Simulation of the long-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics in Dutch forest soils under Scots pine

Abstract. Dynamics of C and N in forest soils in the Nutrient Cycling and Soil Acidification Model (NUCSAM) are described by the transformation and decomposition of three organic matter compartments, litter, fermented material and humic material. These three compartments are allocated to the morphological distinguishable L, F and H horizons of the organic layer. Changes in the pools of these organic compartments are described with first order equations for decomposition and transformation. Rate constants for decomposition and transformation were derived by calibrating the model to measured organic matter pools in organic layers of a chrono-sequence of five first succession Scots pine stands between 15 and 120 years old. Simulated pools of organic matter in the organic layers were in agreement with measured pools in the five pine stands, except for the first thirty years of the H-horizon. During this period, an increase in organic matter in the H horizon was simulated while no H horizons were observed in the field. The simulated total pool of organic matter in the organic layer agreed well with values from a field inventory in 20 other Scots pine stands, but the simulated distribution over the three horizons differed from the field measurements which varied among sites. For the Scots pine stands the model was able to simulate the organic matter accumulation in the top 40-cm of the mineral soil; derived almost completely from fine root turnover. The accumulated pool of nitrogen in the organic layer was in agreement with measured pools for the oldest Scots pine stand but was too high for the younger stands. Especially, the accumulation of N in the F-horizon was too fast, presumably due to an overestimated retention of nitrogen.

Download Full-text

Factors controlling the buildup of humus and particulate organic matter in European beech and Scots pine stands at their southernmost distribution limits (Moncayo Massif, Spain)

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115211 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 401 ◽

pp. 115211

Author(s):

J.L. Mora ◽

M. Molina–Clerencia ◽

A. Girona–García ◽

C. Martí–Dalmau ◽

D. Badía–Villas

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Particulate Organic Matter ◽

European Beech ◽

Distribution Limits ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Scots Pine Stands

Download Full-text

Seasonal variability of organic matter and N input with litterfall in Scots pine stands

Nutrients in Ecosystems - Changes of Atmospheric Chemistry and Effects on Forest Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/978-94-015-9022-8_11 ◽

1998 ◽

pp. 177-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

C. Bergmann ◽

T. Fischer ◽

R. F. Hüttl

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Seasonal Variability ◽

N Input ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Scots Pine Stands

Download Full-text

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of organic matter in Swedish forest soils and its relationship with climate, tree species, and soil texture

10.5194/bg-2021-346 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marie Spohn ◽

Johan Stendahl

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Forest Soils ◽

Soil Texture ◽

Tree Species ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Stand Age ◽

Organic Layer ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

P Concentration

Abstract. While the carbon (C) content of temperate and boreal forest soils is relatively well studied, much less is known about the ratios of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) of the soil organic matter, and the abiotic and biotic factors that shape them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore carbon, nitrogen, and organic phosphorus (OP) contents and element ratios in temperate and boreal forest soils and their relationships with climate, dominant tree species, and soil texture. For this purpose, we studied 309 forest soils with a stand age >60 years located all over Sweden between 56° N and 68° N. The soils are a representative subsample of Swedish forest soils with a stand age >60 years that were sampled for the Swedish Forest Soil Inventory. We found that the N stock of the organic layer increased by a factor of 7.5 from −2 °C to 7.5 °C mean annual temperature (MAT), it increased almost twice as much as the organic layer stock along the MAT gradient. The increase in the N stock went along with an increase in the N : P ratio of the organic layer by a factor of 2.1 from −2 °C to 7.5 °C MAT (R2 = 0.36, p < 0.001). Forests dominated by pine had higher C : N ratios in the litter layer and mineral soil down to a depth of 65 cm than forests dominated by other tree species. Further, also the C : P ratio was increased in the pine-dominated forests compared to forests dominated by other tree species in the organic layer, but the C : OP ratio in the mineral soil was not elevated in pine forests. C, N and OP contents in the mineral soil were higher in fine-textured soils than in coarse-textured soils by a factor of 2.3, 3.5, and 4.6, respectively. Thus, the effect of texture was stronger on OP than on N and C, likely because OP adsorbs very rigidly to mineral surfaces. Further, we found, that the P and K concentrations of the organic layer were inversely related with the organic layer stock. The C and N concentrations of the mineral soil were best predicted by the combination of MAT, texture, and tree species, whereas the OP concentration was best predicted by the combination of MAT, texture and the P concentration of the parent material in the mineral soil. In the organic layer, the P concentration was best predicted by the organic layer stock. Taken together, the results show that the N : P ratio of the organic layer was most strongly related to MAT. Further, the C : N ratio was most strongly related to dominant tree species, even in the mineral subsoil. In contrast, the C : P ratio was only affected by dominant tree species in the organic layer, but the C : OP ratio in the mineral soil was hardly affected by tree species due to the strong effect of soil texture on the OP concentration.

Download Full-text

Carbon Pools in Old-Growth Scots Pine Stands in Hemiboreal Latvia

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10100911 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 911 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Laura Ķēniņa ◽

Ieva Jaunslaviete ◽

Līga Liepa ◽

Daiga Zute ◽

Āris Jansons

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Forest Floor ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Carbon Pool ◽

Carbon Pools ◽

Tree Biomass ◽

Old Growth ◽

Living Tree ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Scots Pine Stands

Old-growth forests are widely recognised for the benefits they provide for biodiversity; however, a more comprehensive understanding of their role in climate change mitigation must still be established to find the optimal balance between different forest ecosystem services at a national or regional scale. Very few studies have assessed carbon pools in old-growth Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)-dominated boreal forests, and none have been conducted in hemiboreal forests. Therefore, we assessed the carbon storage of the living tree biomass, deadwood, forest floor (soil organic horizon, including all litter and decomposed wood), and mineral soil in 25 hemiboreal old-growth (163–218 years) unmanaged Scots pine stands in Latvia. The studied stands were without known records of any major natural or human-made disturbance in the visible past. Our results show, that the total ecosystem carbon pool (excluding ground vegetation) was 291.2 ± 54.2 Mg C ha−1, which was primarily composed of living tree biomass (59%), followed by mineral soil (31%), deadwood (5%), and the forest floor (5%). Within the studied stand age group, the total carbon pool remained stable; however, interchanges among the carbon pools, i.e., living biomass and laying deadwood, did occur.

Download Full-text

Site characteristics of Scots pine stands infected by Gremmeniella abietina in Central Finland. 1: Mineral soil sites

Acta Forestalia Fennica ◽

10.14214/aff.7663 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 0 (216) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anne Sairanen

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Site Characteristics ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Scots Pine Stands

Download Full-text

Influence of Saturated Organic Matter on the Accuracy of In-Situ Measurements Recorded with a Nuclear Moisture and Density Gauge

Croatian journal of forest engineering ◽

10.5552/crojfe.2021.762 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Eric R. Labelle ◽

Dirk Jaeger

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Moisture ◽

Moisture Content ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Forest Soils ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Organic Layer ◽

Correction Factors ◽

Non Destructive

The impact of machines on forest soils is regularly assessed and quantified using absolute bulk density, which is most frequently obtained by soil cores. However, to allow for repeated measurements at the exact same locations, non-destructive devices are increasingly being used to determine soil bulk density and moisture content in field studies. An example of such a device is a nuclear moisture and density gauge (NMDG), originally designed as a control measurement for soil bulk density and moisture content in geotechnical applications. Unlike road construction or foundation projects that use mineral soil or gravel, forest soils have complex structures and the presence of organic matter, which can skew moisture and density readings from a NMDG. To gain further knowledge in this respect, we performed controlled tests in a sandbox to quantify the influence of varying amounts of saturated organic matter (3, 5, 10, and 15%) mixed with mineral soil in different layers (0–5, 0–10, 0–20 and 0–40 cm) on the accuracy of soil moisture content obtained by a NMDG and soil theta probe at varying depths. Main results illustrated that the presence of saturated organic matter per se was not problematic but moisture content overestimations and related underestimation of dry bulk density occurred when the tested measurement depth was below the created organic layer. Since forest soils often exhibit higher organic matter contents in the upper horizon, correction factors are suggested to minimize the moisture content variations between NMDG and reference method. With the use of correction factors, NMDG can present a non-destructive, fast, and accurate method of measuring soil moisture and bulk density in forestry applications.

Download Full-text

Typology of the natural regeneration in a middle-aged Scots pine forest

Silva Gandavensis ◽

10.21825/sg.v53i0.913 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 53 ◽

Author(s):

C. De Schepper

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Natural Regeneration ◽

Free Field ◽

Sandy Soils ◽

Structural Basis ◽

Pedunculate Oak ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Scots Pine Forest ◽

Forest Practice ◽

Scots Pine Stands

The study describes the natural regeneration state of a forest on coarse sandy soils. The natural regeneration was studied in three different ecological conditions: in 30 to 60 year old Scots pine stands, in a 62 year old mixed stand of pedunculate oak and red oak, and on the free field. The analysis of the regeneration groups revealed that the first settler maintained a dominant social position during the following years after the settlement. The structural basis is consequently laid out early. This means that the forest practice has to consider the very first phase of the regeneration as determining for the following evolution of the regeneration groups.

Download Full-text

An analysis of a spontaneous ingrowth of deciduous trees in 70 year old stands of Scots pine

Silva Gandavensis ◽

10.21825/sg.v52i0.916 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N. Lust

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Red Oak ◽

Deciduous Trees ◽

Pedunculate Oak ◽

Black Cherry ◽

Height Distribution ◽

Stem Number ◽

Pine Stands ◽

Spontaneous Regeneration ◽

Scots Pine Stands

In 70 years old homogeneous Scots pine stands, bordered by a hardwood belt, an analysis was made about the spontaneous ingrowth of natural seedlings. The analysis involved especially the following points: species and stem number, influence of the hardwood belts, diameter and height distribution, age, growth and structure. From the age of 30 years, a spontaneous regeneration of hardwoods established in Scots pine stands. There are on average 7,000 plants per ha, 80 % of which are black cherry and another fair number are red oak and pedunculate oak. The regeneration has an average age of 25 to 30 years, it is uneven aged, contains several diameter and height classes and has already partially penetrated the upper stratum. The spontaneous ingrowth allows to convert in a simple way the homogeneous coniferous stands into mixed hardwood stands.

Download Full-text

Soil carbon and nutrient stocks under Scots pine plantations in comparison to European beech forests: a paired-plot study across forests with different management history and precipitation regimes

Forest Ecosystems ◽

10.1186/s40663-021-00330-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marco Diers ◽

Robert Weigel ◽

Heike Culmsee ◽

Christoph Leuschner

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Tree Species ◽

European Beech ◽

Organic Layer ◽

Species Identity ◽

Data Set ◽

Nutrient Pools ◽

Total N ◽

Precipitation Regimes ◽

Pine Stands

Abstract Background Organic carbon stored in forest soils (SOC) represents an important element of the global C cycle. It is thought that the C storage capacity of the stable pool can be enhanced by increasing forest productivity, but empirical evidence in support of this assumption from forests differing in tree species and productivity, while stocking on similar substrate, is scarce. Methods We determined the stocks of SOC and macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium) in nine paired European beech/Scots pine stands on similar Pleistocene sandy substrates across a precipitation gradient (560–820 mm∙yr− 1) in northern Germany and explored the influence of tree species, forest history, climate, and soil pH on SOC and nutrient pools. Results While the organic layer stored on average about 80% more C under pine than beech, the pools of SOC and total N in the total profile (organic layer plus mineral soil measured to 60 cm and extrapolated to 100 cm) were greater under pine by about 40% and 20%, respectively. This contrasts with a higher annual production of foliar litter and a much higher fine root biomass in beech stands, indicating that soil C sequestration is unrelated to the production of leaf litter and fine roots in these stands on Pleistocene sandy soils. The pools of available P and basic cations tended to be higher under beech. Neither precipitation nor temperature influenced the SOC pool, whereas tree species was a key driver. An extended data set (which included additional pine stands established more recently on former agricultural soil) revealed that, besides tree species identity, forest continuity is an important factor determining the SOC and nutrient pools of these stands. Conclusion We conclude that tree species identity can exert a considerable influence on the stocks of SOC and macronutrients, which may be unrelated to productivity but closely linked to species-specific forest management histories, thus masking weaker climate and soil chemistry effects on pool sizes.

Download Full-text