Soil and forest productivity: a case study from Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) stands in Calabria (southern Italy)

Bravo, Felipe; Luca, Marco Di; Mercurio, Riccardo; Sidari, Maria; Muscolo, Adele

doi:10.3832/ifor0559-004

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…SOM characteristics is also influenced by seasonal changes, management practices and/or land uses and litter composition [18][19][20]. Djukic et al [21] reported that the content of O-alkyl C increased with cooler and moisture climates, while aromatic C increased under warmer conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land Use Affects the Soil C Sequestration in Alpine Environment, NE Italy

Pizzeghello

Francioso

Concheri

et al. 2017

Forests

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Soil carbon sequestration is strongly affected by soil properties, climate, and anthropogenic activities. Assessing these drivers is key to understanding the effect of land use on soil organic matter stabilization. We evaluated land use and soil depth influencing patterns of soil organic matter stabilization in three types of soil profiles located under the same pedogenetic matrix and alpine conditions but with different vegetation cover. The stock in soil organic carbon in the mean 0-20 cm layer increased from prairie (31.9 t ha −1 ) to prairie in natural reforestation (42 t ha −1 ) to forest (120 t ha −1 ), corresponding to increments of 1.3-fold prairie, for prairie in natural reforestation, and of 3.8-fold prairie for forest. The forest showed the highest humic carbon (21.7 g kg −1 ), which was 2.8 times greater than the prairie in natural reforestation and 4 times higher than the prairie. 13 C-NMR spectroscopic measurements suggested a different C pattern. The prairie in natural reforestation and the prairie were characterized by a higher content in O,N-alkyl C with respect to the forest. Alkyl C and aromatic C in the prairie in natural reforestation and prairie did not show relevant differences while they decreased with respect to the forest. Carboxyl and phenolic C groups were markedly higher in forest and prairie than prairie in natural reforestation. Alkyl C, carboxyl C, and phenolic C prevailed in the Ah horizons whereas aromatic C and O,N-alkyl C were dominant in the B horizons. Overall, the marked distribution of O,N-alkyl C and alkyl C in humic substances (HS) indicates a low degree of humification. Nevertheless, in forest, the relatively high presence of aromatic C designated HS endowed with a relatively high humification degree. Thus, our results might suggest that in the alpine environment of NE Italy differences in soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and characteristics are affected by land use and anthropic activities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land Use Affects the Soil C Sequestration in Alpine Environment, NE Italy

Pizzeghello

Francioso

Concheri

et al. 2017

Forests

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“…Landform relief is a major factor in plant growth and dynamics, as it determines both the gradient and aspect of slopes, and thus the amount of solar radiation which strongly influence moisture and tem-perature regimes (Cantlon 1953, Yimer et al 2006, Sewerniak et al 2011. However, as slope aspect has the strongest effects on vegetation in large-scale relief forms, previous research on relief's effects on plant growth has mainly focused on mountainous areas (Ochrymowicz 1963, Fekedulegn et al 2003, Rezaei & Gilkes 2005, Calvo et al 2008, Socha 2008, Bravo et al 2011. There has been less investigation of its effects in dune environments, which have relatively slight relief, and most of this investigation has focused on coastal dune ecosystems (Piotrowska 1988, Acosta et al 2000, Tilik et al 2011, Menkis et al 2012, Cedro et al 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in early dynamics and effects of slope aspect between naturally regenerated and planted Pinus sylvestris woodland on inland dunes in Poland

Sewerniak¹

2016

iForest

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Biogeosciences and Forestry Biogeosciences and Forestry Differences in early dynamics and effects of slope aspect between naturally regenerated and planted Pinus sylvestris woodland on inland dunes in Poland Piotr Sewerniak There is little knowledge of the effects of landform relief on early growth dynamics and competitive interactions of Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) stands on inland dunes, which could potentially be substantial. The goal of this study was to examine and compare early dynamics (based on growth parameters and properties of the understorey vegetation) and the effects of slope aspect in naturally regenerated and pine-planted woodland on inland dunes in northern Poland. Growth parameters, tree density, and understorey vegetation were monitored on north-and south-facing slopes in a 26.3 ha post-fire area with natural secondary succession and eight even-aged pine-planted stands, 5-34 years old. Clear differences were detected between the woodland types, in both growth parameters of pines with similar ages and effects of slope aspect on the pines. In the natural regeneration area north-facing slopes provided favorable conditions for natural encroachment by pines. Tree density was higher, and the pines were taller and thicker, on north-facing than on southfacing slopes. In contrast, in the pine-planted area pines were larger on southfacing slopes, although growth conditions were less favorable than on northfacing slopes. However, in the pine-planted area the north-facing slopes had significantly higher herb cover, dominated by Deschampsia flexuosa, indicating that even the presence of a relatively low grass species can impede early growth of Scots pine. The understorey species composition differed in the natural regeneration area, being dominated by Calluna vulgaris on north-facing slopes and Corynephorus canescens on south-facing slopes. The results reveal that interactions between landform, natural dynamics, planting practices, and competitive interactions in woodlands on inland dunes are complex, and should be considered in efforts to manage them efficiently.

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“…We can assume that on dunes, ground vegetation is stressed, and an increase in one stress factor decreases the number of different vascular plant species and may increase the occurrence of specific cryptogams (Košuthová et al 2015). Separating the effect of light from the availability of water to vascular plants is complicated, as solar radiation affects both soil temperature and soil moisture, which, in turn, affect soil chemical properties (Bravo et al 2011). Our model indicated that while increased light reduced species richness, the increase in volumetric water content increased species richness and also positively affected the cover of vascular plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Effects of environmental factors on the species richness, composition and community horizontal structure of vascular plants in Scots pine forests on fixed sand dunes

Tilk¹,

Tullus²,

Ots³

2017

Silva Fenn.

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Effects of environmental factors on the species richness, composition and community horizontal structure of vascular plants in Scots pine forests on fixed sand dunesTilk M., Tullus T., Ots K. (2017). Effects of environmental factors on the species richness, composition and community horizontal structure of vascular plants in Scots pine forests on fixed sand dunes. Silva Fennica vol. 51 no. 3 article id 6986. 18 p. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.6986 Highlights• Factors affecting the species richness, composition and horizontal structure of vascular plants are related to dune topography, resulting in the differentiation of soils and therefore complexes of different microhabitats that are populated by various vascular plant species and causing vegetation zonation. AbstractDifferent environmental factors were studied to determine which factors influence the species richness, composition and structure of vascular plants in Pinus sylvestris L. forests in a fixed dune landscape in south-western Estonia. In addition to site topographic factors, different environmental parameters were investigated. Thirty-four vascular plant species were recorded in 232 quadrats. The most abundant species was Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., which was in 82.8% of quadrats, followed by Vaccinium myrtillus L. (74.1%), Melampyrum pratense L. (71.1%) and Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin. (69.8%). The multiple response permutation procedure (MRPP) showed considerable differences in species composition at the bottoms of dunes compared with that on the slopes and at the tops of dunes. Indicator species analysis (ISA) determined species exhibited characteristics specific to zone: V. myrtillus had the highest indicator value at the bottoms of dunes; Calluna vulgaris L., at the tops. Soils were Haplic Podzols, and the presence of humus horizon depended on zone. Soil conditions on the dunes were variable and site specific, in general, soils at the bottoms of the dunes were more acidic and moist compared with those of the slopes and tops of the dunes, and the nutrient content decreased toward the dune tops. According to non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and linear mixed model analyses, species coverage, composition and richness were controlled by site-specific factors such as absolute height, location and aspect of the quadrat on the dune; soil nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus contents; soil pH and moisture; light conditions; and the thickness of the litter horizon.

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Soil and forest productivity: a case study from Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) stands in Calabria (southern Italy)

Cited by 18 publications

References 27 publications

Land Use Affects the Soil C Sequestration in Alpine Environment, NE Italy

Land Use Affects the Soil C Sequestration in Alpine Environment, NE Italy

Differences in early dynamics and effects of slope aspect between naturally regenerated and planted Pinus sylvestris woodland on inland dunes in Poland

Effects of environmental factors on the species richness, composition and community horizontal structure of vascular plants in Scots pine forests on fixed sand dunes

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