scholarly journals Carbon and nitrogen in forest floor and mineral soil under four forest species in the Mediterranean region

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felícia Fonseca ◽  
Tomás Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Castanea Sativa ◽  
Pinus Nigra ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
N Storage ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Species Effect ◽  
C And N

The organic and mineral horizons of soils are of great importance in C and N storage in forest areas. However, knowledge of the effects of forest species on the stocks of these elements is still scarce, especially in Portugal. In order to contribute to this knowledge, a study was carried out in forest stands of <em>Pinus pinaster</em> Aiton (PP), <em>Pinus nigra</em> Arnold (PN), <em>Pseudotsuga menziesii</em> (PM) and <em>Castanea sativa</em> Miller (CS), installed in the 1950s in northern Portugal. Sampling areas with similar topography, lithology and climate were selected, in order to better identify hypothesized differences in C and N storage due to forest species effect. In each stand, 15 sites were selected randomly and the forest floor (organic layers) was collected in a 0.49 m<sup>2</sup> area. The layers H, L and F of the forest floor were identified and, for L and F, their components were separated in leaves, pine cones/chestnut husks and branches. At the same sites, soil samples were also collected at 0-10 and 10-20 cm depth. At these depths, undisturbed samples were also collected for bulk density determination. The concentrations of C and N were determined in forest floor and mineral components of the soil, and converted in mass per unit area. The quantity of C storage per unit area followed the sequence PN &gt; PM &gt; CS &gt; PP, while for N the sequence was CS &gt; PM &gt; PN &gt; PP, OM and PP keeping the same relative position in the sequence in both C and N concentrations. The PM and CS species store similar amounts of C and N, and about 90% of these elements is found in the upper 20 cm of the mineral soil. In PN and PP species, the contribution of forest floor to the storage of these elements is more expressive than in the other species, but lower than 30% in all cases.

Comparison of carbon and nitrogen storage in mineral soils of graminoid and shrub tundra sites, western Greenland

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Petrenko ◽  
Julia Bradley-Cook ◽  
Emily M. Lacroix ◽  
Andrew J. Friedland ◽  
Ross A. Virginia
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil C ◽  
N Storage ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
C Pools ◽  
C And N

Shrub species are expanding across the Arctic in response to climate change and biotic interactions. Changes in belowground carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage are of global importance because Arctic soils store approximately half of global soil C. We collected 10 (60 cm) soil cores each from graminoid- and shrub-dominated soils in western Greenland and determined soil texture, pH, C and N pools, and C:N ratios by depth for the mineral soil. To investigate the relative chemical stability of soil C between vegetation types, we employed a novel sequential extraction method for measuring organo-mineral C pools of increasing bond strength. We found that (i) mineral soil C and N storage was significantly greater under graminoids than shrubs (29.0 ± 1.8 versus 22.5 ± 3.0 kg·C·m−2 and 1.9 ± .12 versus 1.4 ± 1.9 kg·N·m−2), (ii) chemical mechanisms of C storage in the organo-mineral soil fraction did not differ between graminoid and shrub soils, and (iii) weak adsorption to mineral surfaces accounted for 40%–60% of C storage in organo-mineral fractions — a pool that is relatively sensitive to environmental disturbance. Differences in these C pools suggest that rates of C accumulation and retention differ by vegetation type, which could have implications for predicting future soil C pool storage.

scholarly journals A meta-analysis on the impacts of partial cutting on forest structure and carbon storage

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3691-3703 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Zhou ◽  
S. Q. Zhao ◽  
S. Liu ◽  
J. Oeding
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Recovery Time ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Cutting Intensity ◽  
Stand Basal Area ◽  
Area And Volume

Abstract. Partial cutting, which removes some individual trees from a forest, is one of the major and widespread forest management practices that can significantly alter both forest structure and carbon (C) storage. Using 748 observations from 81 studies published between 1973 and 2011, we synthesized the impacts of partial cutting on three variables associated with forest structure (mean annual growth of diameter at breast height (DBH), stand basal area, and volume) and four variables related to various C stock components (aboveground biomass C (AGBC), understory C, forest floor C, and mineral soil C). Results show that the growth of DBH increased by 111.9% after partial cutting, compared to the uncut control, with a 95% bootstrapped confidence interval ranging from 92.2 to 135.9%, while stand basal area and volume decreased immediately by 34.2% ([−37.4%, −31.2%]) and 28.4% ([−32.0%, −25.1%]), respectively. On average, partial cutting reduced AGBC by 43.4% ([−47.7%, −39.3%]), increased understory C storage by 391.5% ([220.0%, 603.8%]), but did not show significant effects on C stocks on forest floor and in mineral soil. All the effects, if significant (i.e., on DBH growth, stand basal area, volume, and AGBC), intensified linearly with cutting intensity and decreased linearly over time. Overall, cutting intensity had more strong impacts than the length of recovery time on the responses of those variables to partial cutting. Besides the significant influence of cutting intensity and recovery time, other factors such as climate zone and forest type also affected forest responses to partial cutting. For example, a large fraction of the changes in DBH growth remains unexplained, suggesting the factors not included in the analysis may play a major role. The data assembled in this synthesis were not sufficient to determine how long it would take for a complete recovery after cutting because long-term experiments were scarce. Future efforts should be tailored to increase the duration of the experiments and balance geographic locations of field studies.

scholarly journals Vegetative and Edaphic Responses in a Northern Mixed Conifer Forest Three Decades after Harvest and Fire: Implications for Managing Regeneration and Carbon and Nitrogen Pools

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1040
Author(s):  
R. Kasten Dumroese ◽  
Martin F. Jurgensen ◽  
Deborah S. Page-Dumroese
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Larix Occidentalis ◽  
Shrub Species ◽  
Silvicultural Practices ◽  
C And N ◽  
C And N Pools

Research Highlights: This experiment compares a range of combinations of harvest, prescribed fire, and wildfire. Leveraging a 30-year-old forest management-driven experiment, we explored the recovery of woody species composition, regeneration of the charismatic forest tree species Larix occidentalis Nutt., and vegetation and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Background and Objectives: Initiated in 1967, this experiment intended to explore combinations of habitat type phases and prescribed fire severity toward supporting regeneration of L. occidentalis. At onset of the experiment, a wildfire affected a portion of the 60 research plots, allowing for additional study. Our objective was to better understand silvicultural practices to support L. occidentalis regeneration and to better understand the subsequent impacts of silvicultural practices on C and N pools within the vegetation and soil. Materials and Methods: We categorized disturbance severity based on loss of forest floor depth; 11 categories were defined, including controls for the two habitat type phases involved. We collected abundance, biomass, and C and N concentrations for the herbaceous layer, shrubs, and trees using nested quadrats and 6 to 10 experimental units per disturbance category plot. Moreover, we systematically sampled woody residue from transects, and forest floor, soil wood, and mineral soil with a systematic grid of 16 soil cores per disturbance category plot. Results: We found that (1) disturbance severity affected shrub species richness, diversity, and evenness within habitat type phases; (2) L. occidentalis regenerates when fire is part of the disturbance; (3) N-fixing shrub species were more diverse in the hotter, drier plots; (4) recovery levels of C and N pools within the soil had surpassed or were closer to pre-disturbance levels than pools within the vegetation. Conclusions: We confirm that L. occidentalis regeneration and a diverse suite of understory shrub species can be supported by harvest and prescribed fire, particularly in southern and western aspects. We also conclude that these methods can regenerate L. occidentalis in cooler, moister sites, which may be important as this species’ climate niche shifts with climate change.

scholarly journals Nitrogen fertilizer regulates soil respiration by altering the organic carbon storage in root and topsoil in alpine meadow of the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Li ◽  
Jinlan Wang ◽  
Xiaolong Li ◽  
Shilin Wang ◽  
Wenhui Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Alpine Meadow ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
N Storage ◽  
The North ◽  
C Storage ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
C And N

Abstract Soil respiration (Rs) plays a critical role in the global carbon (C) balance, especially in the context of globally increasing nitrogen (N) deposition. However, how N-addition influences C cycle remains unclear. Here, we applied seven levels of N application (0 (N0), 54 (N1), 90 (N2), 126 (N3), 144 (N4), 180 (N5) and 216 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (N6)) to quantify their impacts on Rs and its components (autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)) and C and N storage in vegetation and soil in alpine meadow on the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We used a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the relative contributions of C and N storage, soil temperature and soil moisture and their direct and indirect pathways in regulating soil respiration. Our results revealed that the Rs, Ra and Rh, C and N storage in plant, root and soil (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) all showed initial increases and then tended to decrease at the threshold level of 180 kg N ha−1 yr−1. The SEM results indicated that soil temperature had a greater impact on Rs than did volumetric soil moisture. Moreover, SEM also showed that C storage (in root, 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers) was the most important factor driving Rs. Furthermore, multiple linear regression model showed that the combined root C storage, 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil layer C storage explained 97.4–97.6% variations in Rs; explained 94.5–96% variations in Ra; and explained 96.3–98.1% in Rh. Therefore, the growing season soil respiration and its components can be well predicted by the organic C storage in root and topsoil in alpine meadow of the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Our study reveals the importance of topsoil and root C storage in driving growing season Rs in alpine meadow on the northeast margin of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

scholarly journals Forms, amounts and distribution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in a boreal aspen forest soil

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Z. Huang ◽  
J. J. Schoenau
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Nutrient Storage ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
C And N ◽  
Aspen Forest ◽  
Total P ◽  
Total Organic C

The forms, amounts and distribution of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) were assessed in soil profiles under trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands in the southern boreal forest of Saskatchewan, Canada. The total mass of organic C storage in the LFH horizon and mineral soil to a depth of 1 m ranged from 95 352 to 103 430 kg ha−1, with an average of 99 220 kg ha−1. Organic C and N in the LFH horizon accounted for the greatest proportion of the total storage (47.3% of C and 34.2% of N), followed by the B horizon (22.4% of C and 32.7% of N) the A horizon (17.3% of C and 18.3% of N) and the C horizon (13.0% of C and 14.8% of N). Unlike C and N, more than 96% of the total P was found in the mineral soil and only 3.5% in the LFH horizon. Much of the P stored in the mineral horizons is contained in non-labile primary minerals forms. The greatest proportion (36.5%) of organic S was found in the C horizon with 26.6% in the LFH horizon. The contribution of the LFH horizon to total organic C and N stored in boreal forest soils should not be neglected in global nutrient cycling models. Key words: Forest floor, litter, nutrient storage, organic matter

scholarly journals Soil Chemical Fertility Change Over 4 Decades In The Morvan Mountains And Influence of Tree Species (Burgundy, France)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clesse Margaux ◽  
Legout Arnaud ◽  
Ranger Jacques ◽  
Zeller Bernd ◽  
Van Der Heijden Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Soil Acidification ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
Pinus Nigra ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Nutrient Pool ◽  
Atmospheric Depositions ◽  
Species Effect

Abstract Background: Intensive silvicultural practices and the planting of monospecific forests of coniferous, more productive compared to hardwoods, may threaten over the mid to long-term the sustainability of soil chemical fertility of forest ecosystems and is a major concern for forest managers and policy.Methods: We investigated the tree species effect (Quercus sessiliflora Smith, Fagus sylvatica L., Picea abies Karst., Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco., Abies nordmanniana Spach. and Pinus nigra Arn. ssp laricio Poiret var corsicana) on the change over time of soil chemical properties and nutrient pool sizes in the mineral and organic layers of the soil during the 45 years after the plantation of the Breuil-Chenue common garden experiment (Burgundy, France). The organic and mineral soil layers down to 70 cm depth were sampled in the different monospecific plots in 1974, 2001 and 2019. Results: The Ca and Mg exchangeable pools and soil pH increased over the entire soil profile in most stands. However, the decrease of pH and the increase of exchange acidity in the topsoil layers under conifers and the overall decrease of exchangeable K pools in most stands highlighted that soil acidification is still on-going at this site but the intensity of this process depends on the tree species. Indeed, three groups of species could be distinguished: i) Nordmann fir / Norway spruce where acidolysis and chelation occurred, resulting in the most pronounced pH decrease in the topsoil, ii) Douglas fir / Laricio pine where acidification caused by elevated nitrification rates is probably currently compensated by larger weathering and/or atmospheric depositions fluxes, iii) and oak / beech where soil acidification was less intense. Counterintuitively, soil acidification at this site resulted in an increase in soil CEC which limited the loss of nutrient cations. This change in soil CEC was most likely explained by the precipitation/dissolution dynamics of aluminium (Al) (hydr)oxides in the interfoliar space of phyllosilicates and/or the increase in soil carbon (C) content in the topsoil layers. Conclusion: Tree species greatly and fairly rapidly (<45 years) influence the soil chemical fertility and the pedogenetic processes which in turn may impact forest ecosystem functions and services.

The effects of gaps and liming on forest floor decomposition and soil C and N dynamics in a Fagus sylvatica forest

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Bauhus ◽  
T Vor ◽  
N Bartsch ◽  
A Cowling
Keyword(s):  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
N Dynamics ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Soil C And N ◽  
C And N ◽  
C And N Pools ◽  
Gap Creation ◽  
C And N Dynamics

Despite the importance of gaps in the dynamics and management of many forest types, very little is known about the medium- to long-term soil C and N dynamics associated with this disturbance. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that gap creation and lime application, a routine measure in many European forests to ameliorate soil acidity, lead to accelerated litter decomposition and thus a reduction in the forest floor and soil C and N pools. Four gaps were created in 1989 in a mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest on acid soil with a moder humus, and lime (3 t dolomite·ha–1) was applied to two of these and surrounding areas. Litter and fine-root decomposition was measured in 1992–1993 and 1996–1998 using litterbags. Forest floor (L, F, and H layers) and mineral soil (0–40 cm) C and N pools were determined in 1989 and 1997. Eight years following silvicultural treatments, there was no change in C and N over the entire forest soil profile including forest floor. Reductions in the F and H layers in limed gaps were compensated for by increases in soil C and N in the surface (0–10 cm) mineral soil. Decomposition of F litter was significantly accelerated in limed gaps, leading to the development of a mull–moder, whereas gap creation alone had no effect on mass loss of F material in litterbags. Gap size disturbances in this acid beech forest appear to have minimal influences on soil C and N stocks. However, when combined with liming, changes in the humus form and vertical distribution of soil C and N may occur.

scholarly journals A meta-analysis on the impacts of partial cutting on forest structure and carbon storage

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 787-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Zhou ◽  
S. Q. Zhao ◽  
S. Liu ◽  
J. Oeding
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage

Abstract. Partial cutting, which removes some individual trees from a forest, is one of the major and widespread forest management practices that can significantly alter both forest structure and carbon (C) storage. Using 746 observations from 82 publications, we synthesized the impacts of partial cutting on three variables associated with forest structure (i.e. mean annual growth of diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area (BA), and volume) and four variables related to various C stock components (i.e. aboveground biomass C (AGBC), understory C, forest floor C, and mineral soil C). Results shows that the growth of DBH elevated by 112% after partial cutting, compared to the uncut control, while stand BA and volume reduced immediately by 34% and 29%, respectively. On average, partial cutting reduced AGBC by 43%, increased understory C storage by 392%, but did not show significant effects on C storages on forest floor and in mineral soil. All the effects on DBH growth, stand BA, volume, and AGBC intensified linearly with cutting intensity (CI) and decreased linearly with the number of recovery years (RY). In addition to the strong impacts of CI and RY, other factors such as climate zone and forest type also affected forest responses to partial cutting. The data assembled in this synthesis were not sufficient to determine how long it would take for a complete recovery after cutting because long-term experiments were rare. Future efforts should be tailored to increase the duration of the experiments and balance geographic locations of field studies.

scholarly journals Carbon and nitrogen stocks in Norwegian forest soils — the importance of soil formation, climate, and vegetation type for organic matter accumulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1459-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Tau Strand ◽  
Ingeborg Callesen ◽  
Lise Dalsgaard ◽  
Heleen A. de Wit
Keyword(s):  
Forest Soil ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Spruce Forests ◽  
Podzolic Soils ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
C And N

Relationships between soil C and N stocks and soil formation, climate, and vegetation were investigated in a gridded database connected to the National Forest Inventory in Norway. For mineral soil orders, C and N stocks were estimated to be 11.1–19.3 kg C·m−2 and 0.41–0.78 kg N·m−2, respectively, declining in the following order: Gleysols > Podzols > Brunisols > Regosols. Organic peat-type soils stored, on average, 31.3 kg C·m−2 and 1.10 kg N·m−2, whereas shallow Organic folisols stored, on average, 10.2 kg C·m−2 and 0.34 kg N·m−2. For Norway’s 120 000 km2 of forest, the total of soil C stocks was estimated to be 1.83 Gt C, with a 95% CI of 1.71–1.95 Gt C. Podzolic soils comprise the largest soil group and store approximately 50% of the forest soil C. Sixty percent of the soil C stock in Podzolic soils was stored in the mineral soil, increasing with temperature and precipitation. Poorly drained soil types store approximately 47% of the total forest soil C in Norway. Soils with water saturation have large C stocks mainly in the forest floor, suggesting that they are more susceptible to forest management and environmental change. Soil C stocks under pine and spruce forests were similar, although pine forests had larger C stocks in the forest floor, while spruce forests had the highest C stocks in the mineral soil compartment. C stocks in the forest floor increase from dry to moist ground vegetation, while ground vegetation nutrient classes reflect better the C and N stocks in the mineral soil.

THE FOREST FLOOR: LATERAL VARIABILITY AS REVEALED BY SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING

1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAUL A. ARP ◽  
HELMUT H. KRAUSE
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Ammonium Acetate ◽  
Podzolic Soil ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Soluble Phosphate ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
C And N

The forest floor of a mature, naturally regenerated conifer stand on a well-drained podzolic soil in the Central Uplands of New Brunswick was sampled systematically. The forest-floor properties measured were: oven-dried mass per unit area, depth, moisture content, pH, potassium-chloride-extractable NH4-N and NO3-N, water-soluble phosphate, and ammonium-acetate-extractable K, Mg, and Ca. Total elemental C, N, P, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe concentrations were also determined. Coefficients of variation varied from 0.066 (total C) to 1.78 (2 N KCl-extractable NO3-N). Concentrations (measured in ppm or percent) were in each case less variable than absolute amounts (measured in kilograms per hectare). Frequency distributions were positively skewed (except for total C and N) and appeared to follow a gamma or Weibull distribution pattern. Key words: Ferro-Humic-Podzol, forest floor, lateral variability, spruce-fir forest, systematic sampling

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