Response of direct seeded Pinus Palustris and herbaceous vegetation to fertilization, burning, and pine straw harvesting

Haywood, James D.; Tiarks, Allan E.; Elliott-Smith, Michael L.; Pearson, Henry A.

doi:10.1016/s0961-9534(97)10029-0

Cited by 31 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Inconsistent short-term reductions in growth in some study years but not in others Haywood et al, 1998) may stem from changes in soil water content (Ginter et al, 1979). Measurements of the pressure potential in the xylem of needles have shown a decrease in trees in raked plots only 14 days after treatment.…”

Section: Direct and Indirect Effects On Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems

Sayer¹

2005

Biol. Rev.

643

494

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The widespread use of forest litter as animal bedding in central Europe for many centuries gave rise to the first litter manipulation studies, and their results demonstrated that litter and its decomposition are a vital part of ecosystem function. Litter plays two major roles in forest ecosystems: firstly, litterfall is an inherent part of nutrient and carbon cycling, and secondly, litter forms a protective layer on the soil surface that also regulates microclimatic conditions. By reviewing 152 years of litter manipulation experiments, I show that the effects of manipulating litter stem from changes in one, or both, of these two functions, and interactions between the variables influenced by the accumulation of litter can result in feedback mechanisms that may intensify treatment effects or mask responses, making the interpretation of results difficult.Long-term litter removal increased soil bulk density, overland flow, erosion, and temperature fluctuations and upset the soil water balance, causing lower soil water content during dry periods. Soil pH increased or decreased in response to manipulation treatments depending on forest type and initial soil pH, but it is unclear why there was no uniform response. Long-term litter harvesting severely depleted the forests of nutrients. Decreases in the concentrations of available P, Ca, Mg, and K in the soil occurred after only three to five years. The decline in soil N occurred over longer periods of time, and the relative loss was greater in soils with high initial nitrogen concentration. Tree growth declined with long-term litter removal, probably due to lower nutrient availability. Litter manipulation also added or removed large amounts of carbon thereby affecting microbial communities and altering soil respiration rates.Litter manipulation experiments have shown that litter cover acts as a physical barrier to the shoot emergence of small-seeded species ; further, the microclimate maintained by the litter layer may be favourable to herbivores and pathogens and is important in determining later seedling survival and performance. Litter manipulation altered the competitive outcomes between tree seedlings and forbs, thereby influencing species composition and diversity ; changes in the species composition of understorey vegetation following treatments occurred fairly rapidly. By decreasing substrate availability and altering the microclimate, litter removal changed fungal species composition and diversity and led to a decline in populations of soil fauna. However, litter addition did not provoke a corresponding increase in the abundance or diversity of fungi or soil fauna.Large-scale long-term studies are still needed in order to investigate the interactions between the many variables affected by litter, especially in tropical and boreal forests, which have received little attention. Litter manipulation treatments present an opportunity to assess the effects of increasing primary production in forest ecosystems; specific research aims include assessing the eff...

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Section: Direct and Indirect Effects On Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems

Sayer¹

2005

Biol. Rev.

643

494

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“…The fall line extends from central Alabama northeasterly to North Carolina and was once dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), but only 4% of the original longleaf pine forest remains [47]. Loss of the longleaf pine forests is primarily due to land-use change, timber harvesting, and fire suppression [28,30]. Longleaf pine is a fire-adapted species; small trees can withstand the light, frequent fires typical of these systems.…”

Section: Description Of Five-county Study Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioregional planning in central Georgia, USA

Dale¹,

Aldridge²,

Arthur³

et al. 2006

Futures

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“…Removal of the protective layer of fresh needles exposes the soil in the harvested stand for nearly an entire year. Thus, pine straw raking not only removes large quantities of organic matter and nutrients [23], but also leaves the soil exposed for many months, which can lead to increased soil erosion, reduced soil moisture, and increased soil bulk density [24][25][26]. Raking for three consecutive years can cause near complete removal of organic residues at the soil surface, increased rain water runoff volume, and decreased infiltration rates [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repeated Raking of Pine Plantations Alters Soil Arthropod Communities

Ober

DeGroote

2014

Forests

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Terrestrial arthropods in forests are engaged in vital ecosystem functions that ultimately help maintain soil productivity. Repeated disturbance can cause abrupt and irreversible changes in arthropod community composition and thereby alter trophic interactions among soil fauna. An increasingly popular means of generating income from pine plantations in the Southeastern U.S. is annual raking to collect pine litter. We raked litter once per year for three consecutive years in the pine plantations of three different species (loblolly, Pinus taeda; longleaf, P. palustris; and slash, P. elliottii). We sampled arthropods quarterly for three years in raked and un-raked pine stands to assess temporal shifts in abundance among dominant orders of arthropods. Effects varied greatly among orders of arthropods, among timber types, and among years. Distinct trends over time were apparent among orders that occupied both high trophic positions (predators) and low trophic positions (fungivores, detritivores). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that raking caused stronger shifts in arthropod community composition in longleaf and loblolly than slash pine stands. Results highlight the role of pine litter in shaping terrestrial arthropod communities, and imply that repeated removal of pine straw during consecutive years is likely to have unintended consequences on arthropod communities that exacerbate over time. OPEN ACCESSForests 2014, 5 690

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Response of direct seeded Pinus Palustris and herbaceous vegetation to fertilization, burning, and pine straw harvesting

Cited by 31 publications

References 17 publications

Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems

Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems

Bioregional planning in central Georgia, USA

Repeated Raking of Pine Plantations Alters Soil Arthropod Communities

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