Estimation of Carbon Flow in a Calluna Heath System

Seljelid, Reidun; Røsberg, Ingvald; Øvstedal, Dag Olav; Schreiner, Oivind; Goksøyr, Jostein

doi:10.2307/3544120

Cited by 20 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Norwegian heathland soils, although scant and shallow, are so rich in organic matter that they represent a stock of carbon (C) at least 1 order of magnitude larger than the aboveground vegetation they sustain (Rosberg et al, 1981). To predict the ecological effects of climate and land use changes, it is essential to understand the nature and environmental dependencies of soil organic matter (SOM) in these widespread systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of southern Norway

Certini

Vestgarden

Forte

et al. 2015

SOIL

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Abstract. Norwegian heathland soils, although scant and shallow, are major reservoirs of carbon (C). We aimed at assessing whether vegetation cover and, indirectly, its driving factor soil drainage are good proxies for soil organic matter (SOM) composition and dynamics in a typical heathland area of southern Norway consisting in a patchwork of three different types of vegetation, dominated by Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull., Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench, or Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. Such vegetation covers were clearly associated to microtopographic differences, which in turn dictated differences in soil moisture regime, Calluna growing in the driest sites, Sphagnum in the wettest, and Molinia in sites with intermediate moisture.Litter decomposition was followed over a period of 1 year by placing litterbags filled with biomass from each dominant species in each type of vegetation cover. The composition of the plant material and SOM was investigated using chemical methods and solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.Litter decomposition was faster for Molinia and Calluna, irrespective of the vegetation cover of the site where they were placed. Sphagnum litter decomposed very slowly, especially under Calluna, where the soil environment is by far more oxidising than under itself. In terms of SOM quality, Calluna covered areas showed the greatest differences from the others, in particular a much higher contribution from lipids and aliphatic biopolymers, apparently related to biomass composition.Our findings showed that, in the studied environment, litter decomposition rate and SOM composition are actually dependent on vegetation cover and/or soil drainage. On this basis, monitoring changes in the patchwork of vegetation types in boreal heathlands could be a reliable cost-effective way to account for climate-changeinduced modifications to SOM and its potential to last.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of southern Norway

Certini

Vestgarden

Forte

et al. 2015

SOIL

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“…Heathland vegetation covers approximately 60 % of Norway's land area. Norwegian heathland soils, although scant and shallow, are so rich in organic matter that they represent a stock of carbon (C) at least 1 order of magnitude larger than the aboveground vegetation they sustain (Rosberg et al, 1981). To predict the ecological effects of climate and land use changes, it is essential to understand the nature and environmental dependencies of soil organic matter (SOM) in these widespread systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of Southern Norway

Certini¹,

Vestgarden²,

Forte³

et al. 2014

Preprint

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Abstract. Norwegian heathland soils, although scant and shallow, are major reservoirs of carbon (C). We aimed at assessing whether vegetation cover and, indirectly, its driving factor soil drainage are good proxies for soil organic matter (SOM) composition and dynamics in a typical heathland area of Southern Norway consisting in a patchwork of three different types of vegetation, dominated by Calluna, Molinia, or Sphagnum. Such vegetation covers were clearly associated to microtopographic differences, which in turn dictated differences in soil moisture regime, Calluna growing in the driest sites, Sphagnum in the wettest, and Molinia in sites with intermediate moisture. Litter decomposition was followed over a period of 1 year, by placing litterbags filled with biomass from each dominant species under each type of vegetation cover. The composition of the living biomass, the bulk SOM and some extractable fractions of SOM were investigated by chemical methods and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Litter decomposition was faster for Molinia and Calluna, irrespective of the vegetation cover of the site where they were placed. Sphagnum litter decomposed very slowly, especially under Calluna, where the soil environment is by far more oxidising than under itself. In terms of SOM quality, Calluna covered areas showed the greatest differences from the others, in particular a much higher contribution from lipids and aliphatic biopolymers, apparently related to biomass composition. Our findings showed that in the studied environment litter decomposition rate and SOM composition are actually dependent on vegetation cover and/or soil drainage. On this basis, monitoring changes in the patchwork of vegetation types in boreal heathlands could be a reliable cost-effective way to account for modifications in the SOM potential to last induced by climate change.

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“…Microbial biomass comply these conditions (Swift et al, 1979;Powlson et al, 1987;Sparling, 1997). Additionally it is evident that microbial biomass is sensitive to gradients of military impact on sandy, acidic soils (Peacock et al, 2001) and is of outstanding importance for nutrient cycling in heathlands (Røsberg et al, 1981). As a parameter for microbial status (Aon et al, 2001) and as well as for physical and chemical status of the soil (Sinsabaugh, 1994) enzyme activity is a striking indicator, and is represented here via the activity of acid phosphatase.…”

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confidence: 99%

Soil microbiochemical properties as indicators for success of heathland restoration after military disturbance

et al. 2008

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Decline of heathlands in Central Europe raises the question of successful restoration of degraded heathlands. We examined the impact of different restoration techniques on soil microbial biomass carbon (C mic ) and nitrogen (N mic ) and enzyme activity on an abandoned military training site in the Lüneburger Heaths. The aim was to determine which technique resulted in typical heathland soil conditions. The training site was in use for about 50 years. Vegetation and soils were degraded in large areas. Restoration actions were: (1) spreading of heath plaggen (sods, containing the organic layer and a few centimetres mineral soil), (2) spreading of heath plaggen and grass seeds (Festuca filiformis Pourr.), (3) spreading of F. filiformis-seeds and (4) succession (episodical tree removal). Ten years after restoration, we measured pH, bulk density, abundance of roots, soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N t ), phosphorus (P t ), C mic , N mic and acid phosphatase activity (AcP) in the first 10 cm of the mineral soil. Four restoration treatments were compared with one reference site. The reference site is heathland located near the training site, where no military actions took place.At all disturbed sites, bulk density and pH proved to be higher than on the reference site. Relative to the reference site, SOC storage reached from 37 to 91 per cent, regeneration of N t was slightly lower. In contrast to the advanced development of SOC and Nt, the regeneration of C mic and N mic was much lower (15-44 per cent). The succession site showed a low pool of SOC, N t , C mic and N mic , but microbial ratios indicated a less disturbed C-and N-cycle. AcP pronounced differences in nutrient demand between disturbed sites and reference. On this base, recommendations for restoration management were given.

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Estimation of Carbon Flow in a Calluna Heath System

Cited by 20 publications

References 12 publications

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of southern Norway

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of southern Norway

Litter decomposition rate and soil organic matter quality in a patchwork heathland of Southern Norway

Soil microbiochemical properties as indicators for success of heathland restoration after military disturbance

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