Alternate Strip Clearcutting in Upland Black Spruce: IV. Projected Nutrient Removals Associated with Harvesting

Foster, N. W.; Morrison, I. K.

doi:10.5558/tfc63451-6

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The forest floor plays an important role in the nutrient dynamics of the boreal forest, containing up to 72% of the available soil nutrients (Foster and Morrison 1987), the majority of fine roots (Persson 1983) and greatest amount of biological activity (Pritchett and Fisher 1987) in the soil profile. Our data show that wildfire and clearcutting can alter chemical and biological properties of the forest floor a, b Different letters refer to significant differences between treatments within each study area using a protected LSD (t) test (α = 0.05).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of clearcut harvesting and wildfire on soil nutrient status in the Quebec boreal forest

Simard¹,

Fyles²,

Paré³

et al. 2001

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

136

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, T. 2001. Impacts of clearcut harvesting and wildfire on soil nutrient status in the Quebec boreal forest. Can. J. Soil Sci. 81: 229-237. Wildfire has historically been the major cause of stand initiation in the boreal forest, shaping species diversity, successional and ecosystem processes. Clearcut harvesting may differ from fire in its effects on soil and vegetation processes and thus may cause long-term changes in stand productivity or biodiversity. This study compared the soil properties of mesic black spruce (Picea mariana) stands burned 2, 14, 21 yr prior to sampling, with stands clearcut within ±3 yr of each wildfire and recently undisturbed control stands. The forest floor (FH) and mineral soil (0-10 cm) were sampled volumetrically, air dried and analysed for pH, organic carbon content, available P, Ca, Mg, and K, mineralizable N and nitrification. Forest floors were also digested and analysed for total N, P, K, Ca and Mg. Significant differences between disturbed and control stands were observed in all study areas, with disturbance effects generally decreasing with time since disturbance. Burned stands generally had forest floors with thinner humus layers, lower mass of organic carbon, higher pH, and higher concentrations of total and available nutrients than in either clearcut or control stands. Significant losses in the total mass of N and K in the forest floor were observed in the youngest burned stands as well as a pulse of extractable P that was at least four times higher than cut or control stands in any other treatment or study area. The forest floor of cut stands had greater mass of organic matter and total nutrients, and higher levels of potentially mineralizable N than either fire or control stands. No significant nutrient loss was observed following clearcut harvesting in any study area. Overall, this study suggested that clearcut harvesting can result in changes to the status of soil nutrients that are different from those produced by wildfire. Further study is necessary to determine whether these differences have significant effects on the long-term productivity or biodiversity of the boreal forest. Les feux irréprimés ont toujours été la principale cause du renouvellement des peuplements dans la forêt boréale. Ce sont eux qui commandent la diversité des espèces, la succession de ces dernières et les fonctionnement de l'écosystème. La coupe à blanc pourrait ne pas avoir les mêmes conséquences sur les processus du sol et de la végétation, et on pourrait se assister à des changements à long terme au niveau de la productivité ou de la diversité biologique du peuplement. Les auteurs ont comparé les propriétés du sol de peuplements mésiques d'épinettes noires (Picea mariana) ravagés par le feu 2, 14 et 21 ans avant l'échantillonnage à celles du sol de peuplements coupés à blanc plus ou moins trois ans avant les feux de forêt et de peuplements témoins intacts. Les auteurs ont prélevé des échantillons volumétriques de la couverture morte (CM) et du sol minéral (de 0 à 10 cm), les ont séchés à l'a...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of clearcut harvesting and wildfire on soil nutrient status in the Quebec boreal forest

Simard¹,

Fyles²,

Paré³

et al. 2001

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

136

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…At this time, there was general consensus in the literature that sites with low nutrient reserves would likely be sensitive to the increased nutrient removals associated with full‐tree logging (Boyle et al, 1973; Wells and Jorgensen, 1979; White and Harvey, 1979; Freedman, 1981). In particular, both shallow‐soiled sites (Weetman and Webber, 1972; Gordon, 1983; Timmer et al, 1983) and coarse‐textured, infertile sands (Foster and Morrison, 1987; Mahendrappa et al, 1987; Maliondo, 1988; Maliondo et al, 1990) were highlighted as being potentially the most sensitive. These conclusions, however, were largely derived through nutrient budget and mass balance approaches and estimates of nutrient replacement times (Morris, 1997) or stability ratios (Evans, 1999), as opposed to empirically derived results from long‐term field trials.…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Biomass Removal Levels on Soil Carbon and Nutrient Reserves in Conifer‐Dominated, Coarse‐Textured Sites in Northern Ontario: 20‐Year Results

Morris

Hazlett

Fleming

et al. 2019

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Core Ideas Biomass removal trials targeted soils sensitive to nutrient removal (shallow to bedrock and infertile sands). 14 long‐term sites (42 plots per treatment) were used to evaluate C and nutrient reserves 20 years post‐harvest. After 20 years, soil C, N, and K reserves did not differ between pre‐harvest levels and SO and FT. Soil reserves of FTB treatments remained significantly lower than the pre‐harvest levels. Jack pine and black spruce declined in height on FTB on sandy sites; there were no differences between SO and FT. Here we report on 20‐yr soil (forest floor plus the upper 20 cm of mineral soil) carbon and nutrient reserves from 14 biomass removal trials established on coarse‐textured, nutrient poor sites. Harvest treatments included stem only (SO, delimbed at the stump), full‐tree (FT, entire trees with boles and branches removed), and full‐tree plus forest floor blading (FTB, full‐tree harvest followed by removal of the forest floor and approximately the upper 5 cm of mineral soil). After 20 yr, there were no significant differences in soil C, N, and K reserves between pre‐harvest levels and the SO and FT treatments. Only the soil reserves of the FTB treatment remained significantly lower than the pre‐harvest levels. Extractable soil Ca and Mg reserves increased in Year 5 in all treatments, followed by slow declines, but all treatments remained comparable to or exceeded pre‐harvest levels at Year 20. For P, harvesting (SO and FT) resulted in significant declines that remain after 20 yr. Both jack pine and black spruce showed reduced top height growth on FTB, but only on some of the sandy sites. There were no differences in top height for either species between SO and FT across all 14 study sites. Current results suggest there is no need for restrictions on full‐tree harvesting for traditional wood products on these nutrient poor sites. However, from a cautionary perspective, it seems prudent at this time to restrict more intensive bioenergy harvests to deep, finer‐textured sites that have larger soil C and nutrient reserves.

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“…Boreal forested peat soils are characterized by low available and total nutrient contents, near-surface water tables and low temperatures (Brumelis and Carleton 1989) resulting in low productivity. The average aboveground biomass of black spruce forest on these peat soils was 102 Mg ha -1 (Teng et al 1997) while upland black spruce forest was 147 Mg ha -1 (Foster and Morrison 1987). Roots supply a tree with most of its requirement for water and nutrients (Barber 1984).…”

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confidence: 99%

Fine root biomass and nutrient content in a black spruce peat soil with and without alder

Bhatti¹,

Foster²,

Hazlett³

1998

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

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. Fine root biomass and nutrient content in a black spruce peat soil with and without alder. Can. J. Soil Sci. 78: 163-169. Vertical distribution of fine root biomass and nutrient content was examined within a black spruce (Picea mariana) stand growing on a boreal peat soil in northeastern Ontario. The influence of site physical and chemical properties on fine root biomass production was assessed. More then 80% of the fine roots were present in moss plus the top 10 cm of peat where nutrients and aeration are most favourable. The fine root biomass (W/V) was significantly higher with alder (5.9 kg m -3 ) (Alnus rugosa) as understory vegetation compared to non-alder locations (2.9 kg m -3 ). Total nutrient content in fine roots was 54, 3.2, 5.4, 63 and 5.7 kg ha -1 on the alder site and 20, 1.4, 2.3, 28 and 4.2 kg ha -1 of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg on the non-alder site, respectively. The mass (W/V) of nutrients in fine roots was strongly dependent upon the availability of nutrients in the peat. Fine root content had a strong positive relationship with peat available P and exchangeable K contents suggesting that P and K may be limiting nutrients for black spruce in this peat soil. [163][164][165][166][167][168][169]. Nous avons examiné dans une tourbe boréale du nord-est de l'Ontario sous peuplement d'épinette noire (Picea mariana) la répartition verticale de la biomasse de radicelles et des éléments nutritifs. L'influence des propriétés physiques et chimiques de l'emplacement sur la biomasse racinaire fine était également évaluée. Plus de 80 % des racines fines se retrouvaient dans la mousse et dans les 10 cm supérieurs de la tourbe où la concentration d'éléments nutritifs et l'aération étaient le plus favorables. La biomasse de radicelles était significativement plus abondante (5,9 kg m -3 ) en présence d'un sous-bois d'aulnes (Alnus rugosa) que dans des peuplements sans aulnes (2,9 kg m -3 ). Le contenu total en N, P, K, Ca et Mg des racines fines était, respectivement, de 54, 3,2, 5,4, 63 et 5,7 kg ha -1 à l'emplacement avec aulnes et de 20, 1,4, 2,3, 28 et 4,2 kg ha -1 à l'emplacement sans aulnes. Les concentrations des éléments nutritifs mesurées dans ces racines étaient étroitement reliées à leur biodisponibilité dans la tourbe. La biomasse de racines fines manifestait une forte relation positive avec les teneurs de la tourbe en P assimilable et en K échangeable, ce qui laisse soupçonner que ces deux éléments soient des facteurs limitant pour la croissance de l'épinette noire dans ce sol tourbeux particulier.

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Alternate Strip Clearcutting in Upland Black Spruce: IV. Projected Nutrient Removals Associated with Harvesting

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Impacts of clearcut harvesting and wildfire on soil nutrient status in the Quebec boreal forest

Impacts of clearcut harvesting and wildfire on soil nutrient status in the Quebec boreal forest

Effects of Biomass Removal Levels on Soil Carbon and Nutrient Reserves in Conifer‐Dominated, Coarse‐Textured Sites in Northern Ontario: 20‐Year Results

Fine root biomass and nutrient content in a black spruce peat soil with and without alder

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