Nitrogen balances in forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest

Gessel, S. P.; Cole, Dale W.; Steinbrenner, E. C.

doi:10.1016/0038-0717(73)90090-4

Cited by 54 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Leaching has been identified as a principle mechanism for N loss in Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir ecosystems (Gessel et al, 1973). Nitrogen leaching is often exacerbated by disturbances to the biological and hydrological regimes of these systems that can occur following harvesting practices (Quails et al, 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Logging residues contain significant quantities of nutrients, particularly N, which may be equivalent to the amount removed during conventional bolewood harvesting (Bigger and Cole, 1983). This is of particular importance as N availability commonly limits forest productivity in the Pacific Northwest USA (Gessel et al, 1973). This organic matter will act as a potential source of nutrients as it decomposes and mineralizes (Wells and Jorgensen, 1979), leading to increases in long-term nutrient availability where slash is retained (Smethurst and Nambiar, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil solution nitrogen concentrations and leaching rates as influenced by organic matter retention on a highly productive Douglas-fir site

Strahm

Harrison

Terry

et al. 2005

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil solution nitrogen concentrations and leaching rates as influenced by organic matter retention on a highly productive Douglas-fir site

Strahm

Harrison

Terry

et al. 2005

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…In cold temperate and boreal coniferous forests, large quantities of organic matter frequently accumulate over the mineral soil (Cole & Rapp 1981;Vogt et al 1986), and a sigruficant proportion of the total ecosystem N can occur within this layer (Gessel et al 1973;Cole 1981). Forest ecologists have loosely called the sum of these organic horizons (L + F + H) overlying the mineral soil the "forest floor" (Waring & Schlesinger 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest floor-mineral soil interactions in the internal nitrogen cycle of an old-growth forest

Hart

Firestone

1991

Biogeochemistry

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Abstract. Seasonal patterns and annual rates of N inputs, outputs, and internal cycling were determined for an old-growth mixed-conifer forest floor in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Rates of net N mineralization within the forest floor, and plant N-uptake and leaching of inorganic N from the forest floor were 13, 10, and 9 kg-N ha-' yr-I, respectively. The Mediterranean-type climate appeared to have a significant effect on N cycling within this forest, such that all N-process and flow rates showed distrinct seasonal patterns. We estimated the forest floor supplies less than one-third of the total aboveground plant N-uptake in this forest. The rate of net nitrification within the forest floor was always low ( < 1 kg-NO;-N ha-' 30d-I). Mean residence times for organic matter and N in the forest floor were 13 and 34 years, respectively, suggesting that this forest floor layer is a site of net N immobilization within this ecosystem. We examined the influence of the forest floor on mineral soil N dynamics by injecting small amounts of I5N-enriched (NH4),S04 solutions into the surface mineral soil with the forest floor present (+FF) or removed (-FF). K,SO,-extractable NOT-N, total inorganic-N, and total-N pool sizes in the mineral soil were initially increased after forest floor removal (after 4 months), but NO;-N and total inorganic-N were not significantly different thereafter. Microbial biomass-N and K,SO,-extractable total-N pool sizes were also found to be larger in mineral soils without a forest floor after 1 and 1.3 years, respectively. Total 'SN-recovery was greater in the +FF treatment compared to the -FF treatment after 1-year (about 50% and 35%, respectively) but did not differ after 1.3 years (both about 35%), suggesting that the forest floor delays but does not prevent the N-loss from the surface mineral soil of this forest. We estimated using our I5N data that fungal translocation from the mineral soil to the forest floor may be as large as 9 kg-N ha-' yr-' (similar in magnitude to other N flows in this forest), and may account for all of the observed absolute increase of N in litter during the early stages of decomposition at this site. Our results suggest that the forest floor acts both as a source and sink for N in the mineral soil.

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“…Although the benefits of nitrogen (N) fixation on soil fertility and productivity in N-limited systems are well known (Gessel et al, 1973;DeBell and Radwan, 1979;Gadgill, 1983;Binkley, 1992Binkley, , 2003Hudson, 1993;Vogel and Gower, 1998;DeLuca et al, 2008), several studies have also shown that high rates of N fixation can cause deleterious effects on water quality and soil acidification (Franklin et al, 1968;Coats et al, 1976;Van Miegroet and Cole, 1984;Binkley and Sollins, 1990;Brozek, 1990;Binkley, 1992;Binkley et al, 1992;Compton et al, 2003;Church et al, 2004). Considerable effort has been devoted to study the effects of excessive N fixation in red alder (Alnus rubra Bong), a fire-and disturbance-adapted species in the Pacific Northwestern United States.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus Dougl) effects on nitrogen availability in soils and solutions from a Sierran ecosystem

et al. 2009

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The presence of nitrogen (N) fixing vegetation can have significant deleterious effects on water quality and also soil leaching. This study investigates the effects of snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus Dougl.), a common post-disturbance N fixer in the western United States, on water quality and soil leaching. We compared mineral N concentrations in soil solution, runoff, O horizon leachates and resin lysimeters in adjacent snowbrush and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyii Grev. & Balf) stands in one site in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in Nevada. Soil solutions from snowbrush had slightly but not significantly greater NO 3 concentrations than those from Jeffrey pine. Leaching rates of NO 3 and NH 4C measured by resin lysimeters were lower in snowbrush than in Jeffrey pine, and leaching rates in mineral soil (15 cm) were not significantly different. Nitrate and NH 4 C concentrations in runoff were greater in the snowbrush than Jeffrey pine, and ancillary field column studies confirmed that snowbrush litter was the primary source of this elevated mineral N. Cutting, followed by mastication and herbicide treatments had no effect on mineral N leaching in a snowbrush stand growing on a recently burned (1994) site in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. We conclude from this and previous studies that snowbrush, unlike some other post-disturbance N-fixing species, has minimal and inconsistent effects on water quality in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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Nitrogen balances in forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest

Cited by 54 publications

References 1 publication

Soil solution nitrogen concentrations and leaching rates as influenced by organic matter retention on a highly productive Douglas-fir site

Soil solution nitrogen concentrations and leaching rates as influenced by organic matter retention on a highly productive Douglas-fir site

Forest floor-mineral soil interactions in the internal nitrogen cycle of an old-growth forest

Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus Dougl) effects on nitrogen availability in soils and solutions from a Sierran ecosystem

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