Changes in Forest Floor Organic Matter and Nutrient Content Following Clear Cutting in Northern Hardwoods

Ecology ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Wallace Covington
1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Aber ◽  
Daniel B. Botkin ◽  
Jerry M. Melillo

The effects of different intensities of forest management on forest floor organic matter and nitrogen dynamics in northern hardwoods were simulated with a computer model built from the extensive data base of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. Three cutting intensities and three rotation lengths were tested. In all cases, both nitrogen availability and forest floor organic matter declined for 15–30 years following cutting and required 60–80 years to recover to precut levels. Rotation length had a much greater effect on the forest floor than harvesting intensity with short-rotation (30-year) complete forest harvesting causing the greatest reduction in both biomass and nitrogen availability. Average forest floor biomass under this treatment was reduced to roughly one-half of that under clear-cutting (90-year rotation).


1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 763-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Anthony Federer

Organic content of the forest floor decreases for several years after clear-cutting, and then slowly recovers. Thickness, bulk density, organic matter, and nitrogen content of forest floors were measured for 13 northern hardwood stands in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Stands ranged from 1 to about 100 years in age. Forest-floor thickness varied significantly with stand age, but bulk density, organic fraction, and nitrogen fraction were independent of age. Total organic content of the forest floor agreed very well with data from Covington's (W. W. Covington 1981. Ecology, 62: 41–48) study of the same area. Both studies indicated that mature forest floors have about 80 Mg organic matter•ha−1 and 1.9 Mg nitrogen•ha−1. Within 10 or 15 years after cutting, the organic matter content of the floor decreases to 50 Mg•ha−1, and its nitrogen content to 1.1 Mg•ha−1. The question whether the decrease is rapid and the minimum broad and flat, or if the decrease is gradual and the minimum sharp, cannot be answered. The subsequent increase to levels reached in mature forest requires about 50 years. Some of the initial decrease in organic matter and nitrogen content of the forest floor may be caused by organic decomposition and nitrogen leaching, but mechanical and chemical mixing of floor into mineral soil, during and after the harvest operation, may also be important. The difference is vital with respect to maintenance of long-term productivity.


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Yarie

Two mature floodplain white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) ecosystems (stage VIII) located on islands in the Tanana River, approximately 20 km southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, were clear-cut during the winter of 1985–1986 to quantify the effects of clear-cutting on selected environmental characteristics. Clearings in earlier successional stages (poplar–alder (Populus–Alnus), stage V; and open willow (Salix), stage III) were used to contrast the environmental parameters with the earlier stages found in the primary successional sequence. After clear-cutting, total radiation at the soil surface increased to early successional stage III levels. Potential evaporation from the soil surface increased 5-fold as a result of clearing in the stage VIII sites and was substantially greater than that found in the stage III sites by other researchers. Clearing had relatively little effect on air temperature. The concentration of P and K was significantly lower in the forest floor of both clearcuts, and the concentration of C was significantly higher at VIII-A-T (stage VIII–site A–treated (cleared) plot) when compared with the control stands. There was a decrease in total forest floor biomass at both clear-cut plots. Organic matter, total N, available NH4 and P, and extractable Mg and K all decreased after cutting, whereas pH increased. Decomposition of spruce foliage on the forest floor surface was slower in the clearcuts. Nitrogen immobilization occurred during the first 2 years of decomposition. During the third year it appeared that some mineralization was beginning to occur but the levels were very low, averaging only 3 mg N per bag in the clear-cut areas. Plant growth analysis indicated that growth was limited by high mineral soil salt content in the early successional stages (III) and that this limitation was species specific. Balsam poplar (Populusbalsamifera L.) appears to be more tolerant of the high cation content of the stage III sites compared with trembling aspen (Populustremuloides Michx.). By the time successional development has progressed to stage V, the soil has been sufficiently augmented by the inclusion of organic matter from the developing vegetation and the fixation of N by alder to result in higher seedling growth rates in the cleared areas.


2011 ◽  
Vol 361-363 ◽  
pp. 1765-1771
Author(s):  
Hao Ji ◽  
Xi Bin Dong

In This paper, the miscellaneous tree low-quality forest and Oak low-quality forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains region were transformed inductively by planting Siberian Korean pine, Mongolica, and Larch, respectively. With the method of using different bandwidth and gap area, the soil nutrient characteristics were changed. The results indicated that the pH of soil increased slightly by different ways of induced transformation, but the variance was not significant (P﹤0.05). After reforming the induced soil organic matter content was balanced, while the basic content of hydrolysable nitrogen increased, and the availiable phosphorus decreased. Soil rapidly-available potassium content in Oak coppice was reduced but raised in the region of secondary performed miscellaneous wood. The variation coefficient of Siberia Korean pine was the largest with different soil pH value of various bandwidth and soil nutrient content (except for availiable phosphorus). Content of soil organic matter and hydrolysis nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content are significantly positive correlated. At the same time, clear-cutting bandwidth and soil organic matter and hydrolysis nitrogen content are significantly negative correlated. During the transformation of forest gap in the sunny and shady slope, smaller area of forest gap owed the larger soil nutrient content. Generally, soil nutrient content in sunny slope is higher than the shady one.


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1346-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris E. Johnson

Previous research on chronosequences of even-aged northern hardwood stands has suggested that forest clearing is accompanied by large losses of nitrogen from the forest floor. The timing of the losses and the fate of a large fraction of the lost nitrogen are unclear. The purpose of this investigation was to study these questions through direct measurement of soil nitrogen concentrations and pools through time on an experimental catchment cleared in a whole-tree harvest in 1983–1984. Nitrogen losses from the forest floor at the site, the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, were lower than predictions based on previous research. The mean forest floor nitrogen pool was 17% lower 8 years after clear-cutting of the site (P = 0.18). Predictions based on chronosequence studies suggest that 25–40% of the forest floor nitrogen would be lost after 8 years. Mechanical disturbance during logging may play a role in limiting short-term nitrogen losses. The steep midsection of the catchment experienced the greatest losses of nitrogen and carbon, while pools in the relatively flat spruce-fir zone at the upper elevations were unchanged. Carbon was preferentially lost from soil organic matter, relative to nitrogen, resulting in significant decreases in the C/N and C/organic matter ratios in the soil. The N/organic matter ratio was generally unchanged. Nitrogen losses can be limited after clear-cutting by minimizing organic matter losses and promoting rapid regrowth.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 665
Author(s):  
Ladislav Holik ◽  
Jiří Volánek ◽  
Valerie Vranová

Soil proteases are involved in organic matter transformation processes and, thus, influence ecosystem nutrient turnovers. Phytohormones, similarly to proteases, are synthesized and secreted into soil by fungi and microorganisms, and regulate plant rhizosphere activity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of auxins, cytokinins, ethephon, and chlorocholine chloride on spruce forest floor protease activity. It was concluded that the presence of auxins stimulated native proteolytic activity, specifically synthetic auxin 2-naphthoxyacetic acid (16% increase at added quantity of 5 μg) and naturally occurring indole-3-acetic acid (18%, 5 μg). On the contrary, cytokinins, ethephon and chlorocholine chloride inhibited native soil protease activity, where ethephon (36% decrease at 50 μg) and chlorocholine chloride (34%, 100 μg) showed the highest inhibitory effects. It was concluded that negative phytohormonal effects on native proteolytic activity may slow down organic matter decomposition rates and hence complicate plant nutrition. The study enhances the understanding of rhizosphere exudate effects on soil microbial activity and soil nitrogen cycle.


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1052-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney J. Keenan ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
J.P. Hamish Kimmins

Biomass and C, N, P, and K contents of woody debris and the forest floor were surveyed in adjacent stands of old-growth western red cedar (Thujaplicata Donn)–western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) (CH type), and 85-year-old, windstorm-derived, second-growth western hemlock–amabilis fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) (HA type) at three sites on northern Vancouver Island. Carbon concentrations were relatively constant across all detrital categories (mean = 556.8 mg/g); concentrations of N and P generally increased, and K generally decreased, with increasing degree of decomposition. The mean mass of woody debris was 363 Mg/ha in the CH and 226 Mg/ha in the HA type. The mean forest floor mass was 280 Mg/ha in the CH and 211 Mg/ha in the HA stands. Approximately 60% of the forest floor mass in each forest type was decaying wood. Dead woody material above and within the forest floor represented a significant store of biomass and nutrients in both forest types, containing 82% of the aboveground detrital biomass, 51–59% of the N, and 58–61% of the detrital P. Forest floors in the CH and HA types contained similar total quantities of N, suggesting that the lower N availability in CH forests is not caused by greater immobilization in detritus. The large accumulation of forest floor and woody debris in this region is attributed to slow decomposition in the cool, wet climate, high rates of detrital input following windstorms, and the large size and decay resistance of western red cedar boles.


Nativa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Carla Da Penha Simon ◽  
Ana Carolina Lyra Brumat ◽  
Marcelo Barreto Da Silva ◽  
Bernardo Torres Olmo ◽  
Edney Leandro da Vitória ◽  
...  

A pimenta-do-reino é a especiaria mais consumida no mundo e o Brasil destaca-se como um dos maiores produtores. Um dos grandes limitantes no seu cultivo é a fusariose (Fusarium solani f. sp. piperis). Objetivou-se com a realização deste estudo caracterizar a variabilidade espacial da fusariose em pimenta-do-reino, verificando a existência de relação com os atributos físicos e químicos do solo. O estudo foi desenvolvido em uma lavoura localizada no município de São Mateus-ES, na qual foi estabelecida uma malha amostral irregular com 79 pontos, abrangendo uma área de um hectare.  Para a amostragem da fusariose foi realizado um levantamento, onde uma planta por ponto da malha amostral foi classificada em sadia, doente ou morta.  Os atributos do solo amostrados foram: pH em H2O, matéria orgânica, cálcio, magnésio, potássio e textura do solo. Os dados foram analisados através da estatística descritiva e ferramentas da geoestatística. Os semivariogramas ajustados apresentaram uma forte dependência espacial para as variáveis intensidade da fusariose, altimetria, matéria orgânica, textura do solo, pH, cálcio, magnésio potássio (89, 94, 92, 94, 93, 91, 100 e 85 % respectivamente). Os mapas gerados indicam que não há relação da intensidade da fusariose com os atributos do solo estudados no experimento.Palavra-chave: epidemiologia, Fusarium solani f. sp. piperis, geoestatística, Piper nigrum L. SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF FUSARIOSE AND SOIL ATTRIBUTES IN THE BLACK PEPPER CULTIVATION  ABSTRACT:Black pepper is the most consumed spice in the world, Brazil stands out as one of the largest producers. One of the major constraints in cultivation is fusariosis (Fusarium solani f. Piperis). The objective of this study was characterize the spatial variability of fusariosis in black pepper and verify the relationship of chemical attributes of the soil. The study was developed in a tillage located in the municipality of São Mateus - ES, which exist an irregular sampling network was established with 79 points, covering an area of one hectare. For the sampling of fusariosis intensity, the survey was performed, where one plant per point of the sample mesh was classified as healthy, symptomatic or dead. The attributes of the soil sampled were: pH in H2O, organic matter, nutrient content (calcium, magnesium, potassium) and soil texture. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and geostatistics tools. The adjusted semivariograms indicated a strong spatial dependence for the variables intensity of fusariosis, altimetry, organic matter, soil texture, pH, calcium, potassium magnesium (89, 94, 92, 94, 93, 91, 100 and 85%, respectively). The generated maps indicate that there is no relation between the incidence of fusariosis and the soil attributes studied in the experiment.Keywords: epidemiology, Fusarium solani f. sp. piperis, geostatistics, Piper nigrum L. DOI:


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