scholarly journals Effect of soil base saturation and endomycorrhization on growth and nutrient status of sugar maple seedlings

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Claude Camiré ◽  
Valentin Furlan
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Soil Acidification ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Shoot Elongation ◽  
Base Saturation ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Soil Base ◽  
Experimental Conditions

Nutrient imbalances of declining sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stands in southeastern Quebec have been associated partly with high soil exchangeable acidity and low base saturation on. A greenhouse experiment was set up to determine how growth and nutrient status of sugar maple seedlings can be influenced by soil acidification and the presence of an endomycorrhizal fungus. The experiment consisted of five levels of soil base saturation (from 12 to 50%) and two levels of soil inoculation by an endomycorrhizal fungus (inoculated and control) in a complete factorial arrangement Sugar maple seedlings were grown for 3 mo in the treated soil substrates. Seedling shoot elongation rate, growth [dry matter (TDM) mass, stem diameter, and total leaf area], and K, Ca and Mg concentrations in foliage and roots decreased with soil acidification with base saturation used as an indicator of the soil-acidification status. Foliar K and Ca level reached values below critical thresholds when soil base saturation was reduced to 12%. Under the experimental conditions, seedling growth was not significantly affected by endomycorrhization, except for root DM mass, which was reduced by 24% compared with the control treatment. For mycorrhizal seedlings, foliar Al concentration increased linearly from 113 mg kg−1 to 210 mg kg−1 with the reduction of soil base saturation from 50% to 12%, while, for non-mycorrhizal seedlings, foliar Al concentration remained at a high level (195 mg kg−1) independently of the soil acidification level. Sugar maple seedling growth was not related to accumulation of Al in foliage. The results of this experiment support the hypothesis that a causal relationship exists between the level of soil base saturation and the growth decrease and associated nutrient disorders observed in declining sugar maple stands in Quebec. Key words:Acer saccharum, nutrient status, seedling growth, soil base saturation, endomycorrhizae

Present-day expansion of American beech in northeastern hardwood forests: Does soil base status matter?

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 2273-2282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Duchesne ◽  
Rock Ouimet
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Soil Base ◽  
Large Area ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots

Recently, sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.) decline in northeastern North America has been regarded as a major factor structuring hardwood forests by favouring American beech ( Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) in the understory of maple-dominated stands. To determine whether soil fertility differences associated with sugar maple decline may have promoted the expansion of American beech, we explored the relationships between the soil base status and the sapling and tree strata density and composition, using data from 426 permanent sample plots distributed throughout Quebec. Our results indicate that American beech is currently expanding in the sugar maple range of Quebec. The abundance and proportion of American beech in the sapling stratum are mainly associated with the proportion of American beech in the tree stratum, the relative basal area of dead sugar maple trees, and the base status of soils. In accordance with the many studies reporting on the high sensitivity of sugar maple to the acid–base status of soils and the decline of the sugar maple population, this study supports the hypothesis that soil base cation depletion, caused in part by atmospheric acid deposition, is among the main factors involved in the present-day expansion of American beech over a large area in Quebec.

scholarly journals Effects of Non-Industrial Wood Ash (NIWA) Applications on Soil Chemistry and Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) Seedling Growth in an Acidic Sugar Bush in Central Ontario

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 693
Author(s):  
Holly D. Deighton ◽  
Shaun A. Watmough
Keyword(s):  
Forest Soil ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Metal Concentrations

Research Highlights: In central Ontario, large quantities of non-industrial wood ash (NIWA) are generated and could be used as a forest soil amendment to counteract soil acidification and base cation depletion caused by decades of acid deposition. Background and Objectives: The properties and biogeochemical responses of NIWA have not been thoroughly explored, and field experiments must be conducted before NIWA can be regulated as a forest soil amendment in Ontario. Materials and Methods: In this study, soil chemistry and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) seedling growth and chemistry were measured in an acidic sugar bush over twelve months following a NIWA field experiment. Plots (2 m by 2 m) were established with sugar maple, white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) NIWA treatments applied at rates of 6 Mg ha−1 along with untreated control plots. Results: Ash chemistry varied significantly among species and yellow birch ash generally had much higher metal concentrations compared with other species. Following ash application, significant increases in soil pH and calcium and magnesium concentrations were observed, however the level of response varied by treatment. Foliar concentrations of base cations in sugar maple seedlings significantly increased in ash treatments and there was no significant treatment effect on foliar metal concentrations or seedling growth. In roots and shoots, concentrations of several metals (manganese, aluminum, iron, boron, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and nickel) increased after ash application, however response was most pronounced in yellow birch ash. Conclusions: These results suggest that application of NIWA can counteract the lasting effects of acid rain by increasing soil pH and base cation concentrations, as well as increasing sugar maple seedling foliar nutrient concentrations, but ashes from species with high metal contents may also increase metal availability to vegetation, at least in the short-term.

Endomycorrhizal status of sugar maple in relation to tree decline and foliar, fine-roots, and soil chemistry in the Beauce region, Quebec

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1168-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Claude Camiré ◽  
Valentin Furlan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Chemistry ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Root Colonization ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Tree Decline

The Beauce region of Quebec has been relentlessly affected by sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) tree decline since the late 1970s. Nutrient disturbances are generally associated with maple decline, but the severity of decline symptoms can vary quite dramatically between individuals within a stand. Possible causes of this variability were investigated, including soil chemistry and endomycorrhization. Within 18 mature sugar maple stands, a comparative study of fine root colonization rate by endomycorrhizal fungi, and foliar, fine-roots, and soil-nutrient status between healthy and declining sugar maple trees was carried out. Three individuals showing a very low degree of decline symptoms (healthy) and three individuals in the vicinity exhibiting severe decline symptoms (declining) were selected in each stand. Although trees of both health classes were K and Ca deficient, the diagnosis revealed that those in the declining group were experiencing a more severe nutrient stress and lower stem radial growth than those in the healthy group. The percent colonization by endomycorrhizal fungi in fine roots of sugar maple varied from 8 to 40% among stands, with an average of 23%. However, the endomycorrhization rate was not related to tree health status. The frequency of endomycorrhization was positively correlated to soil pH and soil exchangeable Mg saturation, but negatively to the proportion of H + Al held on the soil exchange complex. Also, the rate of endomycorrhization was correlated positively to foliar and root Ca content, but negatively to foliar and root N content. Foliar N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Mn contents were positively correlated to corresponding nutrient content in fine roots. Fine-root chemistry was only partly related to soil chemistry. Declining trees had a lower foliar K content and a lower P and Ca content in fine roots than healthy ones. The results do not support the hypothesis that sugar maple decline and its disturbed nutrient status is associated with lower colonization by endomycorrhizal fungi in fine roots. They suggest, however, that soil chemical properties, particularly the soil composition in cations, regulates fine-root colonization by endomycorrhizal fungi and sugar maple nutrition and health. These results can neither confirm nor invalidate the hypothesis according to which a deleterious microbial population may have colonized the soil under declining trees. Key words: Acer saccharum, soil cation saturation, forest decline, nutrient status, fine root, endomycorrhizae.

Foliar deficiencies of sugar maple stands associated with soil cation imbalances in the Quebec Appalachians

1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Claude Camiré
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Nutrient Stress ◽  
Exchangeable Cations ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Ca Deficiency ◽  
Exchangeable Ca ◽  
Foliar Nutrient

Widespread symptoms of foliar deficiency of P and K have been observed for almost a decade in most of the declining hardwood forest in the Quebec Appalachians. We hypothesized that the foliar nutrient disturbances were related to the chemical equilibrium of exchangeable soil cations. Mature sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) foliage, and soil H-Ah and B horizon from 246 hardwood stands located in the Quebec Appalachians were sampled and analyzed. A cluster analysis using the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) indices of the foliar data permitted the identification of six different nutritional groups: one slightly and one strongly deficient group in P-K, three groups having a K-Ca deficiency at different intensities from weak to strong, and one group having a strong P-K-Ca deficiency. These foliar nutrient status were strongly related to some soil properties. The P-K deficient groups had a 30% lower K saturation in the H-Ah horizon than the average level of the other groups, but a higher proportion of exchangeable Ca in the H-Ah and B horizon. For the four groups that were K-Ca deficient, increased nutrient stress was associated with reductions in soil Ca saturation and pH, and, particularly, increases in soil Mg saturation. Also, the Ca/(H+Al) ratio of exchangeable cations in the B horizon was ≤ 0.6 for these groups. High soil Mg saturation, potential soil Al toxicity related to low Ca saturation, and unfavorable soil humus properties were associated with the severity of nutrient stress. To obtain a balanced nutrition for sugar maple in this region, the forest humus should have less than 10% of Mg on exchange sites, a Ca/Mg ratio of exchangeable cations > 6, and a K/Mg ratio > 0.5. The values in the mineral B horizon should be < 10% for Mg/CEC, > 4 for the Ca/Mg ratio, > 1 for the K/Mg ratio, and > 1 for the Ca/(H+Al) ratio. Key words:Acer saccharum, cation saturation, Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System, forest decline, nutrient status, soil properties

scholarly journals Root and Shoot Growth Periodicity of Pot-in-Pot Red and Sugar Maple

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Roger Harris ◽  
Jody Fanelli
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Shoot Elongation ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Sugar Maples ◽  
Root And Shoot Growth ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Substrate Temperatures

Abstract Red maple (Acer rubrum L. ‘Franksred’) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh. ‘Green Mountain’) trees were grown in a 56 liter (15 gal) pot-in-pot system for two years. During the second year of production, root growth was observed through observation plates fitted into the container sidewalls, and shoot extension was periodically measured. Root growth began in early March, approximately one month before budbreak for both species. Root growth dramatically slowed down at the onset of budbreak, but quickly resumed and was concurrent with shoot elongation. Root growth slowed dramatically in the fall when substrate temperatures dropped to 5–7C (40–45F). Root growth stopped during the winter for red maple, but some nominal root growth continued throughout the winter for sugar maple. Red maples had over 5 times more total root length against observation plates at the end of the experiment than sugar maples.

Short- and long-term nutritional effects and retention of potassium derived from fertilizer in a sugar maple stand in southern Quebec

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-495
Author(s):  
Chloé McMillan ◽  
Benoît Côté ◽  
William H. Hendershot
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Maple Leaves ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Understory Plant ◽  
K Concentration ◽  
K Fertilization

The short-term (1–3 years) and long-term (23 years) effects of liming combined with potassium (K) fertilization on forest nutrition and K cycling were examined in a sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stand in southern Quebec. Sugar maple leaves were sampled annually from 1988 (prefertilization year) to 1991 and in 2011–2012. Ten understory plant species, sugar maple sapwood, and soils were also sampled in 2012 and analyzed for K, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and rubidium (Rb). The recovery of fertilizer K was determined using the Rb/K reverse tracer method. Fertilization neither increased growth nor maintained higher sugar maple leaf K levels over the long term; however, leaf K to Ca and K to Mg ratios were still higher in fertilized plots than in control plots in 2012. The percentage of leaf K derived from fertilizer peaked 3 years after fertilization (36% ± 5%) and was down to 1989 levels by 2012 (15% ± 6%). Understory vegetation generally showed no differences in leaf K concentration between treatments, but percent K from fertilizers was greater than 25% in several species. There was no significant effect of fertilization on soil K, Ca, and Mg availability by 2012. Our results suggest that significant amounts of fertilizer K are still present on the site after 23 years but that base cation levels in leaves and upper soil horizons have returned to near prefertilization levels except for a slight enrichment in K. Although small, the effects of fertilization with liming on soil fertility and plant nutrient status in a maple stand can be long lasting.

Reply to comment by Messier et al. on “Present-day expansion of American beech in northeastern hardwood forests: Does soil base status matter?”Appears in Can. J. For. Res. 39: 2273–2282 (2009).

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 654-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Duchesne ◽  
Rock Ouimet
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Large Body ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Soil Base ◽  
American Beech ◽  
The One

We respond to the comment by Messier et al. (2011. Can. J. For. Res. 41: 649–653) on our recent paper questioning the possible influence of the base status of soils in the present-day expansion of American beech ( Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) in Quebec (2009. Can. J. For. Res. 39: 2273–2282). From our observations, as well as from a large body of scientific evidence reporting on the high sensitivity of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.) to the acid–base status of soils, we hypothesized that soil base cation depletion, caused in part by atmospheric deposition, is among the main factors involved in the present-day expansion of American beech over large areas in Quebec. Clearly, we suggested in our paper that acid deposition might act with other factors to explain the expansion of American beech. In this context, our conclusions are far from any oversimplified explanation, as stated by Messier et al., but rather, they point out a level of complexity above the one currently discussed.

Beech–maple coexistence and seedling growth rates at Mont Saint Hilaire, Quebec

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 1279-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Cypher ◽  
Douglas H. Boucher
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Auxiliary Hypothesis ◽  
Light Gap

We tested the hypothesis that coexistence of forest tree species is promoted by canopy-dependent seedling growth, such that each tree species grows faster under adults of a different species. The study was carried out in the forest of Mont Saint Hilaire, P.Q., using seedlings of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The main hypothesis was confirmed, while an auxiliary hypothesis for coexistence involving differential longevity and light gap growth was not confirmed.

A comparison of soil fertility and leaf nutrient status of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) in relation to microrelief in two maple forests in Québec

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Roy ◽  
A. Sauvesty ◽  
F. Pagé ◽  
R. van Hulst ◽  
C. Ansseau
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Activity Index ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Foliar Nutrient

This study was conducted to provide a better understanding of the relationship between foliar nutrient status, maple dieback and soil quality. Fieldwork was conducted in four maple stands, two of which were located in the Appalachians at Tingwick and two in the Laurentians at Duchesnay. All stands were characterised by a mound and depression microrelief. In one of the Tingwick maple stands (T1) the predominant soil type was found on mounds, and was well to moderately well-drained (Leeds and Woodbridge series). At the other site (T2), the predominant soil type was in depressions, and imperfectly to poorly drained (Sainte-Marie and Brompton series). At the first Duchesnay site (D1) the predominant soil type was found on mounds and was well to rapidly drained (Ste Agathe series). At the second Duchesnay site (D2), the predominant soil type was also found on mounds, but was well to moderately well-drained (Sergent series). On all sites, the soils were acidic and nutrient poor. The lowest pH values and nutrient concentrations (in the H-Ah horizons) were found in maple stands with well-drained soils (T1 and D1) (P < 0.05). On these sites, maple dieback was less than 10%. It was on the poorly to imperfectly drained soils at Tingwick (T2), as well as on the moderately drained soils at Duchesnay (D2), that we observed the lowest biological activity. Although these soils were the most nutrient rich, we observed foliar nutrient deficiencies, and maple dieback in excess of 25%. Our results suggest that maple dieback is the result of a poor physiological adaptation of sugar maple to poor drainage conditions in the areas studied. Key Words: Dieback, Acer saccharum, forest soils, biological activity index

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