Biogeochemical impacts of clearfelling and reforestation on blanket peatland streams I. phosphorus

Forest drains and streams on blanket peatland in western Ireland were sampled weekly, 1996–2000, using continuous, depth-proportional passive sampling, and analysed for molybdate-reactive phosphorus (MRP) by the acid–antimony-molybdate method. The study area was largely clearfelled and partly reforested with wind-rowing, drainage, planting, and aerially applied rock phosphate equivalent to 70 kg P/ha. Further felled areas were not wind-rowed, drained or fertilised for reforestation. Catchment areas were of the following orders: 1 ha (two forest drains); 10–20 ha (two semi-permanent drains, one permanent stream); 1–3 km² (three permanent streams). Streamwater from three undisturbed closed-canopy-forest catchments had pre-felling median concentrations of MRP (all values are μg MRP l⁻¹) of 9 (catchment approximately 1 km²), 13 (1 ha) and 93 (1 ha). Clearfelling was associated with large increases (maxima 305, 4164 and 3530 μg MRP l⁻¹) in MRP concentrations in each case. Following protracted mechanical operations in four other catchments of ca. 1 km², 20, 10 and 10 ha, with apparently existing elevated MRP concentrations (medians 41, 328, 102, 214 μg MRP l⁻¹) fertilising gave major rises (maxima 218, 2723, 806, 2323 μg MRP l⁻¹). The three smaller catchments showed subsequent exponential-type declines, while the 1 km² catchment had sustained high values (median 74 μg MRP l⁻¹) over the remaining study period. The higher values in this one larger stream were seasonally cyclical, with a late summer maximum. Annual median MRP values above 70 μg l⁻¹ represent a seriously polluted state for these streams, which qualify as waterways under relevant statutes, but it is not clear what implications these results have for downstream river-water quality in larger channels.     

Effects of clearfelling on forest floor accumulation and litter decomposition in a radiata pine plantation

The short-term effects of clearfelling a Pinus radiata D. Don. stand in Catalonia (NE Spain) under Mediterranean conditions were assessed. Harvesting had little effect on the surface soil distribution and accumulation. However, after clearfelling the range of soil temperatures increased, the moisture content of the L layer decreased, and the decomposition of brown needles was retarded (mass loss rate for the first year of the incubation 0.47 year⁻¹ vs. 0.29 year⁻¹). Green needles incorporated as a result of harvesting operations showed the same rates of mass loss as brown needles. Brown needles released substantial amounts of all major nutrients, especially at the beginning of the incubation. In both clearfelled and undisturbed stands, this sudden nutrient flush may have important implications in the nutrient economy of the vegetation. In contrast, green needles behaved as a sink of nitrogen and calcium, therefore representing a temporary reservoir after clearfelling.     

A comparison of plant and carabid beetle communities in an Irish oak woodland with a nearby conifer plantation and clearfelled site

In 1996, plant and carabid beetle communities were examined in a semi-natural oak woodland (Derryclare Wood) and compared with communities of a nearby mature conifer plantation and a plantation clearfelled in 1994. At each site, 10 quadrats (2 m×2 m) and 10 pitfall traps were used to sample the ground vegetation and carabid beetle communities, respectively. Forty-one plant species were recorded in the oak woodland while 38 species were found in the clearfelled site and 19 species in the conifer plantation. The median plant-species richness per quadrat was significantly greater (p<0.01) in the oak woodland (16.5) than in the other two sites and the clearfelled site (11) was significantly more species-rich (p<0.02) than the conifer plantation (6.5). A total of 21 carabid species (895 individuals) were captured, with 74.5, 13.9 and 11.6% of individuals being caught at the oak woodland, clearfelled site and conifer plantation, respectively. The median number of carabid species per pitfall trap was significantly greater (p<0.01) in the oak woodland (6) than in the clearfelled site (3.5) and conifer plantation (2). In addition, median species richness per pitfall trap was significantly higher in the clearfelled site than in the conifer plantation at p<0.02. Median diversity per pitfall trap was also significantly less in the conifer plantation (1.19) than in the oak woodland (2.43, p<0.01) and clearfelled site (1.55, p<0.05). While the Sorenson similarity index for both vegetation and carabids shows that the conifer plantation and the clearfelled site were most similar in species composition; nevertheless, the clearfelled site has demonstrated signs of increasing species richness only 2 years after clearfelling. It is concluded that while semi-natural woodlands support a greater range of species than conifer plantations, clearfelled areas which are not replanted can enhance species richness within commercial conifer plantations.     

Small mammals and retention islands: An experimental study of animal response to alternative logging practices

The integration of forest biodiversity conservation with wood production is a key part of ecologically sustainable forest management. This can be a particular challenge at the stand-level when high-intensity silvicultural systems like clearfelling are employed. Alternative logging practices to clearfelling that result in partial stand retention are being widely promoted in many parts of the world. We present new findings from a replicated block experiment designed to examine the responses of small terrestrial mammals to the retention of islands of forest within otherwise clearfelled harvest units. Our experiment was conducted in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell) forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. We quantified the effects of four treatments on small terrestrial mammal abundance: (1) an uncut (‘control’) area of forest; (2) a 1.5 ha retained island within an otherwise clearfelled area; (3) three 0.5 ha retained ‘islands’ within an otherwise clearfelled area; and (4) a traditionally clearfelled area of forest, over the different stages of harvesting operations from pre-cut to post-cut to post-burn.     

The Effects of Clearfelling a Sitka Spruce Stand on the Water Balance of a Peaty Gley Soil at Kershope Forest, Cumbria

From 1981 to 1985 the water balance of four 2 ha plots of aploughed and drained Sitka spruce plantation was monitored.During 1983, three plots were clearfelled and a fourth was leftstanding as a control. A ground level raingauge over-collected during snow, but otherwisecollected 3 per cent more water than standard raingauges. Annualprecipitation (1259–1688 mm) averaged 1439 mm. The forest canopy intercepted 38 per cent and transpired 12per cent of gross precipitation. Fifty per cent of gross precipitationwas evaporated while the other 50 per cent left the site asrunoff. Throughfall and stemfiow fractions of net precipitationwere 0.87 and 0.13 respectively. After clearfelling, annual runoff increased to 68 per cent ofgross precipitation. After adjustment using the before and aftercomparison in the control plot, the decrease in annual evaporativeloss resulting from clearfelling was 290 mm.     

Nitrate dynamics after clear felling monitored by in vivo nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and natural N abundance of Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin.

The N dynamics following clear felling, focusing on NO₃⁻ turnover, were studied at four forested sites in southern Sweden. Two different methods were used to study N availability: (i) an in vivo nitrate reductase activity (NRA) bioassay and (ii) measurements of natural abundance of stable N isotopes in leaves of the grass species Deschampsia flexuosa, and in organic soil horizons. At each of the four sites, six plots were established and each year, for 5 consecutive years (1989–1993), one plot per site was felled. Thus, in 1993 there were five plots with different ages since clear felling and one control (closed forest) plot at each site. NRA was analyzed three times annually during the years 1989–1993. Samples for grass and soil analysis of δ¹⁵N, total N and soil pH were taken in 1993 only. NRA rapidly increased after the felling and remained high throughout the studied period. This suggests that there was an increased pool of plant-available soil NO₃⁻ more than 5 years after clear felling. Despite differences in site productivity and N deposition between the four sites, no significant differences in NRA were found between the sites. There were also rapid changes in δ¹⁵N in leaves of D. flexuosa, coinciding with the increases in NRA, during the first 3 years after felling. In contrast to NRA, shoot δ¹⁵N decreased 3–4 years after the felling at three out of four sites. Variations in the δ¹⁵N figures between sites may have been largely due to between-site differences in field-layer retention of N. At two of the sites, where NO₃⁻ leaching was also measured, a correlation was found between the NO₃⁻ concentration in the water and the difference in δ¹⁵N between D. flexuosa leaves from felled and closed forest plots. The data presented here suggest that NO₃⁻ leakage after clear felling is a rapid process, which is influenced by the development of field-layer biomass after the felling. Furthermore, losses of NO₃⁻ through leaching rapidly change the natural abundance of the plant available N pools in the soil.     

Effects on stream water chemistry and forest vitality after whole-catchment application of dolomite to a forest ecosystem in southern Norway

An acidified, 0.8 km² coniferous-forested catchment was limed with 3 t ha⁻¹ of coarse-grained dolomite powder in September 1994. The liming resulted in an immediate change in runoff water chemistry relative to the stream of an adjacent reference catchment. pH, calcium, magnesium and acid neutralising capacity (ANC) increased and inorganic Al decreased after liming. Potential favourable water quality for sensitive organisms remained relatively constant over the post-liming period (7 years), and model simulations indicate that adequate water quality may last for an additional 40–50 years. NO₃ concentrations showed no significant change due to liming. A significant increasing trend in TOC was attributed to liming. Concentrations of Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn were lower in the limed stream than in the reference stream during a period of 3 years after liming, whereas concentrations of As, Cu, and Pb were not significantly different. Steep slopes, thin soils, high amounts of precipitation and thus dominance of surface and subsurface flow in this catchment may explain the rapid response in runoff. During the first 6 years after liming there have been no significant effects on tree growth and vitality (crown density and crown colour). This experiment shows that liming of forested catchments may be a viable method to obtain long-term improvement in water quality and potential positive effects for acid-sensitive aquatic organisms.     

Management effects on carbon stocks and fluxes across the Orinoco savannas

Across the physiognomic types of the Orinoco llanos, periodic inventories and changes in land-use between 1982–1992 are estimated. Results indicate that the area under pastures and forest plantations is increased by 0.005337×10⁶ km², whilts reducing the area of croplands by 0.000119×10⁶ km². This is a net increase of 0.005218×10⁶ km². The gross carbon release is 174.66 Tg C per year to the atmosphere and transferring from cultivated and native vegetation to wood products (1.62 Tg C per year) and slash (1.18 Tg C per year). The processes of land preparation contribute 1.40 Tg C per year to the atmosphere. From the tree savannas, woodlands and forests 0.73 Tg C per year are estimated to have been transferred to the soil following clearance and burning over this period, and 1.05 Tg C per year from herbaceous savannas when were buried and decomposed at 0.84 Tg C per year. The estimate of carbon balance here by inventories and changes in land-use approach indicates that the Orinoco llanos is a sink of −17.53 Tg C per year. The carbon turnover time in the Orinoco system is 68 years, which provides a limited route for carbon sequestration. The calculated potential of the Orinoco llanos for storing carbon is 8300 Tg C. Ecological options to achieve this potential value are addressed. However, nutrient deficiency and seasonal water supply are serious drawbacks to take into account for increasing carbon accretion. These results are particular for the Orinoco llanos, even though described processes could be similar to world-wide savannas, where a gradient of carbon heterogeneity exists.     

Nutrient Leaching from the Litter Layer after Clearfelling of Sitka Spruce Stands on Peaty Gley Soils

The nutrient dynamics in the litter layer of former Sitka sprucestands were examined from 0 to 7 years after clearfelling usingzero-tension lysimeters on a time series of sites 0, 2 and 5years after felling. The loss of most nutrients monitored inleachate was independent of the time from clearfelling. However,54 per cent (43 kg ha^–1) of the 7-year net loss of potassiumwas leached out of the litter layer in the first year. Also,nitrate losses, although small, increased after 5 years. Leachinglosses of NH₄-N, PO₄-P, K, Ca and H⁺ exceeded precipitationinputs. However, leaching losses were less than precipitationinputs for NO₃-N, Na and Mg. Nutrient losses from under brashswathes were generally greater than from clear strips.     

OBSERVATIONS OF A VISITOR ON TIMBER DRYING IN SOUTH AFRICA

The final results are presented of a comprehensive N, P,K and dolomitic lime factorial experiment with Eucalyptus grandis planted on a fully cultivated Mispah soil series. On this marginal site, fertilising had a marked effect on the growth of E. grandis as measured at clearfelling at eight years and three months. The response to single fertiliser elements was greatest for potassium, followed by phosphorus and nitrogen, dolomitic lime having a depressive effect. The best N:P elemental fertiliser ratio was 3:1, while that for P:K was 1:3. Overall, an elemental N:P:K mixture of 3:1:3 was superior, increasing growth with rate of application. Fertilising with 100 g LAN (26% N), 100 g single superphosphate (8,3% P) and 50 g potassium chloride (50% K) increased yields at clearfelling from 56,7 t/ha for no fertiliser to 85.0 t/ha, an improvement of 49,8%. This fertiliser application is recommended for planting E. grandis on shallow soils derived from Ecca shale. Fertiliser treatments also affected form factor significantly, ranging from 0,370 to 0,411 and resulting in volume differences of 11.1% for trees with the same D.B.H. and height. Not only was the response to fertilising highly profitable in itself, but it also rendered the establishment of E. grandis to be viable on an otherwise uneconomically suitable site.     

Effects of logging on capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) leks

In a 136 km² coniferous area in southeastern Norway, 13 of 24 past leks, known from the 1930–40s, went extinct and 5 new leks were established, by 1985. There was no difference in extinction rate between clearfelled (7 of 13) and untreated (6 of 11) leks. Number of leks, number of cocks per lek, and total number of cocks were reduced by 33, 53, and 69%, respectively, compared with a 69% reduction in suitable habitat (forest. older than 70 years). We argue that the overall population decline merely was due to a general fragmentation of suitable habitats, rather than direct clearfelling of lek areas.     

Effects of overstorey retention on ash regeneration and bramble growth during conversion of a pine plantation to native broadleaved woodland

Conversion of monoculture plantations to mixed stands with greater diversity is an important aim of sustainable forest management, and in Britain, this is concentrated on the restoration of native broadleaved woodland on ancient woodland sites that were planted with conifers. Current British guidelines for this restoration have rarely been examined, and this study is the first to test their value for natural regeneration. The survival and growth of naturally regenerating ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) seedlings was observed in thinned, selectively felled and clearfelled plots within a c. 40-year-old stand of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra Arnold ssp. laricio Maire). After felling in 2001, the ground flora in all treatments became dominated by bramble (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) and its cover 5 years after felling was 75–95?% at a height of 0.9–1.2?m. During the study, seedling numbers declined 80–90?%. Although bramble had some adverse effects, seedling survival was unaffected by felling treatment. Seedling growth varied between treatments with those in the clearfell being tallest. Mean height of seedlings was always less than that of bramble, but by 2006 65?% of quadrats in the clearfelled plots had well-established individuals taller than the bramble compared with 35?% in the thinned plots. Models that described the relationships between seedling growth, basal area and bramble were complex, but results clearly indicate that maintaining canopy cover during restoration is probably an ineffective method of suppressing bramble on sites where it grows well. Results do not support the current British advice on conversion, but this may reflect the characteristics of pine canopies and the maintenance of canopy cover during conversion may be appropriate in stands of species, which cast more shade.     

Phosphorus release from forest harvesting on an upland blanket peat catchment

The aim of this study was to investigate the release of phosphorus (P) to receiving waters resulting from harvesting 34-year-old lodgepole pine trees in an upland peat catchment. The study site was within a 25.3-hectare (ha) area, and was drained by a stream that received flows from ploughed furrows, mainly, via collector drains, and discharged directly to the salmonid Shrahrevagh River, Burrishoole, Co. Mayo, Ireland. The study site was divided into two parts: the upstream part was left intact and the downstream part was harvested in early Autumn 2005 following implementation of forest guidelines. Good management practices such as proper use of brash mats and harvesting only in dry weather were implemented. Two instrumented stations were established – one just upstream (US) and the other just downstream (DS) of the clearfelled area. The measurement of P concentrations at the two stations commenced in May 2005, two months before the harvesting started. The daily mean P concentration at the DS station increased from about 6 μg L⁻¹ of total reactive phosphorus (TRP) during pre-clearfelling to 429 μg L⁻¹ in August 2006. By October 2009, four years after clearfelling, the P concentrations at the DS station had returned to pre-clearfelling levels. In the first three years after harvesting, up to 5.15 kg ha⁻¹ of TRP was released from the harvested catchment to the receiving water; in the second year alone, 2.3 kg ha⁻¹ of TRP was released. Linear regression can be used to describe the relationship between TRP load and water discharge. About 80% of the total phosphorus (TP) in the study stream was soluble and more than 70% of the P release occurred in storm events, indicating that traditional buffer strips with widths of 15–20 m might not be efficient for P immobilization. The P concentrations were affected by antecedent weather conditions and highest concentrations occurred during storm events following prolonged drought periods. The water extractable phosphorus (WEP) contents in the soil were significantly higher below windrow/brash material than in brash-free areas, and whole-tree harvesting should be studied as one of the means to decrease P export from blanket peats.     

Colonisation of clearfelled coupes by rainforest tree species from mature mixed forest edges, Tasmania, Australia

Mixed forest, containing a eucalypt overstorey and an understorey of rainforest tree species, accounts for approximately 20% (195,000 ha) of Tasmania's wet eucalypt forest. In wood production areas it is typically clearfelled, burnt and then sown with eucalypt seed. This management removes virtually all standing seed sources within the coupe, so that recolonisation of coupes by rainforest tree species depends largely on seed sources located at the coupe edges. We quantified the influence of mature mixed forest edges on rainforest regeneration following clearfelling by modelling the change in the density of the regeneration of the four dominant rainforest tree species (Nothofagus cunninghamii, Atherosperma moschatum, Phyllocladus aspleniifolius and Eucryphia lucida) with increasing distance from forest edge. We also assessed the influence on rainforest tree regeneration of prevailing wind direction, age of regeneration, characteristics of the mature edge vegetation and of the competing regenerating vegetation within the coupe. Distance from edge and age of coupe were highly significant (p < 0.01) effects in each of the species models. We found that the abundance of regeneration declined with increasing distance from edge for all four rainforest tree species, and with the exception of A. moschatum regeneration, increased with coupe age up to the age of 15 years. The abundance of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida, which are species with restricted seed dispersal, declined most steeply with increasing distance from the edge. A. moschatum, which is a species with the potential for long distance seed dispersal by wind, was more abundant than N. cunninghamii and E. lucida at distances greater than 20 m from coupe edges. More than 500 seedlings ha⁻¹ were present at all distances from coupe edge for P. aspleniifolius, reflecting its capacity to germinate after disturbance from soil-stored and bird-dispersed seed. There were no significant differences in seedling density upwind or downwind of coupe edges, although the potential for dense regeneration of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida and for long distance dispersal of A. moschatum appeared to be greatest downwind of edges. Other variables that significantly affected the abundance of regeneration were the height of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (N. cunninghamii model), the cover of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (A. moschatum model) and the cover of competing eucalypt regeneration within the coupe (P. aspleniifolius model). The proportion of rainforest tree species that regenerated vegetatively was small (3.1%). We concluded that management which maintains mature mixed forest edges, or patches of mature forest within coupes, is likely to result in greater levels of rainforest regeneration and a more rapid shift towards pre-harvest composition following logging. We use our results to demonstrate that variable retention harvesting systems, such as aggregated retention or stripfelling, which reduce the distance to rainforest seed source, would result in a greater abundance of rainforest regeneration over a larger proportion of the coupe than current clearfell, burn and sow silviculture.     

Effects of previous N fertilizations on soil‐water pH and N concentrations after clear‐felling and soil scarification at a Pinus sylvestris site

The study describes effects of clear‐felling and soil scarification on the N concentration and pH of soil water in experimental plots previously supplied with different doses of N. The experiment is situated in central Sweden in a former Pinus sylvestris L. stand. Over a 20‐yr period, plots were fertilized three times with ammonium nitrate, resulting in total doses of 360, 720, 1080, 1440 and 1800 kg N ha^‐1. Soil water was sampled at a depth of 40–50 cm using suction lysimeters, and analysed for N and pH. The study covers one growing season before clear‐felling and six and four growing seasons after clear‐felling and soil scarification, respectively. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) elevations in total N and nitrate‐N concentrations were noted in the fourth to the sixth growing seasons after clear‐felling in the plots that had received 1800 kg N ha^‐1, and in the fifth and sixth seasons in the plots that had received 1440 kg N ha^‐1. Ammonium‐N concentrations were not significantly affected. After clear‐felling, total N and nitrate‐N increased with time at a higher rate in the plots that had received 1440 and 1800 kg N ha^‐1 doses compared with the control. In the sixth post‐cutting season, the nitrate‐N concentration was 0.26 mg l^‐1 in the control and between 0.51 and 4.0 mg l^‐1 in the various fertilized plots. Before clear‐felling, a linear relationship between pH and fertilizer dose was absent. After clear‐felling, negative relationships prevailed, but they differed significantly from the pre‐cutting relationship only during the fourth, fifth and sixth post‐cutting seasons. In the sixth post‐cutting season, the pH was 6.0 in the control, and 6.1, 5.7, 5.6, 5.2 and 4.3 in the plots supplied with 360, 720, 1080, 1440 and 1800 kg N ha^‐1 doses, respectively. The absolute difference in pH between the sixth growing season after clear‐felling and period before clear‐felling increased linearly with increasing fertilizer dose (p < 0.05, R ² = 0.79). Before clear‐felling, nitrate‐N was elevated only in the plots that had received 1800 kg N ha^‐1. After clear‐felling, nitrate‐N seemed to increase in all fertilized plots, but the increase began first in the plots receiving the highest fertilizer dose. It was not until the fifth and sixth growing seasons after clear‐felling that nitrate‐N concentrations appeared elevated in all fertilized plots compared with the control. It seems likely that nitrification caused the increases in nitrate‐N because nitrate‐N accounted for most of the variation in pH in the fourth to the sixth growing seasons. Disc trenching was simulated around some of the lysimeters so that 50% of the soil was disturbed. This did not significantly affect the N concentration or pH of the soil water during the first 4 yrs after scarification.     

Nutrient cycling in a clonal stand of Eucalyptus and an adjacent savanna ecosystem in Congo: 2. Chemical composition of soil solutions

The dynamics of nutrients were compared over three years in a clonal Eucalyptus plantation and in a native savanna in Congo. This paper focuses on the changes in the chemical composition of solutions during their transfer through the soil in both ecosystems. The main characteristics of the soil (Ferralic Arenosol) were similar in the two ecosystems, and the low inter-stand variability allowed reliable comparisons of the influence of afforestation on the soil solution chemistry.

Rainfall amounted to about 1400 mm per year during the experimental period. In both ecosystems, an enrichment was observed for most elements during the transfer of solutions through the foliage, but N uptake occurred. Concentrations of H⁺ and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in solutions increased through the litter layer in both stands. In the Eucalyptus ecosystem, a quick uptake of nutrients by a dense root mat inside the forest floor likely explained why the concentrations of gravitational waters were not enhanced markedly for ‘base cations’, despite the mineralization of high amounts of nutrients during the litter decay.

Soil solutions were collected by zero tension lysimeters (ZTL) at a depth of 15 cm, but these lysimeters were inefficient at collecting gravitational solutions beyond this depth. By contrast, tension lysimeters (TL) maintained at a suction of −60 kPa, collected soil solutions at the depths of 15, 50 cm, 1, 2, 3, 4 m in both ecosystems and 6 m in the plantation. In the topsoil of both stands, the nutrient concentration decreased sharply when the time of residence of solutions increased. This pattern highlighted the crucial role of the inputs by throughfall, stemflow and mineralization of the litter layer for the nutrition of these stands.

A combination of high nutrient requirements of the stands and low availability of exchangeable cations in this highly weathered soil might account for the extremely low nutrient concentrations in solutions collected by TL, regardless of the depth.     

Nitrogen-fertilization impacts on carbon sequestration and flux in managed coastal Douglas-fir stands of the Pacific Northwest

We examined whether N-fertilization and soil origin of Douglas-fir [Psuedotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] stands in western Washington state could affect C sequestration in both the tree biomass and in soils, as well as the flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) through the soil profile. This study utilized four forest sites that were initially established between 1972 and 1980 as part of Regional Forest Nutrition Research Project (RFNRP). Two of the soils were derived from coarse-textured glacial outwash and two from finer-textured volcanic-source material, primarily tephra, both common soil types for forestry in the region. Between 1972 and 1996 fertilized sites received either three or four additions of 224 kg N ha⁻¹ as urea (672–896 kg N ha⁻¹ total). Due to enhanced tree growth, the N-fertilized sites (161 Mg C ha⁻¹) had an average of 20% more C in the tree biomass compared to unfertilized sites (135 Mg C ha⁻¹). Overall, N-fertilized soils (260 Mg C ha⁻¹) had 48% more soil C compared to unfertilized soils (175 Mg C ha⁻¹). The finer-textured volcanic-origin soils (348 Mg C ha⁻¹) had 299% more C than glacial outwash soils (87.2 Mg C ha⁻¹), independent of N-fertilization. Soil-solution DOC collected by lysimeters also appeared to be higher in N-fertilized, upper soil horizons compared to unfertilized controls but it was unclear what fraction of the difference was lost from decomposition or contributed to deep-profile soil C by leaching and adsorption. When soil, understory vegetation and live-tree C compartments are pooled and compared by treatment, N-fertilized plots had an average of 110 Mg C ha⁻¹ more than unfertilized controls. These results indicate these sites generally responded to N-fertilization with increased C sequestration, but differences in stand and soil response to N-fertilization might be partially explained by soil origin and texture.     

Nutrient dynamics of forested catchments in Southeastern Australia and changes in water quality and nutrient exports following clearing

Nutrient inputs in rainfall, and streamwater chemistry and quality, were measured from May 1976 to April 1982 at three forested catchments in Victoria. Streamwater chemistry was influenced by the strong seasonal fluctuations in streamflow. Yearly input-export balances for Na, K, Ca, Mg and Cl varied substantially and were highly correlated with runoff. This underlines the importance of sampling a wide range of climatic variation to derive meaningful balances.

Calibration relationships between catchments were used to evaluate the impact of clearing native eucalypt forest for the establishment of P. radiata on streamwater chemistry and quality and on nutrient exports. Clearing was found to have little effect on streamwater quality, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of a 30-m wide buffer strip retained on both sides of the stream channel. Only minor changes in streamwater chemistry were observed; however, exports of nutrients and suspended solids were significantly higher because of increased discharge following clearing.

Exports of most nutrients returned to pre-treatment levels within 18 months after clearing. Nutrient losses in streamwater were small when compared with losses due to burning the cleared vegetation. Balances for Na were used to estimate nutrient inputs from geological weathering. It was concluded that inputs of Ca are probably too low to ensure adequate supply of Ca for successive rotations of P. radiata, and future management practices should aim at conserving this nutrient.     

Fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O from drained coniferous forests on organic soils

Fluxes of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O were measured during two to three years at four sites, located within an area of 9 km² in southern Sweden, using dark static chamber techniques. Three of the sites were drained coniferous forests on moist organic soils that differed in forest productivity and tree species. The fourth site was an undrained tall sedge mire. Although the drained sites were all moist, with average groundwater levels between 17 and 27 cm below the soil surface, the mean annual dark forest floor CO₂ release rate was significantly higher at the drained sites, (0.9–1.9 kg m⁻² y⁻¹) than at the undrained mire site (0.8 to 1.2 kg m⁻² y⁻¹). CH₄ emissions were significantly lower from the drained sites than from the undrained mire (0.0 to 1.6 g m⁻² y⁻¹, compared to 10.6 to 12.2 g m⁻² y⁻¹), while N₂O emissions were significantly lower from the undrained site than from the drained sites (20 to 30 mg m⁻² y⁻¹, compared to 30 to 90 mg m⁻² y⁻¹). There were no clear effects of site productivity or tree species on the soil fluxes of any of the gases. The annual net primary production of the forests was modeled. All drained sites were net sinks, while the undrained mire was a net source of greenhouse gases. The estimated net greenhouse gas exchange of the drained sites was correlated with productivity: the most productive site was the largest net sink and the least productive the smallest net sink for greenhouse gases. The results indicate that, to mitigate the increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases, drained forest sites, which have been unsuccessfully drained or rewetted due to subsidence, should be managed in a way that keeps the groundwater level at a steady state.     

GROWTH FORECASTS OF NATURAL EVEN-AGED STANDS

THE effect of certain siIvicultura1 practices on timber quality, namely espacement at establishment, rate of growth as influenced by site factors and thinning regime, pruning and age of the trees when thinned or when the stand is clearfelled, is reviewed. The prospects of improving timber quality by means of tree breeding are also briefly dealt with.

Felling and logmaking practices which may affect timber quality and the effect of excessive delays between felling and conversion are discussed.

How suitable sawmill practices can improve the quality of saw-timber is described.