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.