Nutrient Retention by the Root Mat of an Amazonian Rain Forest

Stark, N.; Jordan, Carl F.

doi:10.2307/1936571

Cited by 268 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Most of the demand for P in natural forests can be met by rapid cycling of P in organic matter (Attiwill and Adams 1993;Turner and Engelbrecht 2011) and fine roots growing into the organic horizons acquire P directly from decomposing litter as it is mineralized (Herrera and others 1978;Stark and Jordan 1978;Tobon and others 2004), bypassing the mineral soil (Witkamp 1971). The increase in P uptake despite the lack of change in soil extractable P pools in the double-litter plots suggests that most of the plant demands for P were met by direct cycling from the forest floor.…”

Section: Phosphorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

et al. 2012

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Predicting future impacts of anthropogenic change on tropical forests requires a clear understanding of nutrient constraints on productivity. We compared experimental fertilization and litter manipulation treatments in an old-growth lowland tropical forest to distinguish between the effects of inorganic nutrient amendments and changes in nutrient cycling via litterfall. We measured the changes in soil and litter nutrient pools, litterfall, and fine root biomass in plots fertilized with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K), and in litter addition and litter removal treatments during 7 years. Soil inorganic N and litter N increased in double-litter plots but not in N-fertilized plots. Conversely, fitter P and soil pools of P and K increased in fertilized plots but not in the double-litter plots. Soil and litter pools of N and K decreased in the no-litter plots.Changes in litterfall with added nutrients or litter were only marginally significant, but fine root biomass decreased with both the litter and the K addition. Differences between the two experiments are mostly attributable to the coupled cycling of carbon and nutrients in litter. Increased nutrient inputs in litter may improve plant uptake of some nutrients compared to fertilization with similar amounts. The litter layer also appears to play a key role in nutrient retention. We discuss our findings in the context of possible impacts of anthropogenic change on tropical forests.

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Section: Phosphorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

et al. 2012

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“…Furthermore, fine root development in the topsoil, especially in oligotrophic forests is often considered as a nutrient conservation mechanism (Jordan 1991). Stark & Jordan (1978) have shown that fine roots are constitute an efficient nutrient trap, capable of recovering more than 99% of P and Ca, spread in the topsoil.…”

Section: Influence Of Soil Depth On the Vertical Distribution Of Finementioning

confidence: 99%

Fine root production and distribution in the tropical rainforests of south-western Cameroon: effects of soil type and selective logging

Adamou¹,

Mvondo²,

Ntonga³

2010

iForest

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© iForest -Biogeosciences and Forestry IntroductionThe tropical rainforests of southern Cameroon as African rainforests are subjected to deforestation due to shifting cultivation, commercial timber and forest exploitation (Archard et al. 2002). This is stimulated by demographic and economic crisis forces. To counteract this process, the Cameroonian government has decided to develop, through the Tropenbos Cameroon Programme (TCP), methods and strategies for sustainable management of his rainforests (Foahom & Jonkers 1992). Fine roots are one of the factors to take into consideration in sustainable forest management, because of their critical role in nutrient cycling and tree regeneration (Saterson & Vitousek 1984). No information on roots is currently available for the tropical rainforests of southern Cameroon, especially on their changes among forest types and the rate of their recovery after selective logging.Because of their high nutrient absorption capacity and quick turnover, fine roots (0.5 to 2 mm diameter) play a key role in nutrient cycles (Castellanos et al. 2001). These roots tend to concentrate in the upper layers of the soil containing most of the nutrients released from decomposing litter. It is therefore a nutrient conservation mechanism in forests (Jordan 1991). Fine roots which are dynamic components of below-ground biomass represent about 30% of the above-ground biomass (Noordwijk et al. 1996) and between 40 and 85% of the net primary production according to the soil type (Hoffmann & Usoltsev 2001). The mortality and decomposition of fine roots contribute substantially to the carbon and nutrients stock in the soil. This contribution is equivalent (or even higher) to that of litterfall that returns carbon and nutrients from canopy to the soil (Hendrick & Pregitzer 1993).Most of the research on fine roots has been carried out in the temperate region (Vogt et al. 1986). However, available information on tropical forests, even though insufficient, show that fine root biomass is higher in tropical forests (4.5 -92.5 t ha -1 ) than in the temperate ones (0.5 -13.0 t ha -1 -Noij et al. 1993). Root biomass assessments as well as the study of root distribution in forest were very studious processes (Hendricks et al. 2006) because of the difficulty involved in sampling and extraction (Noij et al. 1993, Hoffmann & Usoltsev 2001. Moreover, contrary to the situation in temperate forests, where the period of dead vegetation material including roots and turnover are asynchronous, the production and mortality of fine root occur simultaneously, making it difficult to distinguish between living and dead roots.The aim of the present work is to assess the change of fine root biomass and their nutrient content in three undisturbed forests, developed on different soil types according to soil Taxonomy-USDA and differed also by soil chemical characteristic as K, Mg and Ca amount (t ha -1 ) and available P and water content (Van Gemerden & Hazeu 1999). The rate of fine root and their nutrient recovery after selective l...

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“…-O maior estoque de nutrientes nas florestas tropicais está na parte aérea das árvores, o que não ocorre com outro tipo de cobertura vegetal, como pastagem, em que a maior parte dos nutrientes se encontra no solo (Fonseca et al, 1993); -Presença de muitas raízes finas na superfície do solo penetrando a manta, freqüentemente observadas em florestas tropicais (Stark & Jordan, 1978;Nunes, 1980), o que pode explicar, em parte, como se dá a manutenção de uma floresta natural não perturbada sobre um solo de baixa fertilidade; -Equilíbrio entre demanda e liberação de nutrientes, favorecido pela diversidade de espécies (Drumond et al, 1997); -Ciclagem interna, principalmente do P e do N (Reis & Barros, 1990); -Solos de florestas tropicais úmidas sob elevadas temperaturas e pluviosidades sofrem um intemperismo intenso; assim, neste processo há grande lixiviação de elementos, com perda de Na, K, Ca, Mg e Si, além de favorecer a formação de argilominerais com baixa capacidade de reter cátions, enriquecendo os solos de óxidos de Fe e Al, que têm grande capacidade de fixar P (Clevelário Junior, 1996 Juntamente com as Matas de São João da Várzea, Jardim Botânico e Jangadinha, forma uma área verde amenizadora da ação poluente do Distrito Industrial do Curado, na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Tejipió e atua, também, como refúgio da fauna e flora (FIDEM, 1982;FIDEM, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Distribuição de nutrientes entre a vegetação florestal e o solo em fragmento de mata atlântica

Espig

Freire

Marangon

et al. 2008

Agraria

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Distribuição de nutrientes entre a vegetação florestal e o solo em fragmento de Mata Atlântica 1 R E S U M OO desenvolvimento e a auto-sustentabilidade de florestas exuberantes, como as florestas tropicais sobre solos, geralmente de baixa fertilidade, sempre questionaram os pesquisadores que perceberam, ali, um sistema altamente complexo, com suas bases apoiadas na ciclagem de nutrientes e na diversidade faunística e florística. Neste contexto e se buscando entender melhor as relações entre a vegetação florestal e o solo de um fragmento de Mata Atlântica em Pernambuco objetivou-se, neste trabalho, caracterizar, física e quimicamente, o solo; avaliar a distribuição de nutrientes em profundidade; determinar os teores de nutrientes no piso florestal e averiguar a influência do solo sobre o material vegetal e vice-versa. Houve decréscimo abrupto dos teores dos nutrientes Ca, Mg, P e K em profundidade no solo do fragmento. Os conteúdos dos nutrientes Ca, Mg, P e K na biomassa foliar não foram influenciados pelos teores totais desses nutrientes, na manta e disponíveis no solo. Os conteú-dos dos nutrientes Ca, Mg, P e K do material vegetal (biomassa foliar, serrapilheira e manta) não dependeram dos conteúdos desses nutrientes no solo. Palavras-chave: ciclagem de nutrientes, nutrição florestalNutrient distribution between the forest vegetation and the soil on remnants of Atlantic Forest A B S T R A C TThe development and auto sustainability of a exuberant forest such as tropical forests generally growing on soils of low fertility always puzzled scientists. They recognized this as a highly complex system based on nutrient cycling and on the diversity of fauna and flora. In order to have a better understanding of the relationship forest vegetation versus soil of remnant Atlantic Forest, the present study aimed to characterize physical and chemical properties of the soil, evaluate the nutrient distribution in different depths, determine the amount of nutrients in the forest soil and to determine possible influence of the soil on the litter or vice-verse. The results revealed a sharp decrease in the levels of Ca, Mg, P and K in the soil in relation to the depth. The amount of these nutrients in the foliar biomass were not influenced by the total amount present in the litter or in the soil. The content of the same nutrients found in the foliar biomass and litter were not related to their concentration in the soil.

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Nutrient Retention by the Root Mat of an Amazonian Rain Forest

Cited by 268 publications

References 5 publications

Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

Fine root production and distribution in the tropical rainforests of south-western Cameroon: effects of soil type and selective logging

Distribuição de nutrientes entre a vegetação florestal e o solo em fragmento de mata atlântica

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