scholarly journals Soil macrofauna in relation to soil and leaf litter properties in tree plantations

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 170-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sayad ◽  
S.M. Hosseini ◽  
V. Hosseini ◽  
M.-H. Salehe-Shooshtari

Soil communities exert strong influences on the processing of organic matter and nutrients. Plantations of trees, especially of nitrogen fixing ones, may affect the soil macrofauna through litter quality and quantity. This study was conducted in a randomized block design with three blocks consisting of Populus euphratica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus microtheca, Acacia farnesiana, Acacia salicina, Acacia saligna, Acacia stenophylla and Dalbergia sissoo monoculture plantations that were established in 1992. Soils and soil macrofauna were sampled in November 2006. Leaf litterfall was collected from November 2006 to November 2007 at bi-weekly intervals. Macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass were consistently higher in A. salicina plantations than in the others, whereas they were lowest in E. camaldulensis. Tree species and nitrogen fixing trees significantly influenced the soil macrofauna richness. The results suggest that the earthworm distribution is regulated by leaf litter quality (Ca, C and N) whereas the macrofauna richness is regulated by leaf litter mass, soil organic carbon and leaf litter Mg. Totally, it was revealed that the tree species clearly affected macrofauna whereas nitrogen fixation did not.  

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Tigabu Redae Alle ◽  
Adane Tesfaye Lema ◽  
Seid Muhie Dawud

The recently introduced chalcid pest known as the Blue Gum Chalcid (BGC) (L. invasa) is currently one of the major insect pests of Eucalyptus tree species in Ethiopia. A research was conducted in Kalu district, South Wollo, Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia, the main objective of which was to evaluate the effectiveness of synthetic insecticides, hoeing and water showering options against BGC. Two parallel experiments were conducted in the nursery and in the field. Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. saligna, E. viminalis, E. citrodora and E. globulus were considered in the nursery at Chorisa. One to three-year old E. camaldulensis plantations were considered at Tikuro plantation site. At the nursery, seven treatments and at the field 10 treatments were tested in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications from January to February 2019, where treatments were applied 3 times at 15-day intervals. Results from the 1-year old plantation revealed that application of Dimethoate 40%, Carbofuran 3G and Dimethoate 40% + hoeing followed by Carbofuran 3G + hoeing and Thiamethoxam 25WG were effective in checking the BGC insect pest infestation. In the 3-year old plantation, Carbofuran 3G significantly reduced the infestation followed by Dimethoate 40%. At the nursery, Dimethoate 40% and Carbofuran 3G reduced the infestation followed by Carbofuran 3G + Dimethoate 40% and thiamethoxam 25WG. Water showering and hoeing did not reduce BGC infestation in all cases at the field plantations. Treatments that received synthetic insecticides and hoeing had low infestation, the reason for which was the insecticide rather than the hoeing, because the hoeing alone didn’t differ from the control. Application of Dimethoate 40% and Carbofuran 3G with hoeing and weeding activities were recommended to manage and limit BGC insect pest infestations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ng. Lamnganbi Devi ◽  
E. Jadu Singh

Litterfall and its nutrient return in five oak species were studied in the mixed Oak forest in Senapati District, Manipur .Litter production was measured by litter trap method. The total annual litterfall was 958.9 g m-2yr-1.Leaf and non leaf litterfall comprises 76.7 % and 23.3 % of the total litterfall. Maximum litterfall was found in the month of April (193.5 g m-2) and minimum in the month of July (23.7 g m-2).About 70% of the forest floor was replaced each year with turnover time of 1.42 yr.The amount of nutrient return through leaf litter was found to be maximum in Q.polystachya and minimum in C.indica. Nutrients (NPK) concentration of leaf litter of five different tree species was varied among different tree species.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Jonard ◽  
Frederic Andre ◽  
Quentin Ponette

This study aimed to evaluate the relative importance of the factors whereby tree species composition can influence leaf litter dynamics. Leaf litter production and chemical composition were measured in pure and mixed stands of oak ( Quercus petraea Liebl.) and beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.). Pure and mixed leaf litter of both species were incubated in each stand type to assess separately the environmental, litter quality, and litter mixture effects on decomposition. To better understand the environmental effects, ground climate was measured in the different stands and the effects of soil water content on decomposition were evaluated using roofs to simulate drought conditions. Although total leaf litter amounts were not affected by stand composition, leaf decomposition varied with litter quality and with the environmental conditions. In the same environment, oak leaf litter disappeared on average 1.7 times faster than beech leaf litter. Decomposition of oak leaves increased significantly in the mixed-species litterbags. In contrast, the overall mass loss of the mixed litter tallied with the mass loss estimated by examining the decomposition of the component litter separately (additive-effect hypothesis). The effects of stand type appeared in the third year of incubation: leaf mass loss of both species was greater in the beech stand. In addition, soil water content affected leaf decomposition: the oak and beach leaf mass losses dropped by 24% and 17%, respectively, in the dry modality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3563
Author(s):  
Marianthi Tsakaldimi ◽  
Panagiota Giannaki ◽  
Vladan Ivetić ◽  
Nikoleta Kapsali ◽  
Petros Ganatsas

Pinus nigra is one of the most widely used tree species for reforestation within its geographical distribution, as well as being a potential substitute for other tree species in Central Europe under future climate scenarios. P. nigra is transplanted into the field as two-year or three-year old seedlings because of its relatively low growth rate in the nursery. This study investigated the effects of fertilization programs and shading on P. nigra seedlings, aiming to accelerate early growth, and thus to reduce the nursery rearing time. The experiment (a completely randomized block design) was conducted in an open-air nursery by sowing seeds from Grevena, Northern Greece, in Quick pots filled with peat and perlite in a 2:1 ratio. The seedlings were subjected to two levels of fertilization—5 and 10 g L−1 NPK (30-10-10)—and two shading levels: 50% and 70%. At the ends of the first and second nursery growing season, we recorded the seedlings’ above- and below-ground morphology and biomass data. The results show that the application of all of the treatments produced seedlings which met the targeted quality standards for outplanting. However, the combination of a high fertilization rate and low shading level resulted in seedlings of a higher morphological quality, which is often considered to be an indicator for a successful seedling establishment in the field.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. IQBAL ◽  
H.A. RAUF ◽  
A.N. SHAH ◽  
B. SHAHZAD ◽  
M.A Bukhari

ABSTRACT Selection of tree species under agroforestry systems is crucial to sustain the productivity of a crop. In present study, allelopathic effects of the leaf litters of 5 trees named Rose wood (Dalbergia sissoo), Guava (Pisidium guajava), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) and Jaman (Syzygium cumini) species on wheat growth and yield was examined. Leaf litter of each tress species was mixed in soil with two doses @ 100 and 200 g of leaves of each species per pot. Higher shoot length, shoot dry weight, number of spikelets per spike and biological yield were recorded in 200 g sun dried Jaman (Syzygium cumini) leaves. Total number of tillers per plant and number of ears per plant were higher under the application of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves (200 g sun dried) as compared to other treatments. Spike length, grain yield per pot, number of grains per pot and harvest index were maximum in 200 g sun-dried Sacred fig (Ficu sreligiosa) leaves. Majority of the parameters were promoted at lower doses of leaves per pot, however, at higher doses they started inhibiting the growth and grain yield of wheat.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahim Foroughbakhch ◽  
Artemio Carrillo Parra ◽  
Jorge Luis Hernández Piñero ◽  
Marco Antonio Alvarado Vázquez ◽  
Alejandra Rocha Estrada ◽  
...  

A research strategy was established to analyze the structure of timber trees in terms of forest productivity (volume and wood density) of 10 species. The native speciesAcacia farnesiana, Acacia schaffneri,Bumelia celastrina,Cercidium macrun,Condalia hookeri,Ebenopsis ebano,Helietta parvifolia, andProsopis laevigataand the exotic speciesEucalyptus camaldulensisandLeucaena leucocephalawere chosen due to their ecological and economic importance to the rural villages of northeastern Mexico. Measurements of different growth parameters and volume of trees were evaluated. The introduced speciesE. camaldulensisandL. leucocephalashowed the best performance in wood volume production per tree and per hectare when compared to the native species. Likewise, among the native species,E. ebano,P. laevigata,C. hookeri, andA. farnesianatended to show better characteristics in terms of wood volume production in comparison toH. parvifolia,A. schaffneri,C. macrum, andB. celastrina. Results showed a high diversity on the properties studied. The high biomass produced by most of the species considered in this study revealed their great energetic potential when used as wood and firewood or vegetal charcoal.


2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (8) ◽  
pp. 991-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.K. Adams ◽  
D. Saenz

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an aggressive invasive tree species that can be abundant in parts of its non-native range. This tree species has the capability of producing monocultures, by outcompeting native trees, which can be in or near wetlands that are utilized by breeding amphibians. Existing research suggests that leaf litter from invasive Chinese tallow reduces survival in larval anurans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on anuran eggs. We exposed eggs of the Southern Leopard Frog ( Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1886)) at various stages of development to different concentrations of Chinese tallow leaf litter to determine survival. Eggs in the earliest stages of development that we exposed to tallow leaf litter died, regardless of concentration; however, some more-developed eggs exposed to tallow leaf litter did hatch. We determined that the greater the concentration of tallow leaf litter, the lower the dissolved oxygen and pH levels we observed. We suggest that changes in these water-quality parameters are the cause of the observed mortality of anuran eggs in our experiments. Eggs exposed to water containing tallow leaf litter with dissolved oxygen <1.59 mg/L and a pH <5.29 did not survive to hatching.


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