pollen productivity is expressed by a regression equation. The relative pollen productivity of the tree species is expressed in relation to a reference species, in the present case Fagus silvatica. Pollen representation and relative pollen representation are determined by a comparison of pollen percentages with percentages for areal frequency.Pollen productivity factors, pollen representation and correction factors were determined for Danish species of Quercus, Betula, Alnus, Carpinus, Ulmus, Fagus, Tilia and Fraxinus by means of the pollen frequencies in the surface samples. Corrected pollen percentages were compared with the tree areal percentages in the sample plots. Data for the pollen frequencies of forest plants other than the trees are presented. The data on trees from Denmark are compared with other data from Northern Europe, and correction factors were calculated for species of Pinus, Picea and Abies.Tree pollen spectra from outside the forest are discussed and the relative pollen representation is calculated. The present calculations of the relative pollen productivity of the trees are compared with previous estimates, and the application of the correction factors to pollen diagrams is discussed.

scholarly journals Individual tree crown delineation and tree species classification with hyperspectral and LiDAR data

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e6227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Dalponte ◽  
Lorenzo Frizzera ◽  
Damiano Gianelle
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Tree Crown ◽  
Species Classification ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Tree Species Classification ◽  
Selection Of

An international data science challenge, called National Ecological Observatory Network—National Institute of Standards and Technology data science evaluation, was set up in autumn 2017 with the goal to improve the use of remote sensing data in ecological applications. The competition was divided into three tasks: (1) individual tree crown (ITC) delineation, for identifying the location and size of individual trees; (2) alignment between field surveyed trees and ITCs delineated on remote sensing data; and (3) tree species classification. In this paper, the methods and results of team Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) are presented. The ITC delineation (Task 1 of the challenge) was done using a region growing method applied to a near-infrared band of the hyperspectral images. The optimization of the parameters of the delineation algorithm was done in a supervised way on the basis of the Jaccard score using the training set provided by the organizers. The alignment (Task 2) between the delineated ITCs and the field surveyed trees was done using the Euclidean distance among the position, the height, and the crown radius of the ITCs and the field surveyed trees. The classification (Task 3) was performed using a support vector machine classifier applied to a selection of the hyperspectral bands and the canopy height model. The selection of the bands was done using the sequential forward floating selection method and the Jeffries Matusita distance. The results of the three tasks were very promising: team FEM ranked first in the data science competition in Task 1 and 2, and second in Task 3. The Jaccard score of the delineated crowns was 0.3402, and the results showed that the proposed approach delineated both small and large crowns. The alignment was correctly done for all the test samples. The classification results were good (overall accuracy of 88.1%, kappa accuracy of 75.7%, and mean class accuracy of 61.5%), although the accuracy was biased toward the most represented species.

scholarly journals Partitioning snowmelt and rainfall in the critical zone: effects of climate type and soil properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 3553-3570 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Hammond ◽  
Adrian A. Harpold ◽  
Sydney Weiss ◽  
Stephanie K. Kampf
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Climate Type ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Antecedent Moisture ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Dry Climates

Abstract. Streamflow generation and deep groundwater recharge may be vulnerable to loss of snow, making it important to quantify how snowmelt is partitioned between soil storage, deep drainage, evapotranspiration, and runoff. Based on previous findings, we hypothesize that snowmelt produces greater streamflow and deep drainage than rainfall and that this effect is greatest in dry climates. To test this hypothesis we examine how snowmelt and rainfall partitioning vary with climate and soil properties using a physically based variably saturated subsurface flow model, HYDRUS-1D. We developed model experiments using observed climate from mountain regions and artificial climate inputs that convert all precipitation to rain, and then evaluated how climate variability affects partitioning in soils with different hydraulic properties and depths. Results indicate that event-scale runoff is higher for snowmelt than for rainfall due to higher antecedent moisture and input rates in both wet and dry climates. Annual runoff also increases with snowmelt fraction, whereas deep drainage is not correlated with snowmelt fraction. Deep drainage is less affected by changes from snowmelt to rainfall because it is controlled by deep soil moisture changes over longer timescales. Soil texture modifies daily wetting and drying patterns but has limited effect on annual water budget partitioning, whereas increases in soil depth lead to lower runoff and greater deep drainage. Overall these results indicate that runoff may be substantially reduced with seasonal snowpack decline in all climates, whereas the effects of snowpack decline on deep drainage are less consistent. These mechanisms help explain recent observations of streamflow sensitivity to changing snowpack and highlight the importance of developing strategies to plan for changes in water budgets in areas most at risk for shifts from snow to rain.

The effects of replaced topsoil of different depths on the vegetation and soil properties of reclaimed coal mine spoils in an alpine mining area

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 92-105
Author(s):  
Xinguang Yang ◽  
Xilai Li ◽  
Mingming Shi ◽  
Liqun Jin ◽  
Huafang Sun
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Coal Mine ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Mine Spoils ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Different Depths

Replacement of topsoil to an appropriate depth is one of the key methods for ecological restoration. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of topsoil replacement depth on vegetation and soil properties, and to identify the optimum soil depth for reclamation of coal mine spoils in a cold alpine mining area. We sowed 3 herbaceous species after coal mine spoil heaps were treated with topsoil to 3 depths (0, 20‒25, 40‒45 cm). The variations in vegetation community structure, plant growth, soil properties were measured at different replaced topsoil depths. The correlations between plant and soil properties were analyzed statistically. The results showed species richness, diversity and evenness were not significantly different among different depths of topsoil (P > 0.05). Vegetation coverage, density, height and aboveground biomass increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing topsoil depth. Soil properties did not change significantly with increasing topsoil depth (P > 0.05), but soil organic matter was significantly higher at 40‒45 cm topsoil depth than at other two depths (P < 0.05). All soil properties, with the exception of total potassium, were positively correlated with the plant growth parameters. The 40‒45 cm topsoil depth of replacement should be considered as effective method in reclaiming coal mine spoils. The use of both topsoil replacement to a depth of 40‒45 cm and sowing of suitable herbaceous seeds is found to be an effective restoration strategy. Additionally, fertilization might be used as a substitute for artificial topsoil replacement to improve soil quality and speed up revegetation process by the positive plant-soil interactions.

scholarly journals Relationship between Very Fine Root Distribution and Soil Water Content in Pre- and Post-Harvest Areas of Two Coniferous Tree Species

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1227
Author(s):  
Moein Farahnak ◽  
Keiji Mitsuyasu ◽  
Takuo Hishi ◽  
Ayumi Katayama ◽  
Masaaki Chiwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Root System ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Tree Cutting ◽  
Coniferous Tree Species

Tree root system development alters forest soil properties, and differences in root diameter frequency and root length per soil volume reflect differences in root system function. In this study, the relationship between vertical distribution of very fine root and soil water content was investigated in intact tree and cut tree areas. The vertical distribution of root density with different diameter classes (very fine <0.5 mm and fine 0.5–2.0 mm) and soil water content were examined along a slope with two coniferous tree species, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold et Zucc.) Endl. The root biomass and length density of very fine roots at soil depth of 0–5 cm were higher in the Ch. obtusa intact tree plot than in the Cr. japonica intact plot. Tree cutting caused a reduction in the biomass and length of very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth, and an increment in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot one year after cutting. However, very fine root density of the Cr. japonica intact tree plot was quite low and the soil water content in post-harvest areas did not change. The increase in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot could be caused by the decrease in very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth. These results suggest that the distribution of soil water content was changed after tree cutting of Ch. obtusa by the channels generated by the decay of very fine roots. It was also shown that differences in root system characteristics among different tree species affect soil water properties after cutting.

Soil macrofauna diversity and population dynamics in Indian Himalayan agroecosystems

Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 636
Author(s):  
Madhuri Pant ◽  
G. C. S. Negi ◽  
Pramod Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Top Soil ◽  
Himalayan Mountain ◽  
Irrigated Wheat ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Soil macrofauna diversity in Himalayan mountain agroecosystems has received negligible attention despite people’s dependence on soil fertility that determines crop yield for their sustenance. This study was carried out with the objective to determine differences in soil macrofauna taxonomic groups and abundance with soil depth (0–30 cm) in irrigated and non-irrigated wheat and rice crops of two dominant Himalayan mountain agroecosystems. At both the sites, a total of 11 macrofauna groups and 23 families were recorded. Macrofauna population across both crop seasons for non-irrigated fields was significantly greater (P &lt; 0.05) than in irrigated fields. Macrofauna population significantly differed (P &lt; 0.001) with soil depth and significantly declined with increasing soil depth (P &lt; 0.001). The top soil (0–10 cm depth) contributed over 80% of the total macrofauna population. Macrofauna diversity in non-irrigated fields (H′ = 2.10) was greater than in irrigated fields (H′ = 1.86), but β diversity was greater in irrigated fields (1.67 vs 1.76). The two agroecosystem types significantly differed (P &lt; 0.05) with soil depth and crop season. On the basis of presence or absence, the macrofauna groups were categorised as (i) present in soil year-round but exhibiting high density during warm and wet rainy season and (ii) present in soil only during the warm and wet rainy season. The non-irrigated fields had greater abundance of Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Hemiptera and Isoptera than the irrigated fields. This study highlights that the Himalayan mountain crop fields host a rather diverse and abundant macro-invertebrate community that should be efficiently used to promote soil fertility.

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