The influence of partial timber harvesting in riparian buffers on macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams in Minnesota,USA

Relatively few evaluations of aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities have been published in peer-reviewed literature detailing the effect of varying residual basal area (RBA) after timber harvesting in riparian buffers. Our analysis investigated the effects of partial harvesting within riparian buffers on aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams from two experiments in northern Minnesota northern hardwood-aspen forests. Each experiment evaluated partial harvesting within riparian buffers. In both experiments, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected 1 year prior to harvest and in each of 3 years after harvest. We observed interannual variation for the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and taxon richness in the single-basin study and abundance and diversity in the multiple-basin study, but few effects related to harvest treatments in either study. However, interannual variation was not evident in the fish communities and we detected no significant changes in the stream fish communities associated with partially harvested riparian buffers in either study. This would suggest that timber harvesting in riparian management zones along reaches ≤200 m in length on both sides of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 12.4 ± 1.3 m² ha⁻¹ or on a single side of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 8.7 ± 1.6 m² ha⁻¹ may be adequate to protect macroinvertebrate and fish communities in our Minnesota study systems given these specific timber harvesting techniques.     

Leaf resorption efficiency and proficiency in a Quercus robur population following forest harvest

Nutrient resorption is an important mechanism for nutrient preservation in plants. Variations in nutrient availability can interfere with resorption-regulating mechanisms. Disturbances (such as forest harvest) leading to a loss of organic matter and nutrients in the soil could therefore determine important changes in resorption rates. This paper examines the effect of pine forest harvest on N and P resorption in young common oaks (Quercus robur) living under pine cover over a 4-year study period. The results obtained show a decrease in N-NH₄⁺ concentration in the soil in the 2 years following the forest harvest process. Forest harvest did not affect the edaphic concentration of NO₃⁻ and PO₄³⁻, which presented relatively low values in both areas. Foliar concentration of N was significantly lower in the areas affected by forest harvest, whereas the differences in the foliar concentration of P varied each year. The mean foliar N/P ratio was greater in the non-harvested areas, but showed possible limitation by P in both harvested and non-harvested sites.     

Soil solution,foliar concentrations and tree growth response to 3-year of ammonium-nitrate addition in two boreal forests of Québec,Canada

Ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) was applied monthly (from June to October) for 3 years in a balsam fir (Abies balsamea (Linné) Miller) and a black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) boreal forest in Québec (Canada). The design was composed of nine experimental units of 10 m × 10 m for each site. Application rates were 3 and 10 times the atmospheric N deposition measured at each site which was 6 and 3 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for the fir and the spruce sites, respectively. Soil solution composition (30 and 60 cm), tree growth, and foliar concentrations were analysed. The inorganic N in the soil solution of the control plots of both sites was low, particularly at the spruce site indicating that these forests are actively accumulating the atmospheric deposited N. Nitrogen additions regularly caused sudden and large inorganic N increases in the soil solution at both sites, both treatments and both sampling depths. However, these increases were transitory in nature and no persistent changes in inorganic N were observed. It was estimated that more than 95% of the added N was retained above the rooting zone at both sites. Nitrogen addition increased N, Ca, Mg and Mn foliar concentrations at the black spruce site but had no effects at the balsam fir site. After 3 years of N application, tree growth was similar in the control and the treated plots at both sites. Our results show that slow growing black spruce boreal forests with low ambient N deposition are responsive (in term of foliar N, Ca, Mg and Mn concentrations) to even small increases in N inputs, compared to higher growth balsam fir boreal forests with higher N deposition.     

Biogeochemical cycling and chemical fluxes in a managed northern forested wetland, Michigan, USA

Forest harvesting and subsequent regeneration treatments may cause changes in soil and solution chemistry that adversely affect forest productivity and environmental quality. The objective of this study was to assess soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and base cation pools and fluxes, and to construct a hydrogen ion (H⁺) mass balance to identify major processes controlling acidity production and consumption 14 years following whole-tree harvesting and regeneration in a northern forested wetland with underlying mineral soils derived from calcareous glacial drift. Results for soil elemental and nutrient pools in the harvested/regenerated stand were compared to an adjacent non-harvested stand and a riparian zone. The riparian zone had the highest soil total C, total N, and exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) pools; however, no difference in exchangeable potassium (K) was evident among stand types. Moreover, no differences between the harvested/regenerated and uncut stands were evident in any of the soil chemical pools.Net export of base cations was minimal and the H⁺ mass balance indicated that net cation exchange was not a significant process in H⁺ production or consumption in either the uncut or harvested/regenerated stands. The most striking differences in the H⁺ mass balance were (1) eight times the H⁺ consumption from sulfate (SO₄²⁻) reduction in the harvested/regenerated stand compared to that in the uncut condition and (2) nearly twice the H⁺ production due to N immobilization in the harvested/regenerated stand. However, both stand types were net H⁺ sinks and increases in H⁺ export due to whole-tree harvesting were not evident.The riparian zone was a net exporter of base cations. This finding was attributed to a combination of base cation exchange and carbonate mineral weathering; data suggested the importance of the latter. More research, however, is required to isolate the contributions of cation exchange and carbonate weathering on base cation export from the riparian zone. Stream chemistry was consistent with that of the riparian zone, indicating a strong linkage between the riparian zone stream chemistry, and whole-tree harvesting had no intermediate term (i.e., 14 years) effects on stream acidification in this managed northern wetland ecosystem.     

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen leaching from Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch stands in southern Sweden

The effects of three common tree species - Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch - on leaching of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved nitrogen were studied in an experimental forest with podzolised soils in southern Sweden. We analyzed soil water collected with lysimeters and modeled water fluxes to estimate dissolved C and N fluxes. Specific UV absorbance (SUVA) was analyzed to get information about the quality of dissolved organic matter leached from the different stands. Under the O horizon, DOC concentrations and fluxes in the birch stands were lower than in the spruce and pine stands; annual fluxes were 21 g m⁻² y⁻¹ for birch and 38 g m⁻² y⁻¹ and 37 g C m⁻² y⁻¹ for spruce and pine, respectively. Under the B horizon, annual fluxes for all tree species ranged between 3 and 5 g C m⁻² y⁻¹, implying greater loss of DOC in the mineral soil in the coniferous stands than in the birch stands. We did not find any effect of tree species on the quality of the dissolved organic matter, as measured by SUVA, indicating that the chemical composition of the organic matter was similar in leachates from all three tree species. Substantial amounts of nitrogen was leached out of the soil profile at the bottom of the B horizon from the pine and birch stands, whereas the spruce stands seemed to retain most of the nitrogen in the soil. These differences in N leaching have implications for soil N budgets.     

Nutrient concentration dynamics in an inland Pacific Northwest watershed before and after timber harvest

The nutrient loads of water draining forested watersheds are generally lower than the loads in water draining basins with other dominant land uses. Commercial forest management activities including timber harvesting, site preparation, road construction, and maintenance can alter the chemical properties of headwater forest streams, and there are concerns this can result in cumulative effects at downstream locations. Monthly water samples were collected from 1992 to 2006 in the Mica Creek Experimental Watershed (MCEW) in northern Idaho. This period of record included a pre-treatment time interval from 1992 to 1997; post-road construction period from 1997 to 2001; and post-harvest period from 2001 to 2006. Samples were analyzed for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrate + nitrite (NO₃ + NO₂), total phosphorus (TP), and orthophosphate (OP). Statistically significant increases (p < 0.001) were observed in NO₃ + NO₂ concentrations following both clearcut and partial cut harvest practices. Downstream of the clearcut harvest activity, mean monthly increases of 0.29 mg-N L⁻¹ were observed. Statistically significant increases were also observed at sites further downstream, but changes were smaller than those immediately below the harvest sites and reflected dilution and possibly instream processing and/or uptake. Continued monitoring at these sites will help evaluate nutrient concentration trends during stand regrowth and hydrologic recovery.     

Recovery of carbon and nutrient pools in a northern forested wetland 11 years after harvesting and site preparation

We measured the change in above- and below-ground carbon and nutrient pools 11 years after the harvesting and site preparation of a histic-mineral soil wetland forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The original stand of black spruce (Picea mariana), jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and tamarack (Larix laricina) was whole-tree harvested, and three post-harvest treatments (disk trenching, bedding, and none) were randomly assigned to three Latin square blocks (n = 9). Nine control plots were also established in an adjoining uncut stand. Carbon and nutrients were measured in three strata of above-ground vegetation, woody debris, roots, forest floor, and mineral soil to a depth of 1.5 m. Eleven years following harvesting, soil C, N, Ca, Mg, and K pools were similar among the three site preparation treatments and the uncut stand. However, there were differences in ecosystem-level nutrient pools because of differences in live biomass. Coarse roots comprised approximately 30% of the tree biomass C in the regenerated stands and 18% in the uncut stand. Nutrient sequestration, in the vegetation since harvesting yielded an average net ecosystem gain of 332 kg N ha⁻¹, 110 kg Ca ha⁻¹, 18 kg Mg ha⁻¹, and 65 kg K ha⁻¹. The likely source for the cations and N is uptake from shallow groundwater, but N additions could also come from non-symbiotic N-fixation and N deposition. These are the only reported findings on long-term effects of harvesting and site preparation on a histic-mineral soil wetland and the results illustrate the importance of understanding the ecohydrology and nutrient dynamics of the wetland forest. This wetland type appears less sensitive to disturbance than upland sites, and is capable of sustained productivity under these silvicultural treatments.     

Concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in a Picea abies chronosequence on former arable land in Sweden

Shifting land use from agriculture to forestry induces major changes in the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, including fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON). This study investigated the long-term effects of afforestation on ecosystem DOC and DON dynamics using a chronosequence approach comprising four arable fields and nine differently aged (10–92 years) Norway spruce stands growing on similar former arable soils in the same area. Along the chronosequence, concentrations and fluxes of DOC and DON were determined in bulk precipitation, throughfall, O horizon leachate and mineral soil solution during a 2–3-year period. Soil water fluxes were calculated using a soil hydrological model (SWAP). Results showed that DOC concentrations and fluxes with throughfall were strongly positively correlated with tree height (r² = 0.95; P < 0.05 for both conc. and flux) and stand age, while DON showed no such trends, suggesting different origins of DOC and DON in throughfall. The highest concentrations and fluxes of DOC and DON occurred in soil leachate from the O horizon. Here, DOC flux was 250–310 kg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and DON flux 8–9 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in stands afforested between 65 and 92 years ago. Concentrations and fluxes of DOC and DON in the mineral subsoil were consistently low. Flux calculations suggest that there was a net loss of >90% (230–280 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) of DOC leached from the O horizon within 0–60 cm of the mineral soil. There was no significant effect of land use or forest age on DOC concentrations in solution from the lower part of the A horizon. The effect of time since afforestation was masked by soil properties that influence DOM retention in the mineral soil. Our data indicate that DOC concentrations in the A horizon of the sites studied were primarily related to the oxalate-extractable Al and Fe amounts in the same horizon. Afforestation of arable land induced a gradual qualitative change in soil organic matter (SOM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM), with significantly increasing C:N ratios in soil and soil solution over time. The development of an O horizon and the subsequent leaching of DOC and DON to the underlying mineral soil are important drivers of a changing soil C and N turnover following afforestation.     

Seasonal and spatial variation of nitrogen dynamics in the litter and surface soil layers on a tropical dry evergreen forest slope

Seasonal and spatial variability of litterfall and NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ leaching from the litter layer and 5-cm soil depth were investigated along a slope in a tropical dry evergreen forest in northeastern Thailand. Using ion exchange resin and buried bag methods, the vertical flux and transformation of inorganic nitrogen (N) were observed during four periods (dry, early wet, middle wet, and late wet seasons) at 15 subplots in a 180-m × 40-m rectangular plot on the slope. Annual N input via litterfall and inorganic N leached from the litter layer and from 5-cm depth soil were 12.5, 6.9, and 3.7 g N m⁻² year⁻¹, respectively, whereas net mineralization and the inorganic N pool in 0–5-cm soil were 7.1 g N m⁻² year⁻¹ and 1.4 g N m⁻², respectively. During the early wet season (90 days), we observed 82% and 74% of annual NO₃⁻ leaching from the litter layer and 5-cm soil depth, respectively. Higher N input via leaf litterfall in the dry season and via precipitation in the early wet season may have led to higher NO₃⁻ leaching rate from litter and surface soil layers during the early wet season. Large spatial variability in both NO₃⁻ vertical flux and litterfall was also observed within stands. Small-scale spatial patterns of total N input via litterfall were significantly correlated with NO₃⁻ leaching rate from the surface soil layer. In tropical dry evergreen forests, litterfall variability may be crucial to the remarkable seasonal changes and spatial variation in annual NO₃⁻ vertical flux in surface soil layers.     

Red alder leaf decomposition and nutrient release in alder and conifer riparian patches in western Washington,USA

Current management practices encourage conversion of red alder (Alnus rubra) riparian forests to conifers in the Pacific Northwest U.S. Patches of young naturally regenerated conifers are commonly present in alder dominated riparian areas and an understanding of the soil processes in these patches will be helpful in guiding future riparian management. Study objectives were to: (1) determine decomposition rates of red alder leaves in riparian alder and conifer patches, (2) relate decomposition rates to environmental factors and litter chemistry, and (3) determine nutrient release from decomposing alder leaves in these patches. Study sites were riparian areas adjacent to Brown and Le Bar creeks in the Skokomish River basin, Olympic National Forest, Washington. Red alder leaves were placed in litterbags in red alder and conifer riparian patches along each stream in November 2000 and collected after 1 and 3 years. There was rapid mass loss of alder leaves in the first year in both patch types, but decomposition was significantly faster (p < 0.05) in alder patches (43.2% mass remaining, k = 0.855 year⁻¹) than in conifer patches (48.4% mass remaining, k = 0.734 year⁻¹). There was little mass loss after the first year and no significant difference in decomposition rates. After 3 years mass remaining was 44.2% (k = 0.283 year⁻¹) and 47.8% (k = 0.48 year⁻¹) in alder and conifer patches, respectively. Decomposition rate differences were attributed more to the effects of the different litters in each patch and the influence on soil microbial and faunal communities than differences in soil temperature and moisture. The forest floor was deeper in conifer patches (3.7 cm) than alder (1.8 cm) patches. This was ascribed to slower decomposition rates in conifer patches, greater litterfall in conifer patches, and/or removal of alder surface litter by flooding. Alder patches were lower in elevation (0.8 m above bankfull width) than conifer patches (2.2 m). Forest floor and soil C and N concentrations and pHs were not significantly different in alder and conifer patches. Nutrient release from decomposing alder leaves was not significantly different in conifer and alder patches, although there was a trend for C, N, P, K, and Ca to be lost faster from leaves in alder patches than conifer patches in the first year. Red alder litter input to riparian conifer patches will initially decompose rapidly and provide nutrients, particularly N and P to conifers, as well as enhancing soil C since long-term decomposition rates are slow.     

Does soil organic matter variation affect the retention of NH4 and NO3 in forest ecosystems?

Human activities have fundamentally changed global nitrogen (N) cycling, leading to elevated N deposition in most parts of the world. The fate of deposited N, whether being retained to sustain plant growth or causing ecosystem N saturation, is critical to the global carbon (C) cycling and local environment. In a short-term laboratory experiment, we used ¹⁵N-labeled NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ to study the fate of N inputs in forest soils and what regulates N retention. Soils with a wide range of organic matter content and other attributes were collected from a 70-year-old plantation containing monotypic stands of Norway spruce (Picea abies), red pine (Pinus resinosa), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and red oak (Quercus rubra), and separated into 0-5 cm and 5-15 cm layers. Nitrogen added to the soil was either immediately extracted (Time 0: T0) with K₂SO₄ solution, or incubated for 7 d (T7) and then extracted. Retention of ¹⁵N into the non-extractable soil pool at T0 was limited; but after the 7-d incubation, between 20 and 70% of the ¹⁵NH₄⁺ was retained. Nitrification transformed on average 50% of the ¹⁵NH₄⁺ into ¹⁵NO₃⁻ during the incubation while retention of ¹⁵NO₃⁻ at T7 remained low (7.40 ± 1.08%). Retention of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ into non-extractable soil at T7 was positively correlated to the percentage of soil organic matter (SOM) (r² = 0.323, P < 0.001), and was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the high-SOM 0-5 cm layer than in the low-SOM 5-15 cm layer. Conversion of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ to ¹⁵NO₃⁻ during incubation significantly reduced the ¹⁵NH₄⁺ retention (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that the variations of SOM and other soil attributes play strong roles in the retention of newly deposited inorganic N and could affect forest ecosystem responses to chronic N deposition.     

Moving riparian management guidelines towards a natural disturbance model: An example using boreal riparian and shoreline forest bird communities

Forest harvesting strategies that approximate natural disturbances have been proposed as a means of maintaining natural species’ diversity and richness in the boreal forests of North America. Natural disturbances impact shoreline forests and upland areas at similar rates. However, shoreline forests are generally protected from harvest through the retention of treed buffer strips. We examined bird community responses to forest management guidelines intended to approximate shoreline forest fires by comparing bird community structure in early (1–4 years) post-burned and harvested boreal riparian habitats and the adjacent shoreline forest. We sampled riparian areas with adjacent: (1) burned merchantable shoreline forest (n = 21), (2) burned non-merchantable shoreline forest (n = 29), (3) 10 m treed buffer with 25% retention in the next 30 m (n = 18), and (4) 30 m treed buffer (n = 21). Only minor differences were detected in riparian species’ abundance and bird community composition between treatments with greater differences in these parameters occurring between post-fire and post-harvest upland bird communities. Indicators of all merchantable treatments were dominated by upland species with open-habitat species and habitat generalists being typical upland indicator species of burned merchantable habitats and forest specialists typical upland indicators of harvested treatments. Riparian species indicative of burned riparian habitats were Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Le Conte’s Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) and Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) and indicators of 30 m buffers were Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) and Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). Multivariate Redundancy Analysis (RDA) of the overall (riparian and upland birds) community showed greater divergence than RDA with only riparian species suggesting less effect of fire and forestry on riparian birds than on upland birds. Higher natural range of variability (NRV) of overall post-fire bird communities compared to post-harvest communities emphasizes that harvesting guidelines currently do not achieve this level of variability. However, lack of a large negative effect on common riparian species in the first 4 years post-disturbance allows for the exploration of alternative shoreline forest management that better incorporates bird community composition of post-fire riparian areas and shoreline forests.     

The utility of giant cane as a riparian buffer species in southern Illinois agricultural landscapes

Across the U.S., multiple species of riparian vegetation have proven to be effective filters of sediment and nutrients in agricultural watersheds. Research at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has focused on giant cane [Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.] as a potential candidate to incorporate into riparian buffer designs. In 2001, an exploratory study (i.e., Phase I) monitored nutrient and sediment concentrations from surface runoff and groundwater in the Cypress Creek watershed, while two subsequent studies (i.e., Phase II) focused on groundwater quality and added additional riparian buffer plots in the Big Creek and Cache River Watersheds. The primary objective of this research was to compare nutrient attenuation in groundwater of native giant cane and forest riparian buffers. Results from phase I showed significant nutrient reductions in groundwater over short distances in both the giant cane (~3.0 m) and forest buffers (~6.0 m), thus additional wells were installed at 1.5 and 12.0 m for the second phase. Groundwater NO₃ ⁻-N was significantly reduced by 90% in the initial 3.0 m of the giant cane buffer, where plant assimilation and microbial denitrification were likely key NO₃ ⁻-N removal mechanisms. Phase II showed significant reductions in groundwater NO₃ ⁻-N beneath the forest buffers, whereas little change occurred below the giant cane buffers. However, NO₃ ⁻-N concentrations beneath giant cane buffers were 3 times less than those observed beneath the forest buffers. Follow-up studies are being conducted on the transport of E. coli through vegetated buffers, and efforts have been expanded to the watershed-scale.     

Efficacy of riparian buffers in mitigating local population declines and the effects of even-aged timber harvest on larval salamanders

Headwater streams are an important and prevalent feature of the eastern North American landscape. These streams provide a wealth of ecosystem services and support tremendous biological diversity, which is predominated by salamanders in the Appalachian region. Salamanders are ubiquitous throughout the region, contributing a significant biomass that supports ecological and ecosystem processes. One of the greatest threats to salamanders is loss of headwater-riparian habitat through timber harvest. In this study, we measured larval salamander abundance at five headwater streams with different riparian buffer widths retained following logging. By sampling larval salamanders using leaf litter bags, we assessed the impacts of even-aged timber harvest on aquatic larval salamander abundances, where it was found that larvae are negatively impacted by increased stream sedimentation and a decrease in riparian buffer width. We found that retention of a 9-m buffer was effectively no different than complete removal of all riparian forest, and as such, current regulations to protect headwater streams are ineffectual. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the 30 m buffer treatment and uncut control treatments suggesting that a 30 m or larger riparian buffer may assuage the in-stream effects of riparian timber harvest. Management guidelines for Appalachian forests should be revised to accommodate the biology of plethodontid salamanders.     

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus leaching after site preparation at a boreal forest clear-cut area

Clear-cutting followed by mechanical site preparation is the major disturbance influencing nutrient and water fluxes in Fennoscandian boreal forests. The effects of soil harrowing on the fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved nitrogen compounds (organic N, NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) and water soluble phosphorus (PO₄³⁻) through a podzolic soil were studied in a clear-cut in eastern Finland for 5 years. The old, mixed coniferous stand was clear-cut and stem only harvested in 1996 followed by soil harrowing in 1998 and planting in June 1999. Zero-tension lysimeters were used to collect soil water from below different soil horizons in the three types of microsites that resulted from site preparation treatment: low ridges (25% of clear-cut area), shallow furrows (30%) and the undisturbed soil (45%). After soil harrowing, the leaching of DOC, N and P from below the B-horizon increased compared to pre-treatment levels. However, the increases were short-lasting; 1–2 years for inorganic N and P, and 5 years for DOC and organic N. The highest concentrations were associated with the ridges and lowest with the furrows, reflecting the differences in amount of organic matter present in each microsite type and, for N, to enhanced mineralization and nitrification. Leaching from below the B-horizon over the 5 years following soil harrowing for the whole clear-cut area was 36.5 kg ha⁻¹ for DOC, 0.88 kg ha⁻¹ for NH₄-N, 0.46 kg ha⁻¹ for NO₃-N, 1.24 kg ha⁻¹ for organic N and 0.09 kg ha⁻¹ for PO₄-P. Site preparation increased temporarily the risk for nutrient leaching into watercourses and groundwater from the clear-cut area but soil fertility was not affected since the leached amounts remained small. The main reasons for the observed low leaching values were the rapid recovery of ground vegetation and low N deposition loads.     

Dynamics of wood recruitment in streams of the northeastern US

Wood is an important component of forested stream ecosystems, and stream restoration efforts often incorporate large wood. In most cases, however, stream restoration projects are implemented without information regarding the amount of wood that historically occurred or the natural rates of wood recruitment. This study uses a space-for-time analysis to quantify large wood loading to 28 streams in the northeastern US with a range of in-stream and riparian forest characteristics. We document the current volume and frequency of occurrence of large wood in streams with riparian forests varying in their stage of stand development as well as stream size and gradient. Linear models relating stream wood characteristics to stream geomorphic and forest characteristics were compared using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) model selection. The AIC analysis indicated that the volume and frequency of large wood and wood accumulations (wood jams) in streams was most closely associated with the age of the dominant canopy trees in the riparian forest (best models: log₁₀(large wood volume (m³ 100 m⁻¹)) = (0.0036 × stand age) − 0.2281, p < 0.001, r² = 0.80; and large wood frequency (number per 100 m) = (0.1326 × stand age) + 7.3952, p < 001, r² = 0.63). Bankfull width was an important factor accounting for wood volume per unit area (m³ ha⁻¹) but not the volume of wood per length of stream (100 m⁻¹). The empirical models developed in this study were unsuccessful in predicting wood loading in other regions, most likely due to difference in forest characteristics and the legacy of forest disturbance. However, these models may be applicable in other streams in the northeastern US or in streams with comparable riparian forests, underlying geology, and disturbance regimes—factors that could alter long-term wood loading dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of understanding region-specific processes when planning stream restoration and stream management projects.     

The relation of harvesting intensity to changes in soil, soil water, and stream chemistry in a northern hardwood forest, Catskill Mountains, USA

Previous studies have shown that clearcutting of northern hardwood forests mobilizes base cations, inorganic monomeric aluminum (Al_im), and nitrate (NO₃⁻-N) from soils to surface waters, but the effects of partial harvests on NO₃⁻-N have been less frequently studied. In this study we describe the effects of a series of partial harvests of varying proportions of basal area removal (22%, 28% and 68%) on Al_im, calcium (Ca²⁺), and NO₃⁻-N concentrations in soil extracts, soil water, and surface water in the Catskill Mountains of New York, USA. Increases in NO₃⁻-N concentrations relative to pre-harvest values were observed within a few months after harvest in soils, soil water, and stream water for all three harvests. Increases in Al_im and Ca²⁺ concentrations were also evident in soil water and stream water over the same time period for all three harvests. The increases in Al_im, Ca²⁺, and NO₃⁻-N concentrations in the 68% harvest were statistically significant as measured by comparing the 18-month pre-harvest period with the 18-month post-harvest period, with fewer significant responses in the two harvests of lowest intensity. All three solutes returned to pre-harvest concentrations in soil water and stream water in the two lowest intensity harvests in 2-3 years compared to a full 3 years in the 68% harvest. When the results of this study were combined with those of a previous nearby clearcut and 40% harvest, the post-harvest increases in NO₃⁻-N concentrations in stream water and soil water suggest a harvesting level above which the relation between concentration and harvest intensity changes; there was a greater change in concentration per unit change in harvest intensity when basal area removal was greater than 40%. These results indicate that the deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems previously demonstrated for intensive harvests in northern hardwood forests of northeastern North America that receive high levels of atmospheric N deposition can be greatly diminished as harvesting intensity decreases below 40-68%. These results await confirmation through additional incremental forest harvest studies at other locations throughout the world that receive high levels of atmospheric N deposition.     

Influence of plant communities and soil properties on trace gas fluxes in riparian northern hardwood forests

Wetlands contribute significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, yet little is known about what variables control gas emissions from these ecosystems. There is particular uncertainty about forested riparian wetlands, which have high variation in plant and soil properties due to their location at the interface between land and water. We investigated the fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄) and associated understory vegetation and soil parameters at five northern hardwood riparian sites in the Adirondack Park, NY, USA. Gas fluxes were measured in field chambers 4 times throughout the summer of 2008. CO₂ flux rates ranged from 0.01 to 0.10 g C m⁻² h⁻¹, N₂O fluxes ranged from −0.27 to 0.65 ng N cm⁻² h⁻¹ and CH₄ flux rates ranged from −1.44 to 3.64 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹. Because we observed both production and consumption of N₂O and CH₄, it was difficult to discern relationships between flux and environmental parameters such as soil moisture and pH. However, there were strong relationships between ecosystem-scale variables and flux. For example, CO₂ and N₂O flux rates were most strongly related to percent plant cover, i.e., the site with the lowest vegetation cover had the lowest CO₂ and highest N₂O emissions. These ecosystem-scale predictive relationships suggest that there may be prospects for scaling information on trace gas fluxes up to landscape and regional scales using information on the distribution of ecosystem or soil types from remote sensing or geographic information system data.     

Nitrogen dynamics across silvicultural canopy gaps in young forests of western Oregon

Silvicultural canopy gaps are emerging as an alternative management tool to accelerate development of complex forest structure in young, even-aged forests of the Pacific Northwest. The effect of gap creation on available nitrogen (N) is of concern to managers because N is often a limiting nutrient in Pacific Northwest forests. We investigated patterns of N availability in the forest floor and upper mineral soil (0–10 cm) across 6–8-year-old silvicultural canopy gaps in three 50–70-year-old Douglas-fir forests spanning a wide range of soil N capital in the Coast Range and Cascade Mountains of western Oregon. We used extractable ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) pools, net N mineralization and nitrification rates, and NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ ion exchange resin (IER) concentrations to quantify N availability along north-south transects run through the centers of 0.4 and 0.1 ha gaps. In addition, we measured several factors known to influence N availability, including litterfall, moisture, temperature, and decomposition rates. In general, gap-forest differences in N availability were more pronounced in the mineral soil than in the forest floor. Mineral soil extractable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ pools, net N mineralization and nitrification rates, and NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ IER concentrations were all significantly elevated in gaps relative to adjacent forest, and in several cases exhibited significantly greater spatial variability in gaps than forest. Nitrogen availability along the edges of gaps more often resembled levels in the adjacent forest than in gap centers. For the majority of response variables, there were no significant differences between northern and southern transect positions, nor between 0.4 and 0.1 ha gaps. Forest floor and mineral soil gravimetric percent moisture and temperature showed few differences along transects, while litterfall carbon (C) inputs and litterfall C:N ratios in gaps were significantly lower than in the adjacent forest. Reciprocal transfer incubations of mineral soil samples between gap and forest positions revealed that soil originating from gaps had greater net nitrification rates than forest samples, regardless of incubation environment. Overall, our results suggest that increased N availability in 6–8-year-old silvicultural gaps in young western Oregon forests may be due more to the quality and quantity of litterfall inputs resulting from early-seral species colonizing gaps than by changes in temperature and moisture conditions caused by gap creation.