Soil water, nutrient availability and sapling survival under organic and polyethylene mulch in a seasonally dry tropical forest

We examine the effect of mulches on the soil volumetric water content (SVWC), pH, carbon (C), total and mineral (NH₄ and NO₃) nitrogen (N), total and bicarbonate phosphorus (P), and on the survival and relative growth rate of three species, Ipomea wolcottiana Rose, Lonchocarpus eriocarinalis Micheli and Caesalpinia eriostachys Benth, in a degraded seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) area. Our study year was unusually dry, with only half of the mean annual rainfall. Sixteen plots (5 × 6 m) for each of our four treatments, mulches with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) straw, forest litter (SDTF litter), polyethylene and bare soil (control), were used. In each plot, 20 tree saplings were planted of each species. The SVWC was higher in plots mulched with polyethylene than in bare soil plots. The soil pH did not change with mulching, and there were no differences between treatments in the concentrations of soil organic C, total N, NO₃ and total P. However, soil concentrations of NH₄ were highest in plots with alfalfa straw and of bicarbonate P in plots with polyethylene. Sapling survival was higher in polyethylene mulch plots than in other mulching treatments, in the order I.␣wolcottiana > C. eriostachys > L. eriocarinalis. Sapling survival under organic mulches, alfalfa straw and forest litter were similar, and lowest in bare soil. The relative growth rate followed the order L. eriocarinalis < C. eriostachys < I. wolcotiana, and the growth rate of all species was greatest under polyethylene mulch. We conclude that a combination of polyethylene mulch with species of high growth rate is best for restoring seasonally dry tropical areas.     

Mixed species stands of eucalypts as ecotones on a water supply gradient

Eucalyptus tenuiramis frequently forms mixed-species stands with E. obliqua. A statistical analysis of 2140 forest stands in south-eastern Tasmania indicates that the mixed-species stands of E. tenuiramis and E. obliqua occupy and environmental space intermediate to that of pure stands of either species. Detailed examination of one such mixed-species stand showed that local-scale variation in soil depth could make the environment similar to that of pure stands and that this soil depth variation was correlated with the abundance of each species in the local area. Examination of another mixed-species stand over the first 15 years of development demonstrated that local-scale variation in soil depth did not affect the probability of establishment of either species. However, within 2 or 3 years of establishment plants were large enough to explore the full soil volume and soil depth became a significant factor in species performance. Logistic regression modelling indicated that threshold values of drought stress for species changeover at the broad geographical scale, due to variation in mean annual climate, were the same as those correlated with local-scale patches of species that occurred as a result of variations in soil depth. Finally, the photosynthetic performance and leaf-area production of plants in mixed-species plantings and monoculture across artificially induced gradients of water supply were examined. Differences in species response to drought-stress provided a physiological explanation of the growth performance of each species at different levels of resource supply.     

Implications of floristic and environmental variation for carbon cycle dynamics in boreal forest ecosystems of central Canada

Abstract. Species composition, detritus, and soil data from 97 boreal forest stands along a transect in central Canada were analysed using Correspondence Analysis to determine the dominant environmental/site variables that differentiate these forest stands. Picea mariana stands were densely clustered together on the understorey DCA plot, suggesting a consistent understorey species composition (feather mosses and Ericaceae), whereas Populus tremuloides stands had the most diverse understorey species composition (ca. 30 species, mostly shrubs and herbs). Pinus banksiana stands had several characteristic species of reindeer lichens (Cladina spp.), but saplings and Pinus seedlings were rare. Although climatic variables showed large variation along the transect, the CCA results indicated that site conditions are more important in determining species composition and differentiating the stand types. Forest floor characteristics (litter and humus layer, woody debris, and drainage) appear to be among the most important site variables. Stands of Picea had significantly higher average carbon (C) densities in the combined litter and humus layer (43530 kg‐C.ha^‐1) than either Populus (25 500 kg‐C.ha^‐1) or Pinus (19 400 kg‐C.ha^‐1). The thick surface organic layer in lowland Picea stands plays an important role in regulating soil temperature and moisture, and organic‐matter decomposition, which in turn affect the ecosystem C‐dynamics. During forest succession after a stand‐replacing disturbance (e.g. fires), tree biomass and surface organic layer thickness increase in all stand types as forests recover; however, woody biomass detritus first decreases and then increases after ca. 80 yr. Soil C densities show slight decrease with ages in Populus stands, but increase in other stand types. These results indicate the complex C‐transfer processes among different components (tree biomass, detritus, forest floor, and soil) of boreal ecosystems at various stages of succession.     

Tree dispersion in oak-dominated forests along an environmental gradient

Summary Spatial pattern was analyzed in seventeen stands of oak-dominated forest to address the hypothesis that species tended to be aggregated under favorable conditions and widely spaced in xeric, nutrient poor conditions. Trees were sampled at 80–100 points in each stand with the distance-to-nearest neighbor method. Soil samples were collected in each stand for analysis of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, soil pH, soil texture, and soil organic matter. Growing season precipitation was also recorded from climate stations near each stand. Quercus stellata (Wang.) dominated 10 stands, Q. marilandica (Muenchh.) dominated three stands and these species were codominant in four stands. Principal components analysis identified a soil texture/fertility gradient across the study area. Quercus stellata and all species combined were aggregated in most stands, whereas Q. marilandica was mostly randomly distributed within a stand. Small trees of all species combined tended to be aggregated and large trees were randomly dispersed in all but two stands, suggesting competition. Mean distance between large-large pairs was always greater than mean distance between small-small pairs in all stands, but this difference was only significant in one stand. Correlations between nearest neighbor distance and combined size of nearest neighbors were significant and positive in 12 of 17 stands. In all cases, however, slopes were shallow suggesting that competition is weak in these communities and has a limited effect on spacing of neighboring trees. Contrary to our hypothesis, trees were more aggregated on coarse-textured soils with low organic matter content. For all species combined, degree of aggregation was unrelated to growing season precipitation. Aggregation appears to be common in these forests because environmental stress in many stands reduces growth rates. Trees have not yet reached a size at which competition or other interactions can greatly increase interplant distances and reduce the degree of aggregation. A simple graphical model is developed to describe the relationship between patterns, stress and competition in plant communities.     

Seed bank dynamics of two obligate seeders, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cistus monspeliensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosmarinus officinalis</Emphasis>, in relation to time since fire

Many species in Mediterranean-type ecosystems regenerate after fire by seed germination from soil seed banks. Seed bank dynamics of two of those obligate seeders, Cistus monspeliensis and Rosmarinus officinalis, were investigated in relation to stand age since fire in southwestern Portugal. Soil seed density, annual seed input, annual seed losses through germination and seed persistence were compared between species at stands differing in age since fire (5, 10 and 35 years). Soil seed density and seed input increased over the first decade after fire and were lowest at 35-year-old stands for C. monspeliensis. In R. officinalis, few seeds were produced and found in the soil at early stages, and maximum seed input and soil seed density were attained at 35-year-old stands. Soil seed density was mostly driven by seed production in both species, which is largely dependent on plant traits and population dynamics related to fire. Overall, stand age since fire had a negligible effect on seed germination, seed persistence and viability. Ten to 39% of buried seeds were not recovered after 1 year, and viability of seeds recovered was 97–100% for C. monspeliensis and only 0–3% for R. officinalis. Variation in plant traits within the seeder syndrome was evidenced by this study. R. officinalis evidenced lower seed persistence, lower proportion of viable seed produced and lower density of viable soil seed than C. monspeliensis at any stage after fire. R. officinalis is expected to depend largely on previous year seed production for population replacement after fire.     

Tree seedling performance and below-ground properties in stands of invasive and native tree species

The establishment and subsequent impacts of invasive plant species often involve interactions or feedbacks with the below-ground subsystem. We compared the performance of planted tree seedlings and soil communities in three ectomycorrhizal tree species at Craigieburn, Canterbury, New Zealand – two invasive species (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir; Pinus contorta, lodgepole pine) and one native (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, mountain beech) – in monodominant stands. We studied mechanisms likely to affect growth and survival, i.e. nutrient competition, facilitation of carbon and nutrient transfer through mycorrhizal networks, and modification of light and soil conditions by canopy trees. Seedlings were planted in plastic tubes filled with local soil, and placed in monospecific stands. Effects of root competition from trees and mycorrhizal connections on seedling performance were tested by root trenching and use of tubes with or without a fine mesh (20 μm), allowing mycorrhizal hyphae (but not roots) to pass through. Survival and growth were highest in stands of Nothofagus and lowest under Pseudotsuga. Surprisingly, root trenching and mesh treatments had no effect on seedling performance, indicating canopy tree species affected seedling performance through reduced light availability and altered soil conditions rather than below-ground suppression from root competition or mycorrhizal facilitation. Seedlings in Pseudotsuga stands had lower mycorrhizal colonisation, likely as a result of the lower light levels. Soil organic matter levels, microbial biomass, and abundance and diversity of microbe-consuming nematodes were all highest under Nothofagus, and nematode community assemblages differed strongly between native and non-native stand types. The negative effects of non-native trees on nematodes relative to Nothofagus are likely due to the lower availability of soil organic matter and microbial biomass in these stands, and therefore lower availability of resources for nematodes. This study shows that established stands of non-native invasive tree species may adversely affect tree seedlings and soil communities through modifications of the microenvironment both above and below ground. As such, invasion and domination of new landscapes by these species is likely to result in fundamental shifts in community- and ecosystem-level properties relative to those under native forest cover.     

Allelopathic Effects of Tree Species on Some Soil Microbial Populations and Herbaceous Plants

The allelopathic potential of four tree species on soil microbial populations and some herbaceous plants (two understory species and one general biotest species) was investigated. Effects of three nonindigenous tree species, Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Pinus radiata D.Don and Acacia melanoxylon R.Br., on microorganisms participating in the cycle of nitrogen were evaluated, comparing them with those produced by the autochthonous Quercus robur L. Influence of the trees on Lactuca sativa L., Dactylis glomerata L. and Trifolium repens L. was also checked in bioassays. Cell numbers of Nitrosomonas sp. were negatively affected by Acacia and Eucalyptus stands, mainly during spring, when flowers are especially abundant on the ground. Proteolytic microorganisms were also negatively affected by Eucalyptus and Pinus stands, whilst Quercus stand did not show any toxicity. Soil bioassays showed clear inhibitory effects on germination and growth of understory plants, particularly soils from Eucalyptus and Acacia stands. The greatest effects had the soil from Acacia stand, which was phytotoxic during the whole period of germination and growth of understory plants. Allelopathic phenomena could be, at least partially, responsible of the low species diversity in the understory of the nonindigenous tree stands.     

An Analysis of Vegetation Restoration on Opencast Oil Shale Mines in Estonia

We compared four types of 30‐year‐old forest stands growing on spoil of opencast oil shale mines in Estonia. The stand types were: (1) natural stands formed by spontaneous succession, and plantations of (2) Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), (3) Betula pendula (silver birch), and (4) Alnus glutinosa (European black alder). In all stands we measured properties of the tree layer (species richness, stand density, and volume of growing stock), understory (density and species richness of shrubs and tree saplings), and ground vegetation (aboveground biomass, species richness, and species diversity). The tree layer was most diverse though sparse in the natural stands. Understory species richness per 100‐m² plot was highest in the natural stand, but total stand richness was equal in the natural and alder stands, which were higher than the birch and pine stands. The understory sapling density was lower than 50 saplings/100 m² in the plantations, while it varied between 50 and 180 saplings/100 m² in the natural stands. Growing stock volume was the least in natural stands and greatest in birch stands. The aboveground biomass of ground vegetation was highest in alder stands and lowest in the pine stands. We can conclude that spontaneous succession promotes establishment of diverse vegetation. In plantations the establishment of diverse ground vegetation depends on planted tree species.     

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in volcanic soils following afforestation with native birch (Betula pubescens) and introduced larch (Larix sibirica) in Iceland

Afforestation has become an important tool for soil protection and land reclamation in Iceland. Nevertheless, the harsh climate and degraded soils are growth-limiting for trees, and little is know about changes in soil nutrients in maturing forests planted on the volcanic soils. In the present chronosequence study, changes in C, N and total P in soil (0–10 and 10–20 cm depth) and C and N in foliar tissue were investigated in stands of native Downy birch (Betula pubescens Enrh.) and the in Iceland introduced Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.). The forest stands were between 14 and 97 years old and were established on heath land that had been treeless for centuries. Soils were Andosols derived from basaltic material and rhyolitic volcanic ash. A significant effect of tree species was only found for the N content in foliar tissue. Foliar N concentrations were significantly higher and foliar C/N ratios significantly lower in larch needles than in birch leaves. There was no effect of stand age. Changes in soil C and the soil nutrient status with time after afforestation were little significant. Soil C concentrations in 0–10 cm depth in forest stands older than 30 years were significantly higher than in heath land and forest stands younger than 30 years. This was attributed to a slow accumulation of organic matter. Soil N concentrations and soil P_tot were not affected by stand age. Nutrient pools in the two soil layers were calculated for an average weight of soil material (400 Mg soil ha⁻¹ in 0–10 cm depth and 600 Mg soil ha⁻¹ in 10–20 cm depth, respectively). Soil nutrient pools did not change significantly with time. Soil C pools were in average 23.6 Mg ha⁻¹ in the upper soil layer and 16.9 Mg ha⁻¹ in the lower soil layer. The highest annual increase in soil C under forest compared to heath land was 0.23 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 0–10 cm depth calculated for the 53-year-old larch stand. Soil N pools were in average 1.0 Mg N ha⁻¹ in both soil layers and did not decrease with time despite a low N deposition and the uptake and accumulation of N in biomass of the growing trees. Soil P_tot pools were in average 220 and 320 kg P ha⁻¹ in the upper and lower soil layer, respectively. It was assumed that mycorrhizal fungi present in the stands had an influence on the availability of N and P to the trees. Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.     

黄土丘陵区人工柠条种植年限和坡位对土壤团聚体稳定性的影响

柠条(Caragana korshinskii Kom.)种植是黄土高原地区生态环境建设中重要的人工植被恢复措施。选择黄土丘陵区条带种植15、25和35年的柠条坡地,以荒草坡地为对照,运用Le Bissonnais法分析柠条种植不同年限和坡位对0—40 cm土层团聚体分布及其稳定性的影响。结果表明:长时间柠条种植对土壤团聚体稳定性的影响主要在0—20 cm土层;不同处理下土壤大团聚体(0.25 mm)含量总体表现为柠条35年柠条25年柠条15年荒草地,表明柠条种植年限增加促进了大团聚体的形成。从坡面尺度看,柠条平均重量直径整体表现为坡下坡上坡中;在上坡的柠条35年样地具有最大值(3.08 mm),但在下坡荒草地显著高于柠条林地(P0.05)。基于相对消散指数和相对机械破碎指数,上中坡土壤团聚体均对消散作用和机械破碎作用较敏感,而下坡的下层土壤团聚体对破碎作用更敏感。冗余分析表明,土壤有机碳和粘粒含量与柠条平均重量直径呈显著正相关关系(P0.05)。种植年限是影响土壤团聚体稳定性的主要因素,解释了30.4%的变异;其次是土层(2.75%)和坡位(0.61%)。总体而言,柠条种植年限增加有利于促进黄土丘陵区土壤团聚体稳定性提升,但这种影响在不同坡位具有差异:在上中坡团聚体稳定性均随种植年限增加而增强,在下坡则先降后增。     

Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on seedling growth of four tree species from the tropical deciduous forest in Mexico

The influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on the growth of seedlings of Caesalpinia eriostachys, Cordia alliodora, Ipomoea wolcottiana and Pithecellobium mangense was investigated in a greenhouse experiment conducted at the Biological Station of Chamela on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Dry biomass production, relative growth rate, root/shoot ratio and mycorrhizal dependency were quantified for 75-day-old seedlings. With the exception of the pioneer species I. wolcottiana, mycorrhizal infection resulted in increases in biomass production, relative growth rate and leaf area. The root/shoot ratios attained for the species, however, did not show a consistent trend with infection. Nevertheless, all species had root/shoot ratios below 1 with infection and only one, Cordia alliodora, had a ratio greater than 1 without infection. The two late successional species from the mature part of the forest, Caesalpinia eriostachys and P. mangense, showed a larger mycorrhizal dependency than the two associated with disturbed environments.     

南亚热带红锥、杉木纯林与混交林碳贮量比较

造林再造林作为新增碳汇的一种有效途径,受到国际社会的广泛关注。如何通过改变林分树种组成,优化造林模式提高人工林生态系统碳贮量已成为国内外学者关注的重点。通过样方调查和生物量实测相结合的方法,对南亚热带26年生红锥纯林(PCH)、杉木纯林(PCL)及红锥×杉木混交林(MCC)生态系统各组分碳含量、碳贮量及其分配特征进行了比较研究。结果表明:杉木、红锥各器官平均碳含量分别为492.1—545.7 g/kg和486.7—524.1 g/kg。相同树种不同器官以及不同树种的相同器官间碳含量差异显著(P0.05)。红锥各器官碳含量的平均值(521.3 g/kg)高于杉木(504.7 g/kg)。不同林分间地被物碳含量大小顺序为PCHMCCPCL;不同树种之间的土壤碳含量差异显著(P0.05),0—100 cm土壤平均碳含量为PCLMCCPCH。生态系统碳贮量大小顺序为PCL(169.49 t/hm2)MCC(141.18 t/hm2)PCL(129.20 t/hm2),相同组分不同林分以及相同林分的不同组分碳贮量均存在显著差异(P0.05)。造林模式对人工林碳贮量及其分配规律有显著影响,营建混交林有利于红锥生物量和土壤碳的累积,而营建纯林有利于杉木人工林生物量碳的吸收,也有利于土壤碳的固定。因而,混交林的固碳功能未必高于纯林,在选择碳汇林的造林模式时,应以充分考虑不同树种的固碳特性。     

南亚热带格木、马尾松幼龄人工纯林及其混交林生态系统碳氮储量

研究比较了南亚热带6年生格木(Erythrophleum fordii)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)幼龄人工纯林及马尾松与格木混交林生态系统碳氮储量及其分配特征。结果表明,生态系统总碳储量依次为马尾松-格木混交林(137.75 t/hm2)格木纯林(134.07 t/hm2)马尾松纯林(131.10 t/hm2),总氮储量则为格木纯林(10.19 t/hm2)马尾松-格木混交林(8.68 t/hm2)马尾松纯林(7.01 t/hm2)。3种人工林生态系统碳氮库空间分布基本一致,绝大部分储存于0—100 cm土壤层,平均占生态系统总储量的81.49%和96.91%,其次为乔木层(分别占17.52%和2.69%),林下植被和凋落物层所占比例最小。林地土壤碳主要集中于表土层,其中0—30 cm土层平均碳储量为52.52 t/hm2,占土壤总碳储量(0—100 cm)的47.99%,土壤氮的分布则无明显规律。相比于纯林,与固氮树种混交的营林方式表现出更大的碳储存能力。3种幼龄人工林生态系统较低的地上与地下部分碳氮分配比,表明其仍具有较强的碳氮固持潜力。     

Litterfall and fine root biomass contribution to nutrient dynamics in second- and old-growth Douglas-fir ecosystems

Litterfall and fine root production were measured for three years as part of a carbon balance study of three forest stands in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. A young second-growth Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] stand, a second-growth Douglas-fir with red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) stand, and an old-growth (∼550 years) Douglas-fir stand were monitored for inputs of carbon and nitrogen into the soil from litterfall and fine root production, as well as changes in soil C and N. Fine root production and soil nutrient changes were measured through the use of soil ingrowth bags containing homogenized soil from the respective stands. Litterfall biomass was greatest in the Douglas-fir-alder stand (527 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) that annually returned nearly three times the amount of N as the other stands. Mean residence time for forest floor material was also shortest at this site averaging 4.6 years and 5.5 years for C an N, respectively. Fine root production in the upper 20 cm ranged from 584 g m⁻² in the N rich Douglas-fir-alder stand to 836 g m⁻² in the old-growth stand. Fine root production (down to one meter) was always greater than litterfall with a below:above ratio ranging from 3.73 for the young Douglas-fir stand to 1.62 for the Douglas-fir-alder stand. The below:above N ratios for all three stands closely approximate those for biomass. Soil changes in both C and N differed by site, but the soil C changes in the old-growth stand mirrored those obtained in an ongoing CO₂ flux study. Results from the soil ingrowth bags strongly suggest that this method provides a simple, but sufficient device for measuring potential fine root biomass production as well as soil chemical changes.     

Nitrogen dynamics of a boreal black spruce wildfire chronosequence

This study examined the nitrogen (N) dynamics of a black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP)-dominated chronosequence in Manitoba, Canada. The seven sites studied each contained separate well- and poorly drained stands, originated from stand-killing wildfires, and were between 3 and 151 years old. Our goals were to (i) measure total N concentration ([N]) of all biomass components and major soil horizons; (ii) compare N content and select vegetation N cycle processes among the stands; and (iii) examine relationships between ecosystem C and N cycling for these stands. Vegetation [N] varied significantly by tissue type, species, soil drainage, and stand age; woody debris [N] increased with decay state and decreased with debris size. Soil [N] declined with horizon depth but did not vary with stand age. Total (live + dead) biomass N content ranged from 18.4 to 99.7 g N m⁻² in the well-drained stands and 37.8–154.6 g N m⁻² in the poorly drained stands. Mean soil N content (380.6 g N m⁻²) was unaffected by stand age. Annual vegetation N requirement (5.9 and 8.4 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹ in the middle-aged well- and poorly drained stands, respectively) was dominated by trees and fine roots in the well-drained stands, and bryophytes in the poorly drained stands. Fraction N retranslocated was significantly higher in deciduous than evergreen tree species, and in older than younger stands. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significantly lower in bryophytes than in trees, and in deciduous than in evergreen trees. Tree NUE increased with stand age, but overall stand NUE was roughly constant (∼ ∼150 g g⁻¹ N) across the entire chronosequence.     

Site and temporal variation of soil respiration in European beech, Norway spruce, and Scots pine forests

Global warming and changes in rainfall amount and distribution may affect soil respiration as a major carbon flux between the biosphere and the atmosphere. The objectives of this study were to investigate the site to site and interannual variation in soil respiration of six temperate forest sites. Soil respiration was measured using closed chambers over 2 years under mature beech, spruce and pine stands at both Solling and Unterlüß, Germany, which have distinct climates and soils. Cumulative annual CO₂ fluxes varied from 4.9 to 5.4 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1 at Solling with silty soils and from 4.0 to 5.9 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1 at Unterlüß with sandy soils. With one exception soil respiration rates were not significantly different among the six forest sites (site to site variation) and between the years within the same forest site (interannual variation). Only the respiration rate in the spruce stand at Unterlüß was significant lower than the beech stand at Unterlüß in both years. Soil respiration rates of the sandy sites at Unterlüß were limited by soil moisture during the rather dry and warm summer 1999 while soil respiration at the silty Solling site tended to increase. We found a threshold of ?80 kPa at 10 cm depth below which soil respiration decreased with increasing drought. Subsequent wetting of sandy soils revealed high CO₂ effluxes in the stands at Unterlüß. However, dry periods were infrequent, and our results suggest that temporal variation in soil moisture generally had little effect on annual soil respiration rates. Soil temperature at 5 cm and 10 cm depth explained 83% of the temporal variation in soil respiration using the Arrhenius function. The correlations were weaker using temperature at 0 cm (r² = 0.63) and 2.5 cm depth (r² = 0.81). Mean Q₁₀ values for the range from 5 to 15 °C increased asymptotically with soil depth from 1.87 at 0 cm to 3.46 at 10 cm depth, indicating a large uncertainty in the prediction of the temperature dependency of soil respiration. Comparing the fitted Arrhenius curves for same tree species from Solling and Unterlüß revealed higher soil respiration rates for the stands at Solling than in the respective stands at Unterlüß at the same temperature. A significant positive correlation across all sites between predicted soil respiration rates at 10 °C and total phosphorus content and C‐to‐N ratio of the upper mineral soil indicate a possible effect of nutrients on soil respiration.     

Soil seed banks in different environments: initial forest,mature forest,Pinus and Eucalyptus abandoned stands

Abstract

Different environments (initial forest, mature forest, Pinus and Eucalyptus stands) found in Seasonal Semideciduous Forest fragments affect the density of viable seeds, as well as the floristic similarity, diversity, and richness of tree species in soil seed banks. This hypothesis was tested in the current study. Soil seed bank samples were collected in the aforementioned environments during rainy and dry seasons, and taken to a shade house, where they remained under favorable seed germination conditions. Tree seedling emergence was measured, and sample species were identified every 15?days, for six months, in each sampling period. In total, 97 individuals m^?2 and 23 species emerged in all environments and periods. The highest density of viable seeds of tree species in the soil seed bank was found in the initial forest stretch, mature forest stretch and abandoned Eucalyptus stand. Only the Pinus stand seed bank in the dry season had different floristic and lower viable seed density than the mature forest seed bank. Thus, all environments, except the abandoned Pinus stand, can preserved Seasonal Semideciduous Forest fragments.     

Fine root dynamics in lodgepole pine and white spruce stands along productivity gradients in reclaimed oil sands sites

Open‐pit mining activities in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada, create disturbed lands that, by law, must be reclaimed to a land capability equivalent to that existed before the disturbance. Re‐establishment of forest cover will be affected by the production and turnover rate of fine roots. However, the relationship between fine root dynamics and tree growth has not been studied in reclaimed oil sands sites. Fine root properties (root length density, mean surface area, total root biomass, and rates of root production, turnover, and decomposition) were assessed from May to October 2011 and 2012 using sequential coring and ingrowth core methods in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss) stands. The pine and spruce stands were planted on peat mineral soil mix placed over tailings sand and overburden substrates, respectively, in reclaimed oil sands sites in Alberta. We selected stands that form a productivity gradient (low, medium, and high productivities) of each tree species based on differences in tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) increments. In lodgepole pine stands, fine root length density and fine root production, and turnover rates were in the order of high > medium > low productivity sites and were positively correlated with tree height and DBH and negatively correlated with soil salinity (P < 0.05). In white spruce stands, fine root surface area was the only parameter that increased along the productivity gradient and was negatively correlated with soil compaction. In conclusion, fine root dynamics along the stand productivity gradients were closely linked to stand productivity and were affected by limiting soil properties related to the specific substrate used for reconstructing the reclaimed soil. Understanding the impact of soil properties on fine root dynamics and overall stand productivity will help improve land reclamation outcomes.     

科尔沁沙地典型固沙人工林地土壤水分时空特征及其对环境因子的响应

土壤水分时空动态特征对于干旱地区人工林的可持续经营与管理起着至关重要的作用。以位于科尔沁沙地南缘的樟子松和柠条固沙人工林为对象，于2018年11月-2019年11月连续观测了林地0-200 cm土壤剖面的含水量、温度及微气象因子，系统分析了土壤水分的时空变化特征及其对环境因子的响应。研究期内，两种林地土壤水分的季节变化可分为冻结期、补充期、消耗期和稳定期；依据土壤剖面的水分特征可分为易变层、活跃层和稳定层，但两种林地的分层深度有一定差异。在生长季内（5-10月），土壤含水量对大气降雨的响应随着土层深度的增加而减弱；降雨对樟子松人工林0-20 cm层土壤水分的影响极显著（P<0.01），对柠条人工林0-10 cm层的影响极显著（P<0.01）、20-60 cm层显著（P<0.05）。在土壤冻融周期内（2018年11月-2019年4月），两种林地的土壤均表现为"单向冻结"和"双向融化"的特点；土壤温度是影响冻融期内土壤含水量的关键因素，两者呈极显著的指数函数关系；樟子松和柠条人工林土壤的最大冻结深度分别为170 cm和190 cm，前者10 cm土层解冻时间要比后者晚11 d，可能与乔木树冠的遮阴作用有关。潜在蒸散与柠条林0-60 cm层、樟子松林0-20 cm和200 cm层的土壤水分呈极显著相关（P<0.01），而与樟子松林60 cm和160 cm层呈显著相关（P<0.05），这与树木蒸腾和土壤蒸发等综合作用有关。研究表明，由于两种人工林的树种组成、树冠大小、郁闭程度和根系分布等结构特征不同会导致林地土壤水分时空特征的异质性及其对环境因素响应的差异。     

Nutrients and mass in litter and top soil of ten tropical tree plantations

The importance of litter to nutrient and organic matter storage and the possible influence of species selection on soil fertility in ten stands each consisting of a separate tree species were examined in this study. The plantations had been grown under similar conditions in an arboretum in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. The species involved were: Anthocephalus chinensis, Eucalyptus × patentinervis, E. saligna, Hernandia sonora, Hibiscus elatus, Khaya nyasica, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, P. elliottii var. densa, Swietenia macrophylla, and Terminalia ivorensis. After 26 yr, litter mass ranged from 5 mg ha^-1 in the H. sonora stand to 27.2 Mg ha^-1 in the P. caribaea stand. Nutrients in the litter (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) also varied widely, but stands were ranked in different order when ranked by nutrients in the litter than then ranked according to accumulation of mass. Only E. saligna and A. chinensis stands were ranked similarly in accumulation of both nutrients and mass, and the stand of H. elatus was ranked higher with respect to nutrient accumulation than to accumulation of mass. The nutrient concentration in standing leaf litter generally increased in the order of recently fallen <old intact< fragmented. Nutrient concentration of standing leaf litter appears to increase with age and depth in the litter layer. The amount of nutrients stored in the litter compartment of these plantations was in the same order of magnitude as the quantity of available nutrients in the top 10-cm of mineral soil. Total litter mass was negatively correlated with the mass-weighted concentration of N, K, and Mg. The same relationship was found for Ca in the leaf litter and N in the fine wood litter compartments. In some stands (notably P. caribaea, P. elliottii, and E. saligna), leaf litter derived from species other than the species planted in that particular stand had higher nutrient concentration than leaf litter from the planted species. Soils of the 10 stands were classified in the same soil series and had similar texture (clay soils). However, significantly different chemical characteristics were found. Results obtained by analysis of covariance and by limiting comparisons to adjacent stands with similar soil texture, indicate that different species have had different influences on the concentration of available nutrients in soil.