scholarly journals Environmental, Structural, and Disturbance Influences over Forest Floor Components in Interior Douglas-Fir Forests of the Intermountain West, USA

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Andrew Giunta ◽  
John Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Intermountain West ◽  
Montane Zone ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Dead Material

Downed woody material (DWM) is a key component in forest ecosystems with age, structure, and disturbance described as primary factors that influence DWM dynamics. In particular, much emphasis is placed on large coarse woody debris (CWD). Fine woody debris (FWD) (less than 7.62 cm diameter), duff, and litter also contribute to carbon stocks, provide habitat, add to nutrient cycling, and are often the most available fuels for fire, yet are regularly overlooked in studies describing the forest floor. Throughout the middle montane zone within the Intermountain West region USA, interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Mirb. Franco) is a predominant forest type, yet little is known about the forest floor complex in these forests. We used a chronosequence approach to compare DWM patterns over the course of stand development among stands with different disturbance histories. Using classification and regression trees, we also evaluated an assemblage of environmental, structural, and disturbance variables to determine factors of most importance for estimating loading for DWM, duff, and litter. We found CWD resembled a U-shaped pattern of buildup while FWD components remained stable over the course of stand development regardless of disturbance history. Our results indicate that large DWM components are most closely associated with the amount of standing dead material in a stand, primarily the density and basal area of snags. Fine woody material was more aligned with live stand components, while duff and litter were more influenced by disturbance.

Cover type, environmental characteristics, and conservation of terrestrial gastropod diversity in boreal mixedwood forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne E. Abele ◽  
S. Ellen Macdonald ◽  
John R. Spence
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Gastropod Species ◽  
Cover Type ◽  
Terrestrial Gastropod

Terrestrial gastropods are important decomposers, herbivores, and prey items in forest systems and constitute a poorly understood element of forest biodiversity in Canada. We sampled terrestrial gastropod assemblages in northwestern Alberta, Canada, using board traps and forest floor sampling to examine their association with forest composition, structure, and environment (forest floor depth and moisture, coarse woody debris, understory vegetation cover) in four boreal mixedwood cover types: broadleaf (deciduous) dominated (DDOM), broadleaf (deciduous) dominated with coniferous understory (DDOMU), mixed conifer and broadleaf (MX), and conifer dominated (CDOM). The highest total gastropod abundance and richness occurred in the DDOM cover type. Furthermore, DDOM assemblages accumulated species more quickly (with sampling effort) and supported more gastropod species at higher levels of dominance than found in other cover types. The mix of coniferous and broadleaved trees influenced gastropod distributions within stands; however, associations observed between gastropod species and tree species differed among cover types, suggesting complex ecological contingency. For example, conifer basal area was an important driver of gastropod assemblage in DDOM and DDOMU forests, whereas broadleaf basal area was the most important driver in the CDOM forest type. We conclude that tree species mixture at a variety of scales sustains diversity of gastropod assemblages and that this understanding is significant for conservation of this taxon on mixedwood boreal forest landscapes.

Mass and nutrient content of woody debris and forest floor in western red cedar and western hemlock forests on northern Vancouver Island

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1052-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney J. Keenan ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
J.P. Hamish Kimmins
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Red Cedar ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Western Red Cedar

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.

Nitrogen storage and availability during stand development in a New Zealand Nothofagus forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
P W Clinton ◽  
R B Allen ◽  
M R Davis
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Net N Mineralization ◽  
Nitrogen Storage ◽  
Nothofagus Forest ◽  
Mature Stands

Stemwood production, N pools, and N availability were determined in even-aged (10, 25, 120, and >150-year-old) stands of a monospecific mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides (Hook. f.) Poole) forest in New Zealand recovering from catastrophic canopy disturbance brought about by windthrow. Nitrogen was redistributed among stemwood biomass, coarse woody debris (CWD), the forest floor, and mineral soil following disturbance. The quantity of N in stemwood biomass increased from less than 1 kg/ha in seedling stands (10 years old) to ca. 500 kg/ha in pole stands (120 years old), but decreased in mature stands (>150 years old). In contrast, the quantity of N stored in CWD declined rapidly with stand development. Although the mass of N stored in the forest floor was greatest in the pole stands and least in the mature stands, N availability in the forest floor did not vary greatly with stand development. The mass of N in the mineral soil (0–100 mm depth) was also similar for all stands. Foliar N concentrations, net N mineralization, and mineralizable N in the mineral soil (0–100 mm depth) showed similar patterns with stage of stand development, and indicated that N availability was greater in sapling (25 years old) and mature stands than in seedling and pole stands. We conclude that declining productivity in older stands is associated more with reductions in cation availability, especially calcium, than N availability.

Soil disturbance and juvenile Douglas-fir growth following stump removal on moderately coarse textured soils in southwestern British Columbia: 10-year results

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 767-774
Author(s):  
Stefan Zeglen ◽  
Paul J. Courtin
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Nutrient Analysis ◽  
Armillaria Ostoyae ◽  
Root Diseases

Mechanized treatment for root diseases such as Coniferiporia sulphurascens (Pilát) L. W. Zhou & Y. C. Dai (syn. Phellinus sulphurascens Pilát) and Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink (syn. Armillaria solidipes Peck) is often avoided due to cost or the perception that removal of stumps creates detrimental soil disturbance or degradation that hinders site productivity. Our study tested five diseased stands that were treated by extracting stumps following harvesting and replanted with susceptible Douglas-fir. Soil disturbance surveys were conducted in treated and untreated plots, and individual planted spots were assessed and categorized for soil disturbance using existing and proposed new categories specific to disturbance caused by the stump removal. Tree measurements were taken at intervals over the first 10 years of stand development, and foliage was sampled for nutrient analysis. The percentage of total and counted disturbance was 20%–46% and 8%–11% greater, respectively, in treated versus untreated plots; however, mean tree growth in height and diameter was not statistically different between treatments and was more positive for treated plots at all sites but one. Tree nutrition and survival to age 10 was not negatively affected by stump removal. Total site productivity represented by basal area and tree volume differed widely between sites but was not significantly different between treatments.

scholarly journals Soil properties and aspen development five years after compaction and forest floor removal

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas M. Stone ◽  
John D. Elioff
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Organic Matter Removal

Forest management activities that decrease soil porosity and remove organic matter have been associated with declines in site productivity. In the northern Lake States region, research is in progress in the aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx. and P. grandidentata Michx.) forest type to determine effects of soil compaction and organic matter removal on soil properties and growth of aspen suckers, associated woody species, herbaceous vegetation, and on stand development. Four treatments: (1) total tree harvest (TTH); (2) TTH plus soil compaction (CPT); (3) TTH plus forest floor removal (FFR); and (4) TTH plus CPT + FFR were applied after winter-harvest of a 70-yr-old aspen stand growing on a loamy sand with a site index(age50) of 20.7 m. The CPT treatment significantly increased bulk density and soil strength of the surface 30 cm of soil and neither have recovered during the 5 yr since treatment. The CPT plots had 19.6 thousand (k) suckers ha−1, less than half that of the TTH and FFR treatments; mean diameter (19.4 mm) and height (271 cm) were greatest on the TTH plots. The disturbance treatments (CPT, FFR, and CPT + FFR) each reduced biomass of foliage, stems, and total suckers compared with the TTH treatment. Total aboveground biomass (herbs + shrubs + suckers) was less than half that of TTH plots. There were 5.0 k saplings (suckers >2.5 cm DBH) ha−1 on the TTH plots, but fewer than 1.0 k ha−1 in the other treatments. The disturbance treatments decreased 5-yr growth of potential crop trees, delayed early stand development, and temporarily reduced stockability and site productivity of an aspen ecosystem. Key words: Soil compaction, organic matter removal, site productivity, stand development

Detrital carbon pools in temperate forests: magnitude and potential for landscape-scale assessment

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 802-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Bradford ◽  
Peter Weishampel ◽  
Marie-Louise Smith ◽  
Randall Kolka ◽  
Richard A. Birdsey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Partial Solution ◽  
Carbon Accounting ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Detrital Carbon

Reliably estimating carbon storage and cycling in detrital biomass is an obstacle to carbon accounting. We examined carbon pools and fluxes in three small temperate forest landscapes to assess the magnitude of carbon stored in detrital biomass and determine whether detrital carbon storage is related to stand structural properties (leaf area, aboveground biomass, primary production) that can be estimated by remote sensing. We characterized these relationships with and without forest age as an additional predictive variable. Results depended on forest type. Carbon in dead woody debris was substantial at all sites, accounting for ∼17% of aboveground carbon, whereas carbon in forest floor was substantial in the subalpine Rocky Mountains (36% of aboveground carbon) and less important in northern hardwoods of New England and mixed forests of the upper Midwest (∼7%). Relationships to aboveground characteristics accounted for between 38% and 59% of the variability in carbon stored in forest floor and between 21% and 71% of the variability in carbon stored in dead woody material, indicating substantial differences among sites. Relating dead woody debris or forest floor carbon to other aboveground characteristics and (or) stand age may, in some forest types, provide a partial solution to the challenge of assessing fine-scale variability.

Coarse woody debris and forest floor respiration in an old-growth coniferous forest on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1811-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Marra ◽  
Robert L. Edmonds
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Respiration Rates ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Class 1

Carbon dioxide evolution rates for downed logs (coarse woody debris) and the forest floor were measured in a temperate, old-growth rain forest in Olympic National Park, Washington, using the soda lime trap method. Measurements were taken every 4 weeks from October 22, 1991, to November 19, 1992. Respiration rates for Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), logs were determined for decay classes 1–2, 3, and 5 in two diameter classes. Overall, western hemlock logs respired at a rate 35% higher (4.37 g CO2•m−2•day−1) than Douglas-fir logs (3.23 g CO2•m−2•day−1). Respiration rates for decay class 1–2 logs of both species were similar to decay class 5 logs (4.46 and 4.07 g CO2•m−2•day−1, respectively), but decay class 3 logs respired at a lower rate (3.23 g CO2•m−2•day−1). Seasonal patterns of respiration rates occurred, particularly for decay class 1 and 2 western hemlock logs where monthly averages ranged from a low of 2.67 g CO2•m−2•day−1 in February 1992 to a high of 8.30 g CO2•m−2•day−1 in September 1992. Rates for decay class 1–2 western hemlock logs were greater than those from the forest floor, which ranged from 3.42 to 7.13 g CO2•m−2•day−1. Respiration rates were depressed in late July and August compared with fall and spring owing to the summer drought characteristic of the Pacific Northwest. Large-diameter western hemlock logs in decay class 1–2 had higher respiration rates than small-diameter logs, whereas large-diameter decay class 3 western hemlock logs had lower respiration rates than small-diameter logs.

Lichen chronosequences (postfire and postharvest) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of northern interior British Columbia

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwyn S Coxson ◽  
Janet Marsh
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Floor Surface ◽  
Fire Origin

Lichen community development was examined in a postfire chronosequence from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud var. latifolia Engelm.) forests in the Omineca region of north-central British Columbia and in stands originating from logging in the early 1980s. Fire-origin stands showed dense regeneration of pine and widespread growth of acrocarpous mosses such as Polytrichum spp. As canopy thinning progressed, Cladonia spp. lichens initiated development at the forest floor surface. By 50–100 years after stand origin, Cladina mitis and Cladina rangiferina dominated at the forest floor surface, remaining at high cover values well into the second century of stand development. Late seral stages of stand development (approximately 150+ years) showed increasing basal area and canopy cover of lodgepole pine, with feathermoss mats (e.g., Pleurozium schreberi) replacing terrestrial lichens at the forest floor surface. Stand ordinations confirmed these groupings of species. Stand structural factors that correlate best with lichen mat development include tree density, basal area, and canopy cover. Changes in the leaf area index and associated litterfall loading appear to precipitate the replacement of terrestrial lichen mats in "old-growth" stands. Interestingly, this trend was reversed in mature stands where winter harvesting of trees removed canopy cover without disturbing the forest floor surface. Lichen cover in these sites, 15 years after harvest, exceeded that of comparably aged fire-origin stands. Summer harvesting (with a presumed greater disturbance of soils) did not trigger a similar rebound of lichen communities. Instead, vascular plants appeared to invade these sites, following a seral sequence different from that occurring in fire-origin stands.Key words: terrestrial lichens, pine woodlands, caribou habitat.

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 The relationship between organic matter stocks in coarse woody debris and the stand phytomass in middle taiga pine forests on the European North-East Russia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
А.Ф. Осипов ◽  
И.Н. Кутявин
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
North East ◽  
European North ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Standing Dead Trees

Приведены результаты исследований структуры и запасов крупных древес- ных остатков (КДО) в среднетаежных сосняках европейского Северо-Востока России, различающихся условиями произрастания и возрастом. К КДО относили сухостойные деревья, валеж и пни диаметром более 6 см. Определены запасы древесины и масса органического вещества в отдельных компонентах (сухостой, валеж, пни) КДО, которые зависят от стадии развития насаждения. Так, в перестойном сосняке черничном наблюдаются более высокие концентрации запасов древесины и органического вещества в гниющей древесине, тогда как в средне- возрастных насаждениях сосняков черничных и чернично-сфагновых более низ- кие. Во всех исследованных насаждениях отмечаются сухостойные деревья. Валеж, пни и сломанные на разной высоте деревья присутствуют в восьми насаждениях. Эти элементы КДО отсутствуют в средневозрастных сосновых древостоях черничного и чернично-сфагнового типа. Выявлено, что в валежнике преобладают деревья, древесина которых находится на начальных стадиях деструкции. По литературным данным представлены результаты исследований запа- сов органического вещества и их распределения по фракциям древостоя. Рассчи- тано соотношение между запасами растущих деревьев и КДО, которое варьирует в широких пределах в зависимости от возраста древостоев. Для оценки взаимо- связи между изучаемыми параметрами были использованы литературные дан- ные, содержащие сведения о массе КДО и древостоя для отдельных пробных площадей. Выявлена положительная (r = 0,57), статистически значимая взаимосвязь между изучаемыми параметрами. Полученные данные можно использовать для уточнения и выведения конверсионных коэффициентов, которые послужат для оценки массы КДО в лесных экосистемах крупных регионов. Structure and stocks of coarse woody debris (CWD) are investigated in the eleven pine forests on European North-East of Russia. Objects under study are differing on forest type and stage of developments. CWD included standing dead trees, fallen dead trees and stumps with a diameter of more than 6 cm. Wood volume and organic matter in separate components of CWD are determined. The mass of CWD depends from stand age. The highest concentrations observed in a overmature pine forest of Myrtillus type but the lowest – in middle-aged stands of Myrtillus and Sphagnosa type. Standing dead trees are noted in all investigated objects. Fallen dead trees and stumps are present in eight stands. These elements are absent in the middle-aged pine stands of Myrtillus and Sphagnosa type. The initial stages of wood destruction dominate in the fallen dead trees. Biomass of stands and it distribution on fractions were present on data that published earlier. The correlation between organic matter mass in CWD and biomass was calculated. It varied in vide range depend on stand age. Literature data were used for estimation relationship between parameters under study. These contained information about forest type, age, CWD mass and stand biomass for separate sample plots. We found positive, statistically significant correlation between CWD stocks and stand biomass. The obtained data can be used to refine and deduce conversion coefficients that will serve to estimate the mass of CWD in forest ecosystems of large regions.

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