scholarly journals Long-Term (13 Years) Decomposition Rates of Forest Floor Organic Matter on Paired Coniferous and Deciduous Watersheds with Contrasting Temperature Regimes

Forests ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Qualls
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Temperature Regimes

Ten-year decomposition in a loblolly pine forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 2231-2235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Binkley
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Nitrogen Loss ◽  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Original Material ◽  
Loss Of Mass ◽  
Pinus Taeda L ◽  
Future Work

A litter sandwich approach was used to examine the loss of mass, acidity, and nutrients through 10 years of decomposition in a stand of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Each year, a new layer of 3-mm mesh fiberglass was placed on the annual accumulation of litterfall. Ten years of decomposition led to a loss of about 80% of the litter organic matter (giving a decomposition constant of 0.1655), which predicted a steady-state mass of the forest floor within 10% of the observed value. The pH (in 0.1 M KCl) showed little variation over time, ranging just from 3.2 to 3.5. The decline in titratable acidity appeared related primarily to the loss of organic matter rather than to any change in the acid characteristics of the material. Nitrogen loss was slow; the 10-year-old cohort of material contained 70% as much nitrogen as the original material. The loss of other nutrients was rapid, exceeding 80% loss by 6 years for phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The litter-sandwich method for examining decomposition is an easy, long-term approach that appeared to provide reasonable representation of the dynamics of unconfined forest floor materials. Future work should test this method for examining the decomposition effects of litter quality, nutrient supply, and environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Modification of the RothC model to simulate soil C mineralization of exogenous organic matter

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Mondini ◽  
Maria Luz Cayuela ◽  
Tania Sinicco ◽  
Flavio Fornasier ◽  
Antonia Galvez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Standard Model ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
C Mineralization ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Amended Soils ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
Rothc Model

Abstract. The development of soil organic C (SOC) models capable to produce accurate predictions of the long term decomposition of exogenous organic matter (EOM) in soils is important for an effective management of organic amendments. However, reliable C modelling in amended soils requires specific optimization of current C models to take into account the high variability of EOM origin and properties. The aim of this work was to improve the prediction of C mineralization rates in amended soils by modifying the RothC model to encompass a better description of EOM quality. The standard RothC model, involving C input to the soil only as decomposable (DPM) or resistant (RPM) organic material, was modified by introducing additional pools of decomposable (DEOM), resistant (REOM) and humified (HEOM) EOM. The partitioning factors and decomposition rates of the additional EOM pools were estimated by model fitting to respiratory curves of amended soils. For this task, 30 EOMs from 8 contrasting groups (compost, anaerobic digestates, sewage sludges, agro-industrial wastes, crop residues, bioenergy by-products, animal residues, meat and bone meals), were added to 10 soils and incubated under different conditions. The modified Roth C model was fitted to C mineralization curves in amended soils with great accuracy (mean correlation coefficient: 0.995). Differently to the standard model, the EOM-optimized RothC was able to better accommodate the large variability in EOM source and composition, as indicated by the decrease in the root mean squared error of the simulations for different EOMs (from 29.9 % to 3.7 % and from 20.0 % to 2.5 % for bioethanol residue and household waste compost amended soils, respectively). Average decomposition rates for DEOM and REOM pools were 89 y−1 and 0.4 y−1, higher than the standard model coefficients for DPM (10 y−1) and RPM (0.3 y−1). Results indicate that explicit treatment of EOM heterogeneity enhances the model ability to describe amendment decomposition under laboratory conditions and provides useful information to improve C modelling on the effects of different EOM on C dynamics in agricultural soils. Future researches involve the validation of the modified model with field data and its application to long term simulation of SOC patterns in amended soil at regional scale under climate change.

Effects of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control on 5-year seedling performance: a regional comparison of Long-Term Soil Productivity sites

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Fleming ◽  
Robert F Powers ◽  
Neil W Foster ◽  
J Marty Kranabetter ◽  
D Andrew Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Seedling Performance ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Wide Range

We examined fifth-year seedling response to soil disturbance and vegetation control at 42 experimental locations representing 25 replicated studies within the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) program. These studies share a common experimental design while encompassing a wide range of climate, site conditions, and forest types. Whole-tree harvest had limited effects on planted seedling performance compared with the effects of stem-only harvest (the control); slight increases in survival were usually offset by decreases in growth. Forest-floor removal improved seedling survival and increased growth in Mediterranean climates, but reduced growth on productive, nutrient-limited, warm–humid sites. Soil compaction with intact forest floors usually benefited conifer survival and growth, regardless of climate or species. Compaction combined with forest-floor removal generally increased survival, had limited effects on individual tree growth, and increased stand growth in Mediterranean climates. Vegetation control benefited seedling growth in all treatments, particularly on more productive sites, but did not affect survival or alter the relative impact of organic matter removal and compaction on growth. Organic matter removal increased aspen coppice densities and, as with compaction, reduced aspen growth.

Long-term litter input manipulation effects on production and properties of dissolved organic matter in the forest floor of a Norway spruce stand

2012 ◽  
Vol 355 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 407-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thimo Klotzbücher ◽  
Klaus Kaiser ◽  
Christoph Stepper ◽  
Emiel van Loon ◽  
Pedro Gerstberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Litter Input

Response of dissolved organic matter in the forest floor to long-term manipulation of litter and throughfall inputs

2007 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Kalbitz ◽  
Armin Meyer ◽  
Rong Yang ◽  
Pedro Gerstberger
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Forest Floor

The variety of soil microsites created by tree falls

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan W. Beatty ◽  
Earl L. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Surface Material ◽  
Calcium And Magnesium ◽  
Microsite Heterogeneity ◽  
Tree Falls ◽  
Surrounding Soil

The uprooting of forest trees leads to the formation of microsites on the forest floor, contributing to fine-scale heterogeneity in soil properties. We found the types of microsites formed depended on the way the tree fall occurred. Tree falls were classified as either hinge or rotational types. Hinge tree falls formed when the root mat of a tree and the surrounding soil were uplifted vertically, leaving an adjacent pit in the soil. Hinge tree falls varied as to thickness of the root mat and angle of uplift. Rotational tree falls were usually a result of a ball and socket motion of the root mat and soil, which positioned the tree bole over the newly created pit. The tree falls disrupted and redistributed surface soil organic matter and subsoil. In rotational tree falls, the surface material remained intact, covering some of the pit and the adjacent side of the mound. In hinge tree falls, the surface organic matter was deposited on the throw side of the mound, leaving subsoil on the other side and in the pit. With time, however, hinge-type pits accumulated litter and eventually had more organic matter than mounds. Old mounds from both hinge and rotational tree falls had lower concentrations of calcium and magnesium, lower pH, and less moisture than pits. The tree fall process creates long-term soil patterns and maintains microsite heterogeneity in forest communities.

Species and site differences in the decomposition of litters and roots from wet heathlands

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. I. Van Vuuren ◽  
F. Berendse ◽  
W. De Visser
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Plant Debris ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
P Release ◽  
Decomposition Constant ◽  
Key Words Decomposition ◽  
Mesh Bags ◽  
A Site ◽  
Rate Of Accumulation

The decomposition of litter and roots from a site dominated by Erica tetralix and a site dominated by Molinia caerulea was measured using mesh bags. Leaf litter and roots of each species were incubated on both sites. The experiments lasted up to 3 years. The weighted decomposition constant was 0.23 per year for Molinia litter, and 0.10 per year for Erica litter; the decomposition constants for roots were 0.29 per year for Molinia but only 0.03 per year for Erica. The decomposition rates of leaf litters and roots were similar on both sites, and the chemical composition of the materials determined the decomposition rate. Litters and roots with high lignin concentrations decomposed slowly. During the experiments, most materials showed a net retention of N and P. Large net N releases were measured only for Molinia roots and basal internodes, and a large net P release was measured only for Molinia roots. It was concluded that the rate of accumulation of soil organic matter per gram of plant debris is slower on the site dominated by Molinia than on the site dominated by Erica. In the long term, N and P are probably released faster from Molinia than from Erica plant debris. Key words: decomposition, heathlands, Molinia, Erica.

scholarly journals Modification of the RothC model to simulate soil C mineralization of exogenous organic matter

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3253-3274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Mondini ◽  
Maria Luz Cayuela ◽  
Tania Sinicco ◽  
Flavio Fornasier ◽  
Antonia Galvez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Standard Model ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
C Mineralization ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Amended Soils ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
Rothc Model

Abstract. The development of soil organic C (SOC) models capable of producing accurate predictions for the long-term decomposition of exogenous organic matter (EOM) in soils is important for the effective management of organic amendments. However, reliable C modeling in amended soils requires specific optimization of current C models to take into account the high variability in EOM origin and properties. The aim of this work was to improve the prediction of C mineralization rates in amended soils by modifying the RothC model to encompass a better description of EOM quality. The standard RothC model, involving C input to the soil only as decomposable (DPM) or resistant (RPM) organic material, was modified by introducing additional pools of decomposable (DEOM), resistant (REOM) and humified (HEOM) EOM. The partitioning factors and decomposition rates of the additional EOM pools were estimated by model fitting to the respiratory curves of amended soils. For this task, 30 EOMs from 8 contrasting groups (compost, anaerobic digestates, sewage sludge, agro-industrial waste, crop residues, bioenergy by-products, animal residues and meat and bone meals) were added to 10 soils and incubated under different conditions. The modified RothC model was fitted to C mineralization curves in amended soils with great accuracy (mean correlation coefficient 0.995). In contrast to the standard model, the EOM-optimized RothC was able to better accommodate the large variability in EOM source and composition, as indicated by the decrease in the root mean square error of the simulations for different EOMs (from 29.9 to 3.7 % and 20.0 to 2.5 % for soils amended with bioethanol residue and household waste compost, respectively). The average decomposition rates for DEOM and REOM pools were 89 and 0.4 yr−1, higher than the standard model coefficients for DPM (10 yr−1) and RPM (0.3 yr−1). The results indicate that the explicit treatment of EOM heterogeneity enhances the model ability to describe amendment decomposition under laboratory conditions and provides useful information to improve C modeling on the effects of different EOM on C dynamics in agricultural soils. Future research will involve the validation of the modified model with field data and its application in the long-term simulation of SOC patterns in amended soil at regional scales under climate change.

Effects of forest soil compaction and organic matter removal on leaf litter decomposition in central British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Kranabetter ◽  
B. K. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Nutrient Translocation ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Whole Tree

As part of the long-term soil productivity study in central British Columbia, we examined the effect of soil compaction and organic matter removal on trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) litter decomposition. We compared three levels of organic matter removal (stem-only, whole-tree harvest, and scalped mineral soil) and two levels of compaction (no compaction and heavy compaction) in a factorial design replicated as blocks on three sites. Whole-tree harvesting significantly increased litter decomposition rates compared to stem-only (by 36%) and scalped (by 41%) treatments. Soil compaction had inconsistent effects on decomposition rates (k) for forest floor and scalped treatments and, overall, did not significantly affect litter decomposition rates. Litter on scalped plots had higher rates of nutrient translocation than litter on forest floors. We found the treatments altered soil heat sums, so changes in temperatures at the soil surface might be partly responsible for the changes in decomposition rates. We could not detect differences in soil mesofauna populations collected from the litter bags, so treatment effects on fauna probably had less influence than microclimate on decomposition rates. The effects of these early changes in litter decomposition on biological productivity will be part of the ongoing long-term soil productivity study. Key words: Litter decomposition, soil compaction, scalping, whole-tree harvest, nutrient translocation

Changes in organic matter content of soil as a result of long-term fertilization

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-55
Author(s):  
Katalin Berecz ◽  
Katalin Debreczeni
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Matter Content
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