Effects of Biomass Removal Levels on Soil Carbon and Nutrient Reserves in Conifer‐Dominated, Coarse‐Textured Sites in Northern Ontario: 20‐Year Results

Morris, Dave M.; Hazlett, P. W.; Fleming, Richard A.; Kwiaton, Martin M.; Hawdon, Laura A.; Leblanc, Jean-Denis; Primavera, M.J.; Weldon, T. P.

doi:10.2136/sssaj2018.08.0306

Cited by 21 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…This result is consistent with the simulation result from Wei et al (2003) where there was no much difference in long-term site productivity between WTH and SOH (equivalent to our treatments W and S, respectively) in lodgepole pine forests in the same region. It is also consistent with the results from the experiment involving residue removal in 14 experiments in Canada (Morris et al 2019). However, the lack of significant difference in tree growth between S and W treatments may be due to the following reasons.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Various case studies have examined the effects of logging residue loading on soil productivity (Eisenbies et al 2009;Walmsley et al 2009;Wei et al 1997) and tree growth (Nettles et al 2015;Wei et al 2012). Regional experiments investigating the impacts of harvesting and site management on forest production have also found the importance of logging residue from tropical to boreal forests (Morris et al 2019;Nambiar and Kallio 2008). However, in spite of the growing interest in this subject, the effects of forest logging residue loading cannot be generalized in terms of the amount of residue loading, growth dynamics, and site characteristics (Clarke et al 2015;Egnell 2017;Thiffault et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in spite of the growing interest in this subject, the effects of forest logging residue loading cannot be generalized in terms of the amount of residue loading, growth dynamics, and site characteristics (Clarke et al 2015;Egnell 2017;Thiffault et al 2011). For example, large replicated experimental designs conducted in Canada (14 experimental sites of the LTSP network- Morris et al 2019) or in Europe (Olsson et al 1996;Walmsley et al 2009) did not find clear effects of residue removal on tree growth. In contrast, some significant effects of residue loadings on forest production have been detected in European regions (Egnell 2017;Vanguelova et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term logging residue loadings affect tree growth but not soil nutrients in Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud. forests

Wei

Waterhouse

et al. 2020

Annals of Forest Science

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& Key message The 19-year monitoring study revealed continuously positive and dynamic responses of tree growth to logging residue loadings. However, the lack of changes in soil nutrients suggested that increased growth might result from enhanced nutrient cycling with no net accumulation in the soil. & Context Understanding how logging residue loadings affect soil nutrients and forest growth is critical for designing management strategies for sustaining long-term productivity in forest ecosystems. & Aims We aimed to examine the relationships among logging residue loadings, soil nutrients, and tree growth over a long-term field experiment in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud.) forests. & Methods We established a field experiment in 1996 to examine the responses of lodgepole pine growth and soil nutrients to four residue loading treatments in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada. The four treatments were removal of all residues on the forest floor (N, 0 mg ha −1 ), residues loading similar to whole-tree harvesting (W, 35-45 mg ha −1 ), residues loading similar to stem-only harvesting (S, 60-70 mg ha −1 ), and residues loading similar to that found in disease-or insect-killed forests (D, 100-120 mg ha −1 ). & Results Logging residue loadings had significantly positive and dynamic effects on diameter and height growths. The logging residue loadings did not significantly change soil nutrients in mineral soil pools in the long run, and there was no difference in tree growth between the treatments S and W over the study period. & Conclusion Logging residue loadings significantly improved tree growth. The lack of response of soil nutrients leads to the hypothesis that nutrient fluxes from logging residues might play a more important role in tree growth in lodgepole pine forests. Our results can have important implications for bio-energy production and designing of nature-based practices for sustainable forest productivity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term logging residue loadings affect tree growth but not soil nutrients in Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud. forests

Wei

Waterhouse

et al. 2020

Annals of Forest Science

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“…Although only the relative magnitude of growth response was explored in this study (i.e., calculation of response ratios to make findings comparable across multiple sites), results suggest that jack pine stands may be more suitable for wood ash amendment than other conifer species. Benefits of wood ash amendment to jack pine stands should be further explored, especially given previous research demonstrating that jack pine growth and nutritional status are susceptible to increasing intensity of biomass removals (Morris et al, ; Thiffault, Paré, Bélanger, Munson, & Marquis, ). In addition, although spruce species have the greatest total tree volume in Canada (~22,383 million m 3 ; Natural Resources Canada, ), pine species are the third most abundant nationwide (~5,611 million m 3 ; Natural Resources Canada, ), and in Ontario, jack pine are the second most harvested tree species by volume (~3,570,185 m 3 ; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short‐term growth response of jack pine and spruce spp. to wood ash amendment across Canada

et al. 2019

Self Cite

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Wood ash amendment to forest soils contributes to the sustainability of the growing bioenergy industry, not only through decreased wood ash waste disposal in landfills but also by increasing soil/site productivity and tree growth. However, tree growth studies to date have reported variable responses to wood ash, highlighting the need to identify proper application rates under various soil/site conditions to maximize their benefits. We explored the influence of tree species, wood ash nutrient application rates, time since application, stand development stage, and initial (i.e., before wood ash application) soil pH and N on short-term tree growth response to wood ash amendment across eight unique study sites spanning five Canadian Provinces.

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“…Such an assertion would need to be tested via nutrient addition experimentation. Regardless, these findings support a proposed mechanism for the sensitivity of P losses, and relative lack thereof for N, following disturbance such as harvesting in high latitude coniferous forests (Morris et al 2019). In the context of the forests examined in the current study, such a mechanism might increase P limitation, limiting the capacity for increased productivity stimulated by enhanced N cycling in these mesic forests in a warmer climate.…”

mentioning

confidence: 64%

Potential limits on warming-enhanced nitrogen availability in mesic boreal forests

Ziegler

Podrebarac

Billings

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In mesic regions, where water availability is rarely limiting, temperature increases with climate change can prompt increases in primary production. These responses will be determined in part by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability, yet the relative importance of N- versus P-cycling for supporting primary production and soil C is unclear. Prompted by previous studies across a mesic boreal forest transect, we hypothesized that enhanced N-cycling and availability supporting increased productivity in warmer forests results in greater relative P-limitation. By assessing soil N and P stocks and inputs across this transect we uncovered multiple lines of evidence supporting this hypothesis. First, soil N stocks and soil N:P are highest in the warmer forests while soil C:P and P stocks are maintained across latitude. Second, soil N:P increases with depth in the warmest forests where organic P is the dominant form of P, and where the lowest mineral soil P stocks are observed. Third, estimates of soil P residence time are not coupled with those of C, and soil C:P does not correlate with tree growth, indicating that P availability is not supported by warming-induced microbial cycling, as is the case for N. Consistent with this, green needle litterfall C:P was lowest in the warmest sites suggesting enhanced P-resorption in those forests. These results provide nuanced evidence for relative P limitation that may emerge with the enhanced N cycling and productivity driven by a warmer climate suggesting a constraint on an important, negative climate feedback in these forests.

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Effects of Biomass Removal Levels on Soil Carbon and Nutrient Reserves in Conifer‐Dominated, Coarse‐Textured Sites in Northern Ontario: 20‐Year Results

Cited by 21 publications

References 59 publications

Long-term logging residue loadings affect tree growth but not soil nutrients in Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud. forests

Long-term logging residue loadings affect tree growth but not soil nutrients in Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud. forests

Short‐term growth response of jack pine and spruce spp. to wood ash amendment across Canada

Potential limits on warming-enhanced nitrogen availability in mesic boreal forests

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