Soil carbon and physical property changes in Brazilian Coastal Tableland soils with land use following deforestation

The Atlantic Forest has been deforested to the point that only about 7% of the original forest remains. Soil degradation, including loss of soil organic carbon (SOC), has often been associated with deforestation. In extensive areas previously occupied by Atlantic Forest the soil has a naturally compact subsoil horizon called the coeso. This layer challenges root development and plant productivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate soil carbon and selected physical characteristics under the influence of the native forest and post-deforestation agricultural practices. The management regimes were a native forest, a rubber tree plantation, a pasture and annual cropping. Two soil depths were investigated: 0 to 15 cm, corresponding to the A horizon; and 35 to 50 cm, corresponding to the coeso. Management influenced both SOC concentration and soil bulk density; however, SOC content was not significantly changed by any of the post-deforestation land uses. This result supports the annual cropping system that has been adapted by small landholders. Most interesting was the quantity of SOC found in the coeso, which was as much as 50% of the surface horizon.     

Soil compaction by grazing livestock in silvopastures as evidenced by changes in soil physical properties

Livestock, pasture, and timber trees are intimately interrelated in silvopastures. Most silvopasture research to date has focused on forage/animal/tree interactions, with less attention paid to animal/soil interactions in silvopastures. While a considerable body of work has been devoted to understanding the effects of livestock trampling on plants and soils in pastures, less has been done for livestock grazing in forests, and even less is available for silvopastures. Three replications of Douglas-fir forest, Douglas-fir/subclover pasture/sheep silvopasture, and subclover/sheep pasture were established in 1989 near Corvallis, Oregon USA. Pastures and silvopastures were grazed each spring during 1990–2001. These plots were sampled in 2002, after 11 years of grazing, and again in 2004 following 2 years without grazing. Soil in the silvopastures had 13% higher bulk density and 7% lower total porosity than those in adjacent forests in 2002. Most of the difference in total porosity was air-filled pores. Average water infiltration rate was 38% less in silvopastures than in forests, however total water stored in the top 6 cm of soil at field capacity was similar. Soil bulk density, total porosity, and air-filled pore space was similar for forests, pastures, and silvopastures after 2 years without livestock grazing. The infiltration rate of silvopasture soils in 2004 had increased to be similar to those of forests in 2002, however, forest soil infiltration rates also increased and continued to be higher than those of silvopastures. Plant production was not sensitive to changes in any of the soil parameters measured. Although livestock grazing did change soil infiltration rates, soil bulk density, and soil porosity, the effects were quickly reversed following cessation of grazing and had little detrimental effect on silvopasture forage or tree production.     

Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto Rico

Tree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. We measured soil macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass in 9-year-old N₂-fixing Leucaena leucocephala, Casuarina equisetifolia, and non-N₂-fixing Eucalyptus robusta plantations on a degraded site in Puerto Rico. Nutrient concentrations and standing stocks of forest floor litter were also determined to examine the relationship between litter chemistry and soil macroinvertebrates. Leucaena plantations had significantly higher abundances and biomass of millipede species than Casuarina and Eucalyptus. Earthworm biomass did not differ among plantation treatments. Nitrogen, P, and K concentrations were generally higher in Leucaena litter, which resulted in higher standing stocks of these nutrients in fragmented, moderately decomposed litter (Oe horizon). Millipede biomass was highly correlated to N concentration and C/N ratio in the Oi litter horizon. These results suggest that plantation species differ in their influence on soil fauna, and the biomass and abundance of soil fauna can be regulated through careful selection of plantation species in degraded tropical lands.     

Soil quality assessment across different stands in tropical moist deciduous forests of Nagaland,India

To analyze the relationship between the management of three forest stand plantations and soil quality in the Dimapur district of the Northeastern Himalayan region,India,three forest soil profiles,covered by different species stands,at three depths were tested for 13 physical and chemical variables.Only four of these variables(electric conductivity,bulk density exchangeable Mg and available P)were included in a minimum data set,after using a varimax rotation algorithm in a principal component analysis,and subsequently used to calculate a soil quality index(SQI).Results showed higher SQIs in the surface layers(0–20 cm depth)than in the deeper ones.Average weighed SQI varied significantly(P<0.05)through the three considered forest sites,with the lowest value at site FS3.These findings reveal that the approach used here is suitable for preliminary screening of the impact of a forestry species on soil,to aid in species selection and improve soil health for afforestation and reforestation projects.     

岷江上游不同森林类型土壤有机碳含量及密度特征

本文研究了岷江上游云杉人工林、紫果冷杉人工林、岷江冷杉人工幼龄林、高山栎天然次生林4种森林类型土壤有机碳含量及密度。结果表明:4种森林类型不同土层有机碳含量和有机碳密度均差异显著,都随土层深度增加而逐渐减小,且土壤有机碳集中分布在表层土(0~20 cm)中;4种森林类型土壤有机碳含量从高到低排序为:云杉人工林(5.896 g.kg-1)紫果冷杉人工林(5.479 g.kg-1)高山栎天然次生林(5.019 g.kg-1)岷江冷杉人工幼龄林(2.245 g.kg-1);土壤有机碳密度从高到低为:云杉人工林(0.03541 kg.m-2)高山栎天然次生林(0.03134 kg.m-2)紫果冷杉人工林(0.02474 kg.m-2)岷江冷杉人工幼龄林(0.01573 kg.m-2)。说明林分起源、树种组成、植物根系、地表枯落物和人类活动等因素影响着土壤有机碳含量及碳密度。     

Seedling growth response of two tropical tree species to nitrogen deposition in southern China

Seedling growth response of two tropical tree species (Schima superba and Cryptocarya concinna) to simulated N deposition was studied during a period of 11 months. One-year-old seedlings were grown in forest soil treated with N as NH₄NO₃ at Control–no N addition, N5–5, N10–10, N15–15, and N30–30 g N m⁻² year⁻¹. The objective was to examine the effects of N addition on seedling growth and compare this effect between the two tropical tree species of different species-N-requirement. Results showed that both species responded significantly to N addition and exhibited positive effect to lower rate of N addition and negative effect to higher rate of N addition on growth parameters (height and stem base diameter, biomass production, and net photosynthetic rate). The highest values were observed in the N10 plots for S. superba and in the N15 plots for C. concinna, but the lowest values were observed in the N30 plots for both species. However, the reduction in the N30 plots was more pronounced for S. superba than for C. concinna relative to the control plots. Our findings suggest that response of seedling growth of tropical tree species to atmospheric N deposition may vary depending on rate of N deposition and species-N-requirement.     

不同林分土壤微生物、酶活性与土壤肥力的关系研究综述

土壤微生物和土壤酶活性是反映土壤肥力最为重要的生物学指标之一。文章综合论述了不同林分土壤微生物种群和数量的分布及其影响因素，并对土壤酶活性对土壤肥力的影响做了分析，显示土壤微生物、酶活性与土壤养分有显著的相关关系。     

Influence of Tree Roots on Nitrogen Mineralization

This study compared the total carbon (C), mineral nitrogen (N) contents and N mineralization potentials of the rhizospheric and bulk soils, collected at two depths in three forest sites in France. The site at Breuil is a comparative plantation of different species with or without fertilization, the Fougères site is a time sequence of four Fagus sylvatica L . stands including a limed plot, and the Aubure site is a comparison between adjacent young and old Picea abies. (L.) Karst stands with different nitrifying activity. Mineral N was extracted from fresh soil with K 2 SO 4 and after laboratory incubation at 15°;C for 2 days or 1 week. The moisture, C and N contents of the rhizospheric soil were higher than in the bulk soil in the A 1 horizon, but only slightly higher or similar in A 1 B horizons. Soil-extractable NH 4 and net mineralization were much larger in the rhizospheric soil than in the bulk soil. Soil-extractable NO 3 and net nitrification were not significantly different. Soil-extractable NH 4 and net N mineralization were linearly and positively related to the soil C (or N) contents, but the relationship was stronger and the amount of mineral N per gram of carbon was higher for rhizospheric soil. This suggests that the quality of rhizospheric carbon should be taken into account. Net N mineralization was negatively related to the soil C/N ratio. In summary, tree roots appear to have a strong influence on N transformation in soils.     

Comparison of soil physical properties in evergreen and deciduous forests in central Cambodia

We investigated soil physical properties in three forest types in tropical lowland monsoon forests in central Cambodia under the same climatic conditions, i.e., Kanhaplic Haplustults in dry evergreen forest (KH-E), Arenic Haplustults in dry deciduous forest (AH-D), and Arenic Ultic Alorthods in mixed evergreen–deciduous forest (AA-M), to clarify the relationship between forest types and soil physical properties. The clay content was correlated with water content at ψ = −9.8 and −1500 kPa (WC10 and WC1500), available water capacity (AWC), and the van Genuchten (vG) parameter N (P < 0.01). vG parameter N was in the order AH-D > AA-M > KH-E whereas vG parameter α had a high value in KH-E soil at 0–100 cm in depth. The cumulative AWC (AWCcl, mm) at a soil depth of 0–200 cm was higher in the AH-D than in the KH-E, and was not considered a major factor affecting the distribution of different forest types under the same climatic conditions. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) at 0–100 cm in depth, estimated by use of models, was higher in AH-D than in KH-E mostly at matric potential ψ > −10 kPa. The low K in KH-E at ψ > −10 kPa was considered favorable for evergreen trees to retain the soil water for the transpiration in the dry season, and the matric potential in KH-E showed more gentle decreases in the early dry seasons than AH-D. Thus the differences in K among generally sandy soil types could possibly affect the establishment of different forest types in the study area with the same climate.     

Linking tree biodiversity to belowground process in a young tropical plantation: Impacts on soil CO2 flux

This study examined the effect of tree species identity and diversity on soil respiration in a 3-year-old tropical tree biodiversity plantation in Central Panamá. We hypothesized that tree pairs in mixed-species plots would have higher soil respiration rates than those in monoculture plots as a result of increased primary productivity and complementarity leading to greater root and microbial biomass and soil respiration. In addition to soil respiration, we measured potential controls including root, tree, and microbial biomass, soil moisture, surface temperature, bulk density. Over the course of the wet season, soil respiration decreased from the June highs (7.2 ± 3.5 μmol CO₂/(m² s⁻¹) to a low of 2.3 ± 1.9 μmol CO₂/(m² s⁻¹) in the last 2 weeks of October. The lowest rates of soil respiration were at the peak of the dry season (1.0 ± 0.7 μmol CO₂/(m² s⁻¹)). Contrary to our hypothesis, soil respiration was 19–31% higher in monoculture than in pairs and plots with higher diversity in the dry and rainy seasons. Although tree biomass was significantly higher in pairs and plots with higher diversity, there were no significant differences in either root or microbial biomass between monoculture and two-species pairs. Path analyses allow the comparison of different pathways relating soil respiration to either biotic or abiotic controls factors. The path linking crown volume to soil temperature then respiration has the highest correlation, with a value of 0.560, suggesting that canopy controls on soil climate may drive soil respiration.     

A comparative analysis of spatial, temporal, and ecological characteristics of forest fires in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats in India is one of the 25 global hotspots of biodiversity, and it is the hotspot with the highest human density. This study considers variations in the regional fire regime that are related to vegetation type and past human disturbances in a landscape. Using a combination of remote sensing data and GIS techniques, burnt areas were delineated in three different vegetation types and various metrics of fire size were estimated. Belt transects were enumerated to assess the vegetation characteristics and fire effects in the landscape. Temporal trends suggest increasingly short fire-return intervals in the landscape. In the tropical dry deciduous forest, the mean fire-return interval is 6 years, in the tropical dry thorn forest mean fire-return interval is 10 years, and in the tropical moist deciduous forest mean fire-return interval is 20 years. Tropical dry deciduous forests burned more frequently and had the largest number of fires in any given year as well as the single largest fire (9900 ha). Seventy percent, 56%, and 30% of the tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical dry thorn forests, and tropical dry deciduous forests, respectively have not burned during the 7-year period of study. The model of fire-return interval as a function of distance from park boundary explained 63% of the spatial variation of fire-return interval in the landscape. Forest fires had significant impacts on species diversity and regeneration in the tropical dry deciduous forests. Species diversity declined by 50% and 60% in the moderate and high frequency classes, respectively compared to the low fire frequency class. Sapling density declined by ca. 30% in both moderate and high frequency classes compared to low frequency class. In tropical moist deciduous ecosystems, there were substantial declines in species diversity, tree density, seedling and sapling densities in burned forests compared to the unburned forests. In contrast forest fires in tropical dry thorn forests had a marginal positive effect on ecosystem diversity, structure, and regeneration.     

生态公益林改造对土壤理化性质的影响

对广东省中山市五桂山、仙逸水库、板芙镇3个林地进行土壤状况调查分析.结果表明:马尾松纯林内种一植阔叶树种对林分改造后,第3年对土壤物理性质影响不大,第5年通气性好,土壤毛管孔隙多有利于水分保持.土壤有机质含量分别是对照地的2.23、1.82倍,全N则为2.05、1.95倍.在经过针阔混交改造后土壤的化学性质得到了明显改善.     

贵州毛竹林不同径级类型的土壤理化特性变化

在贵州省毛竹主要分布区的赤水河流域,利用"空间替代时间"方法研究了毛竹林径级同土壤主要理化指标的关系,研究表明毛竹林土壤呈A层>B层趋势的指标有非毛管孔隙度、总孔隙度、最大持水量、最小持量、有机质、全N量、全P量、阳离子交换量、水解N量、有效P量、速效K量和交换性盐基量,呈A层相似文献   

不同森林类型土壤肥力状况研究

利用贵州天保工程效益监测网络设置在9个监测县和2个自然保护区的101个固定样地土壤分析结果,按常绿落叶阔叶林、常绿阔叶林、落叶阔叶林、针阔混交林、针叶林、针叶混交林、灌木林、竹林等8种不同森林植被类型在不同基岩发育的森林土壤中营养元素含量,对不同森林土壤的综合肥力进行分析评价。结果显示,不同森林植被类型的森林土壤的A层土中有机质、水解性氮、有效磷、速效钾等各项指标含量与森林植被类型呈正相关趋势且高于B层,B层土随不同基岩不同而有所变化,显示不同森林植被类型对土壤综合肥力的影响大于基岩;不同森林植被类型土壤的综合肥力大小顺序依次为:常绿落叶阔叶林>常绿阔叶林>针针混交林>落叶阔叶林>灌木林>针阔混交林>针叶林>竹类。     

四川宽坝林区土壤水分动态研究

采用定位观测方法,利用2005年全年观测数据,从土壤水分对宽坝林地内的典型森林集水区(常绿阔叶林、杂灌林以及荒草坡)的森林水文月动态变化规律进行了研究,结果表明:(1)常绿阔叶林土壤含水月平均最大值为41.51%,最小值为33.77%;杂灌林土壤含水月平均最大值为39.17%,最小值为36.85%;荒草坡土壤含水月平均最大值为40.64%,最小值为37.47%。(2)土壤水分的垂直变化幅度不大,且各层土壤水分月动态变化趋势基本一致。(3)与杂灌林和荒草坡相比,天然常绿阔叶林具有较强水土保持能力和显著水源涵养作用。     

Soil surface properties in Mediterranean mountain ecosystems: Effects of environmental factors and implications of management

Understanding soil processes is fundamental to the success of forest restoration programs. We compared different types of soils in Mediterranean mountain forests with respect to their edaphic environments and influence of vegetation cover and lithology. We then used this information to determine the suitability of current forest restoration programs in these ecosystems.     

大兴安岭林区冻土与森林更新关系的探讨

本文探讨了大兴安岭林区与冻土与森林更新的关系，以及冻土更新森林的影响，并对大兴安岭林区如何进行采伐及造林的技术措施提出了见解，对大兴安岭林区恢复森林资源具有借鉴意义。     

Assessing the effects of initial soil characteristics,machine mass and traffic intensity on forest soil compaction

An extensive field trial was set up in eight forest stands to examine the influence of soil texture (two stands on sand, four on loam to silt loam, two on clay), machine mass (light, heavy) and traffic intensity (one and five skidding cycles) (i.e. pass back and forth on the skid trail) on soil compaction after mechanized harvesting. Dry bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR), micro-topography and soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration were applied as response variables for soil compaction. Significant effects on BD were nearly absent (<7% increase) and occurred occasionally for PR (60–70% increase, up to 150% on clay soils). Especially for loam to silt loam and clay soils, this was in contrast with the expectation. The negligible compaction degrees for loam to silt loam are attributed to high initial compaction levels that prevented further compaction, as was found by general linear modelling (GLM) for both BD and PR. For clay soils the small compaction degrees can be explained by the high water contents that result in plastic deformation instead of strong compaction degrees, as was confirmed by the micro-topographical measurements. GLM also revealed a significant impact of machine mass (BD) and soil water content (BD, PR) on the compaction degree. Soil texture, traffic intensity and position in relation to the wheel tracks generally turned out to have an insignificant influence. With regard to clear interactions the influence of traffic intensity depends on the position in relation to the wheel tracks and the machine that was used (PR).     

Diversity and composition of tropical secondary forests recovering from large-scale clearing: results from the 1990 inventory in Puerto Rico

The extensive recovery from agricultural clearing of Puerto Rican forests over the past half-century provides a good opportunity to study tropical forest recovery on a landscape scale. Using ordination and regression techniques, we analyzed forest inventory data from across Puerto Rico’s moist and wet secondary forests to evaluate their species composition and whether the landscape structure of older forest affected tree species composition of recovering forests at this scale. Our results support conclusions from studies conducted in Puerto Rico at smaller scales and temperate forests at larger scales that timing of abandonment and land use history are of overwhelming importance in determining the species composition of recovering forests. Forest recovery is recent enough in Puerto Rico that previous land use is clearly evident in current species composition, and creates new forest communities. As demonstrated in other work, physical factors such as elevation and substrate co-vary with land use history, so that the species composition of the forest landscape results from the interplay between biophysical and socioeconomic forces over time. Our results also indicate that increasing the distance to the largest forest patches occurring in the landscape 12 years previous had a small negative impact on species richness but not species diversity or community composition. We conclude that land use history has as much influence in species composition as biophysical variables and that, at the scale of this study, there is no large influence of forest landscape structure on species diversity or composition.     

Soil properties and tree growth on rehabilitated forest landings in the interior cedar hemlock biogeoclimatic zone: British Columbia

We studied operational landing rehabilitation programs in three forest districts of interior British Columbia (BC). Winged subsoiling and grass/legume seeding, followed by planting of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. Latifolia) generally resulted in successful re-establishment of forest cover on landings. In the Boundary district, fifth year tree heights on landings were not significantly different from those in adjacent plantations, and fifth year growth increments were also similar despite evidence of delayed seedling establishment caused by cattle grazing damage. Trees on landings in the Kalum district were shorter than those in plantations, but fifth year increments were similar. Landings in the Kalum with >20% clay had lower stocking densities, tree heights, and probe depths compared to landings with <20% clay content. In the Kispiox district, average fifth year tree heights and fifth year increments were lower on landings than those on plantations. In the Kispiox district, landings with >20% clay content had shorter trees growing on them when compared to tree heights on landings with <20% clay. Landings in the Kispiox had the least probe depth of the three districts, and the greatest difference in height and increments between landings and plantations, supporting field reports of poor decompaction effectiveness there. In all districts, there was no forest floor present on landings 7 years after subsoiling, and cover of non-coniferous vegetation was lower than for plantations. Higher soil temperatures and lower soil moisture contents were recorded on landings relative to plantations in all districts during the growing season of 1998. Landing soils also had lower total C, N and mineralizable-N (min-N) than plantation soils in the Boundary and Kispiox, but such differences were not statistically significant in the Kalum. Reduced levels of total C, N and min-N on landings did not appear to have affected current foliar nutrient status of trees growing on these sites, as most nutrients appeared in concentrations considered adequate or only slightly deficient, except for foliar S on all sites. Average concentrations of N, P, K and S in foliage were either similar to or significantly higher for trees on landings relative to plantations, but these differences were attributed to dilution in plantation foliage rather than deficiency. Our results support the conclusion that operationally feasible techniques for soil rehabilitation can create conditions suitable for establishment of a new forest on sites that otherwise would be considered non-productive. Stocking levels and tree growth rates observed in our study are consistent with the conclusion that a commercial forest may be produced on some of the rehabilitated areas.