The influence of N load and harvest intensity on the risk of P limitation in Swedish forest soils

Akselsson, Cecilia; Westling, Olle; Alveteg, Mattias; Thelin, Gunnar; Fransson, Ann-Mari; Hellsten, Sofie

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.11.017

Cited by 46 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Further, nutrient export with harvest may be overestimated in practice as residue removal, on average, only recovers 50% of available forest residues [41]. Nevertheless, our estimates are consistent with the perception that Ca and P forest pools may be depleted by WTH [38,40]. Further studies are required to fully understand the consequences of biomass harvesting on the cycling of nutrients in hardwood temperate forests.…”

Section: Implications On Nutrient Pools and Future Forest Productivitysupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Several studies have also identified P as possibly limiting the productivity of temperate hardwood forests [36,37] and multiple sources of evidence indicate that WTH significantly reduces P soil pools [25,38,39]. Estimated P annual budgets in SM-YB forests are between 0.02 [25] and 0.10 kg·ha −1 ·year −1 [35].…”

Section: Implications On Nutrient Pools and Future Forest Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using Macronutrient Distributions within Trees to Define a Branch Diameter Threshold for Biomass Harvest in Sugar Maple-Dominated Stands

Royer‐Tardif

Delagrange

Nolet

et al. 2017

Forests

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Abstract:As the use of forest harvesting residues for energy production gains popularity, debate continues regarding the long-term sustainability of whole tree harvesting (WTH). This practice removes nutrient-rich twigs that only account for a small fraction of harvest residues, emphasising the need to develop nutrient-efficient alternatives to WTH. This study assessed N, P, K, Ca, and Mg distributions within sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) branches of various sizes in order to determine the branch diameter threshold that would represent the best compromise between the quantity of harvested biomass and nutrient losses that were generated. Quantities of nutrients that were exported with harvesting were then modelled at the stand level using different biomass harvest scenarios to explore what factors ultimately drove total quantities of nutrients exported with harvest. We found that the branch diameter threshold for biomass harvesting should be set at 2 cm for most nutrients in both tree species. An exception was Mg in yellow birch, for which the harvesting of branches larger than 10 cm would always generate larger nutrient export than gains in terms of biomass. At the stand scale, we provide evidence that the intensity of biomass harvest (i.e., the number of branch compartments harvested) is the principal factor responsible for the quantity of nutrient that is exported with harvesting.

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Section: Implications On Nutrient Pools and Future Forest Productivitysupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Implications On Nutrient Pools and Future Forest Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Macronutrient Distributions within Trees to Define a Branch Diameter Threshold for Biomass Harvest in Sugar Maple-Dominated Stands

Royer‐Tardif

Delagrange

Nolet

et al. 2017

Forests

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“…DeLuca et al 2002 have suggested that fixation can reach up to 3 kg N ha -1 a -1 in boreal ecosystems. In contrast, harvesting of biomass permanently removes N from forest ecosystems; and there is also increasing evidence that other nutrients, such as K and phosphorus, become limiting under forest harvesting (Akselsson et al 2008). In the current study, the intensive forest management scenarios resulted in both N and K deficiencies at 68 (AGH) and 104 (WTH) catchments ( Fig.…”

Section: Nutrient Limitations Under Biomass Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of forest biomass removal on soil nutrient status under climate change: a catchment-based modelling study for Finland

Aherne

Posch²,

Forsius

et al. 2011

Biogeochemistry

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The environmental impact of different forest harvesting scenarios on soil nutrient status and water chemistry under current and future (IPCC A2) climate was evaluated for a random sample of lake catchments (n = 1066) covering Finland. Biomass removal scenarios were derived from a managementoriented large-scale forest model based on data from national forest inventories. Forest ecosystem sustainability was assessed by evaluating soil base cation balances as well as temporal changes (2010-2050) in soil base saturation and lake water acid neutralising capacity, using a dynamic hydro-geochemical model. The harvesting scenarios had very different effects on biomass and element removal as well as soil and water quality; only harvesting of above-ground woody biomass (stem-only or stem-and-branches harvesting scenarios) was predicted to be sustainable, i.e. not depleting the soil base cation pools in the long term. The most intensive scenario-whole-tree harvesting (including the removal of stumps and roots)-doubled the removal of biomass, tripled the removal of base cations from the catchment soils, and increased nitrogen removal fourfold. Climate change was predicted to have a positive impact by increasing the future supply of base cations from weathering, thus compensating their removal by biomass harvesting. However, additional inputs of nitrogen and potassium will be required to ensure sustained forest growth under intensive biomass harvesting.

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“…Today, nutrient losses (including P) in the boreal zone are instead governed mainly by forest harvesting. These nutrient losses have been suggested to potentially cause a P limitation in Swedish boreal forests, though assuming that root uptake is limited to the upper 0.5 m including the humus layer (Akselsson et al 2008). Our study shows that such assumptions may be too simplified and that there is a large capacity to replenish even relatively large losses over time.…”

Section: Microbial Nutrient Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil phosphorus and microbial response to a long-term wildfire chronosequence in northern Sweden

et al. 2009

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In the prolonged absence of major disturbances, ecosystems may enter a stage of retrogression, which is characterized by decreased ecosystem process rates both above and belowground, and often reduced availability of phosphorus (P). Disturbance through wildfire can increase soil P losses through leaching or erosion, but in the long-term absence of fire, soil P could potentially become increasingly bound in more stable forms that are less available to microbes. We studied forms of P and microbial respiration kinetics in the humus layer of a group of islands that vary considerably in wildfire frequency (40-5,300 years since last fire), and which are known to enter retrogression in the prolonged absence of fire. We found a decrease in labile P with decreasing fire frequency but no change in total P. Soil microorganisms responded more strongly to N than to P addition, and microbial biomass N:P ratios remained unchanged across the gradient. However, the concentration of labile P was the best predictor of microbial respiration responses across the islands, and this provides some evidence that declining access to P could contribute to the decline in soil microbial activity during retrogression. Our results show that even though N is arguably the main limiting nutrient during retrogression in this chronosequence, long term absence of fire also causes a decline in P availability which negatively affects microbial activity. This in turn could potentially impair microbially driven processes such as decomposition and mineralization and further contribute to the reduced availability of soil nutrients during retrogression.

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The influence of N load and harvest intensity on the risk of P limitation in Swedish forest soils

Cited by 46 publications

References 25 publications

Using Macronutrient Distributions within Trees to Define a Branch Diameter Threshold for Biomass Harvest in Sugar Maple-Dominated Stands

Using Macronutrient Distributions within Trees to Define a Branch Diameter Threshold for Biomass Harvest in Sugar Maple-Dominated Stands

Impacts of forest biomass removal on soil nutrient status under climate change: a catchment-based modelling study for Finland

Soil phosphorus and microbial response to a long-term wildfire chronosequence in northern Sweden

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