Conversion of natural, mixed-species forests to conifer plantations: Implications for dead organic matter and carbon storage

Fleming, Tracy L.; Freedman, Bill

doi:10.1080/11956860.1998.11682467

Cited by 36 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…After this time most of the gymnosperm component grew into shrub-and tree-sized elements, which were not recorded within the lower-growing ground vegetation. (The overhead canopy of conifers increased greatly in older plantations; Fleming and Freedman 1998). The abundance of gymnosperms is due to the plantations being planted with seedlings of Black Spruce, along with the survival and growth of an abundant advance regeneration of small Balsam Fir and 536 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Vol.…”

Section: Changes In Functional Guildsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shrub-sized plants were identified and their diameter measured at 25 cm in two 5 m × 5 m subquadrats nested in opposite corners of each tree quadrat (18-24 quadrats per stand). The field data were used to calculate density (stems/ha) and basal area (m 2 /ha) of trees, snags, and shrubs (only summary data are reported here; the details are in Fleming and Freedman 1998).…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of the Ground Vegetation in Spruce Plantations and Natural Forest in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick

et al. 2003

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Veinotte, Cam, Bill Freedman, Wolfgang Maass, and Friederike Kirstein. 2003. Comparison of the ground vegetation in spruce plantations and natural forest in the Greater Fundy ecosystem, New Brunswick. Canadian Field-Naturalist 117(4): 531-540.We studied changes in ground vegetation associated with the conversion of natural, mature, mixed-species forest into conifer plantations in southeastern New Brunswick. This was done to determine the degree to which plant-associated biodiversity was affected by this forestry practice. Species of lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants were examined in a 21-year chronosequence of 12 Black Spruce (Picea mariana) plantations and compared to 8 stands of natural forest of the type replaced. The richness, diversity, and density of species were greatest during younger stages of the plantation sere, with as many as 170 species occurring in a 6-year-old stand. Species occurred in successional stages according to their abilities to: (a) survive disturbances associated with clear-cutting and plantation establishment; (b) regenerate vegetatively; (c) re-establish from a persistent seedbank; (d) invade disturbed habitat by dispersed seeds; and/or (e) tolerate environmental stress imposed by the overtopping canopy during stand development. Multivariate analyses suggested that successional factors had the strongest influence on differences in the ground vegetation among stands of various ages. Gaps in the canopy of reference forest and older plantations provided microsite conditions similar to those of early seral stages, allowing some ruderal species to persist in older stands. Nonindigenous species were almost entirely limited to younger plantations. Some species of natural forest were rare or absent from plantations and may be at risk from the extensive development of these agroforestry habitats in our study region; these included Acer pensylvanicum, Cephaloziella spp., Chiloscyphus spp., Fagus grandifolia, Lepidozia reptans, Nowellia curvifolia, Odontoschisma denudatum, and Viburnum alnifolium

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Section: Changes In Functional Guildsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the Ground Vegetation in Spruce Plantations and Natural Forest in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick

et al. 2003

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“…The cover of overhead canopy was estimated as the percentage area obscured by foliage when sighting upward through a 4.2-cm diameter cylinder. Here we present summary information; detailed data on woody habitat are in Flemming and Freedman (1998) and on ground vegetation are in Veinotte et al (2004).…”

Section: Habitat Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intensive forestry practices generally decrease the richness and abundance of cavity-dependent birds by causing the following habitat changes to occur (Niemi et al 1998;Hobson and Bayne 2000;Flemming and Freedman 1998;Imbeau et al 2001;Kirk and Machtans 2004;McRae et al 2001):…”

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Effects of Timber Harvesting and Plantation Development on Cavity-nesting Birds in New Brunswick

et al. 2006

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Effects of timber harvesting and plantation development on cavity-nesting birds in New Brunswick. Canadian Field-Naturalist 120(3): 298-306.We studied the abundance of cavity-nesting birds in forestry-related habitats in a region of Acadian forest in New Brunswick. We examined five reference stands of natural forest, a chronosequence of conifer plantations up to 19 years old (the oldest in the study area), two selectively harvested stands, and a 30-year-old naturally regenerated clear-cut. The species richness and abundance of cavity-nesting birds were higher in reference forest (average 10.0 species per stand; 5.3 territories per 10 ha) than in plantations (2.3/stand; 1.0/10 ha), selectively harvested stands (7.0/stand; 3.8/10 ha), or the naturally regenerated clear-cut (5.0/stand; 2.5/10 ha). A cluster analysis segregated the "community" of cavity-nesting birds of natural forest from those of other treatments. Of the various harvested stands and plantations, five with a relatively large number of residual snags clustered similarly in the cluster analysis, while those with no or very few snags also clustered together. We used arrays of nest boxes (12 per stand) to examine whether the availability of cavities was limiting the use of habitats otherwise suitable for foraging by cavity-dependent species. Nest-box use for nesting and roosting was much higher in the seven plantations examined (average 4.0/10 ha for nesting and 2.9/10 ha for roosting) than in three reference stands (each 0.3/10 ha), suggesting that the plantations were deficient in this critical-habitat element. Our results suggest that certain mitigations, such as leaving residual snags and living cavity-trees, would help maintain populations of some cavity-dependent birds in clear-cuts and plantations. However, some cavity-dependent species might not be accommodated by these mitigations and are potentially at risk in intensively managed areas, unless landscape-scale management plans ensure the survival of sufficient areas of older mixed-wood forest.

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“…However, yield decline and land deterioration (such as loss of surface soils, depletion of soil nutrients, soil compaction) may occur when natural forests are converted to plantations of trees [12,18,29,34]. In South China where high rainfall, steep slopes, and low antierodibility of soils are characteristic, many native broadleaved forests have been cleared and replanted with monoculture plantations (mainly economical conifers) following clear-cutting, slash burning, and soil preparation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Litterfall, nutrient return, and leaf-litter decomposition in four plantations compared with a natural forest in subtropical China

et al. 2004

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-The amount and pattern of litterfall, its nutrient return, initial chemistry of leaf litter, and dynamics of N, P and K associated with leaf-litter decomposition were studied in 33-year-old plantations of two coniferous trees, Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF) and Fokienia hodginsii (FH), and two broadleaved trees, Ormosia xylocarpa (OX) and Castanopsis kawakamii (CK), and compared with that of an adjacent natural forest of Castanopsis kawakamii (NF, ~150 year old) in Sanming, Fujian, China. Mean annual total litterfall over 3 years of observations was 5.47 Mg·ha -1 in the CF, 7.29 Mg·ha -1 in the FH, 5.69 Mg·ha -1 in the OX, 9.54 Mg·ha -1 in the CK and 11.01 Mg·ha -1 in the NF respectively; of this litterfall, leaf contribution ranged from 58% to 72%. Litterfall in the OX, CK, and NF showed an unimodal distribution pattern, while for the CF and FH, the litterfall pattern was multi-peak. The highest annual Ca and Mg returns were noticed in the FH and in the CK, respectively. The amounts of N, P, and K which potentially returned to the soil were the highest in the NF. The loss of dry matter in leaf litter exhibited a negative exponential pattern during the 750-day decomposition. Using the model x t = A + Be -kt , the annual dry matter decay constants (k) ranged from 1.157 in CF to 4.619 in OX. Initial lignin concentration and lignin/N ratios showed significantly negative correlations with k (r = -0.916, P = 0.011; r = -0.473, P = 0.041), whereas initial N concentration showed low positive correlations (r = 0.225, P = 0.038). Using the model x t = A + Be -kt , the decay constant of N (k N ) ranged from 0.769 in CF to 4.978 in OX; the decay constant of P (k P ) ranged from 1.967 in the OX to 4.664 in the NF; and the decay constant of K (k K ) seemed very similar among these forests (5.250-5.992). The decay constants of nutrients during leaf-litter decomposition can be arranged in the sequence of k K > k P > k N , except for leaf litter of OX wherelitterfall / nutrient return / litter decomposition / reafforestation / natural forest / Cunninghamia lanceolata / Fokienia hodginsii / Ormosia xylocarpa / Castanopsis kawakamii Résumé -Chute de feuilles, retour de nutriments et décomposition des feuilles de la litière dans quatre plantations en comparaison avec une forêt naturelle en Chine subtropicale. La quantité et la dynamique de chute de litière, le retour des nutriments, la composition chimique initiale des feuilles de la litière et la dynamique de N, Pet K associée à la décomposition de la litière ont été étudiés dans 2 plantations de conifères (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF and Fokienia hodginsii, FH) âgées de 33 ans et 2 peuplements feuillus (Ormosia xylocarpa, OX et Castanopsis kawakamii, CK), comparativement à une forêt naturelle adjacente de Castanopsis kawakamii, NF, âgée d'environ 150 ans à Sanming, Fujian, Chine. Sur 3 années d'observations, la moyenne annuelle de chute de litière a été de 5,47 Mg·ha -1 pour CF, 7,29 Mg·ha -1 pour FH, 5,69 Mg·h -1 pour OX, 9,54 Mg·hg -1 pour CK et 11,01 Mg·h...

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Conversion of natural, mixed-species forests to conifer plantations: Implications for dead organic matter and carbon storage

Cited by 36 publications

References 25 publications

Comparison of the Ground Vegetation in Spruce Plantations and Natural Forest in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick

Comparison of the Ground Vegetation in Spruce Plantations and Natural Forest in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick

Effects of Timber Harvesting and Plantation Development on Cavity-nesting Birds in New Brunswick

Litterfall, nutrient return, and leaf-litter decomposition in four plantations compared with a natural forest in subtropical China

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