Nutrients in litterfall, forest floor and mineral soils in two adjacent forest ecosystems in Greece

Abstract

The fluxes of masses and the nutrients Ca, Mg, K, N, P and S were determined in the litterfall of two adjacent forest ecosystems of Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in a mountainous area of northeastern Greece in 2010–2015. The foliar litterfall for both species reached about 70% of the total litterfall, and was significantly higher from the other two fractions (woody and rest litterfall). The fluxes of masses and nutrients were compared between ecosystems for each fraction separately. Only one significant statistical difference was found, that of K in the woody litterfall. In addition, the stocks of masses and nutrients were calculated in the forest floors and mineral soils of the two ecosystems. Likewise, the stocks of nutrients in the forest floors and mineral soils were compared between ecosystems. In the L horizon of the forest floors, statistical differences, as a result of species effect, were found for the stocks of Ca and N. In the FH horizons, the masses and all the nutrient stocks differed significantly, as the beech plot had much higher quantities of organic matter and nutrients. These higher quantities were probably due to low soil temperatures (microclimate) and high acidity in the beech plot (species effect) that slowed down decomposition. In the mineral soils, the propagation of random error derived from random errors of the individual soil layers was an important factor in the statistical comparisons. Because of the soil acidity in the beech plot, the stocks of exchangeable base cations were significantly higher in the oak plot, whereas the other nutrient stocks did not differ.

Keywords

Beech / Oak / Litterfall / Forest floor / Mineral soil / Nutrients

References

[1] Adams WA. The effects of organic matter and true densities of some uncultivated podzolic soils. J Soil Sci, 1973, 24: 10-17.

[2] Alifragis D (1984) Nutrient dynamics and organic matter production in an oak ecosystem (Q. conferta Kit.), p 162. Ph.D. Thesis, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece

[3] Augusto L, Ranger J, Binkley D, Rothe A. Impact of several common tree species of European temperate forests on soil fertility. Ann For Sci, 2002, 59: 233-253.

[4] Augusto L, de Schrijver A, Vesterdal L, Smolander A, Prescott C, Ranger J. Influences of evergreen gymnosperms and deciduous angiosperm tree species on the functioning of temperate and boreal forests. Biol Rev, 2015, 90: 444-466.

[5] Baloutsos G, Bourletsikas A, Kaoukis K. Study and investigation of annual and monthly streamflow characteristics of a forest experimental watershed in the Ossa mountain of eastern Greece. Geotech Sci Issues, 2013, 22: 24-37. (in Greek with an English abstract)

[6] Barnes BV, Zak, Denton SR, Spurr SH. Forest ecology, 1998, New York: Wiley 774

[7] Berg B, Meentemeyer V. Litterfall in some European coniferous forests as dependent on climate: a synthesis. Can J For Res, 2001, 31: 292-301.

[8] Binkley D, Giardina C. Why do tree species affect soils? The warp and woof of tree-soil interactions. Biogeochemistry, 1998, 42: 89-106.

[9] Bray JR, Gorham E. Litter production in forests of the world. Adv Ecol Res, 1964, 2: 101-158.

[10] Carnol M, Bazgir M. Nutrient return to the forest floor through litter and throughfall under 7 forest species after conversion from Norway spruce. For Ecol Manag, 2013, 309: 66-75.

[11] Chun-jiang L, Livesniemi H, Berg B, Kutsh W, Yu-sheng Y, Xiang-ging M, Westman CJ. Aboveground litterfall in Eurasian forests. J For Res, 2003, 14(1): 27-34.

[12] Cole DW, Rapp M. Reichle DE. Elemental cycling in forest ecosystems. Dynamic properties of forest ecosystems, 1981, London: Cambridge University Press 341 409

[13] Cremer M, Kern NV, Prietzel J. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks under pure and mixed stands of European beech, Douglas fir and Norway spruce. For Ecol Manag, 2016, 367: 30-40.

[14] FAO-Unesco. Soil map of the world, 1988, Rome: FAO-Unesco 119

[15] Gentilesca T, Camarero JJ, Colangelo M, Nolè A, Ripullone F. Drought induced oak decline in the western Mediterranean region: an overview on current evidences, mechanisms and management options to improve forest resilience. iForest, 2017, 10: 796-806.

[16] Gosz JR, Likens GE, Bormann FH. Organic matter and nutrient dynamics of the forest and forest floor in the Hubbard Brook forest. Oecologia, 1976, 22: 305-320.

[17] Han SH, Meng L, Park GS, Kim SB, Cho MS, Park BB. Characteristics of soil carbon and nutrient stocks across land use types in a forest region of central Kores. For Sci Technol, 2017, 13: 93-99.

[18] Hansen K, Vesterdal L, Schmidt IK, Gundersen P, Sevel L, Bastrup-Birk A, Pedersen LB, Bille-Hansen J. Litterfall and nutrient return in five tree species in a common garden experiment. For Ecol Manag, 2009, 257: 2133-2144.

[19] Inagaki Y, Miura S, Kohzu A. Effects of forest type and stand age on litterfall quality and soil N dynamics in Shikoku district, southern Japan. For Ecol Manag, 2004, 202: 107-117.

[20] Jandl R, Lidner M, Vestredal L, Bauwens B, Baritz R, Hagedorn F, Johnson DW, Minkkinen K, Byrne KA. How strongly can forest management influence soil carbon sequestration?. Geoderma, 2007, 137: 253-268.

[21] Kitikidou K, Milios E, Tsirekis E, Pipinis E, Stampoulidis A. Site quality assessment of degraded Quercus frainetto stands in central Greece. iForest, 2015, 8: 53-58.

[22] Knoepp JD, See CR, Vose JM, Miniat GF, Clark JS. Total C and N pools and fluxes vary with time, soil temperature, and misture along an elevation, precipitation, and vegetation gradient in southern Appalachian forests. Ecosystems, 2018, 21(8): 1623-1638.

[23] Kunito T, Isomura I, Sumi H, Park HD, Toda H, Ostuka S, Nagaoka K, Saeki K, Senoo K. Aluminum and acidity suppress microbial activity and biomass in acidic forest soils. Soil Biol Biochem, 2016, 97: 23-30.

[24] Lalanne A, Jacques Bardat J, Lalanne AF, Ponge JF. Local and regional trends in the ground vegetation of beech forests. Flora, 2010, 205: 484-498.

[25] Ma X, Heal KV, Liu A, Jarvis PG. Nutrient cycling and distribution in different-aged plantaions of Chinese fir in southern China. For Ecol Manag, 2007, 243: 61-74.

[26] Merino A, Real C, Rodriguez-Guitian M. Nutrient status of managed and natural forest fragments of Fagus sylvatica in southern Europe. For Ecol Manag, 2008, 255: 3691-3699.

[27] Michopoulos P, Economou A, Nakos G. Concentrations of sulfate ions in acid forest soils. Geotech Sci Issues, 1998, 9: 32-35. (in Greek with an English abstract)

[28] Michopoulos P, Cresser M, Economou A, Baloutsos G, Bourletsikas A, Kaoukis K, Kassioti S. Soil acidification in an experimental beech plot in a period of rising pH in bulk deposition. Fresen Environ Bull, 2013, 22: 1259-1265.

[29] Miller JC, Miller JN. Statistics for Analytical Chemistry, 1988 2 Chichester: Ellis Horwood Limited 227

[30] Mueller KE, Eissenstat DM, Hobbie SE, Oleksyn J, Jagodzinski AM, Reich PB, Chadwick OA, Chorover J. Tree species effects on coupled cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and acidity in mineral soils at a common garden experiment. Biogeochemistry, 2012, 111: 601-614.

[31] Nihlgård B. Plant biomass, primary production and distribution of chemical elements in a beech and a planned forest in south Sweden. Oikos, 1972, 23: 69-81.

[32] Parker GG. Throughfall and stemflow in the forest nutrient cycle. Adv Ecol Res, 1983, 13: 57-133.

[33] Pedersen LB, Hansen JB. A comparison of litterfall and element fluxes in even aged Norway spruce, Sitka spruce and beech stands in Denmark. For Ecol Manag, 1999, 114: 55-70.

[34] Prescott CE. Influence of forest floor type on rates of litter decomposition in microcosms. Soil Biol Biochem, 1996, 10(11): 1319-1325.

[35] Prescott CE. The influence of the forest canopy on nutrient cycling. Tree Physiol, 2002, 22: 1193-1200.

[36] Prietzel J, Bachman S. Changes in soil organic C and N stocks after forest transformation from Norway spruce and Scots pine into Douglas fir/spruce, or European beech stands at different sites in Southern Germany. For Ecol Manag, 2012, 269: 134-148.

[37] Rawls WJ, Brankesiek DL (1985) Prediction of soil water properties for hydrologic modelling. In Proceedings of symposium on watershed management, ASCE, pp 293–299

[38] Regina IS, Tarazona T. Nutrient return to the soil through litterfall and throughfall under beech and pine stands of Sierra de la Demanda, Spain. Arid Soil Res Rehabil, 2000, 14: 239-252.

[39] Roem WJ, Berendse F. Soil acidity and nutrient supply ratio as possible factors determining changes in plant species diversity in grassland and heathland communities. Biol Conserv, 2000, 92: 151-161.

[40] Sayer EJ. Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems. Biol Rev, 2006, 81: 1-31.

[41] Turrión MB, Schneider K, Gallardo JF. Carbon accumulation in Umbrisols under Quercus pyrenaica forests: effects of bedrock and annual precipitation. CATENA, 2009, 79: 1-8.

[42] Vesterdal L, Schmidt IK, Calessen I, Nilson LO, Gundersen P. Carbon and nitrogen in forest floor and mineral soil under six common European tree species. For Ecol Manag, 2008, 255: 35-48.

[43] Vesterdal L, Elberling P, Christiansen JR, Calessen I, Schmidt IK. Soil respiration and rates of soil carbon turnover differ among six common European tree species. For Ecol Manag, 2012, 264: 185-196.

[44] Vitousek PM, Gerich G, Turner DR, Walker LR, Mueller-Dumbois D. Litterfall and nutrient cycling in four Hawaiian montane rainforest. J Trop Ecol, 1995, 11: 189-203.

[45] Vogt KA, Grier CC, Vogt DJ. Production, turnover and nutrient dynamics of above- and below-ground detritus of world forests. Adv Ecol Res, 1986, 15: 303-377.

[46] UN-ICP-Forests. International co-operative programme on assessment and monitoring of air pollution effects on forests operating under the UNECE convention on long-range transboundary air pollution (CLRTAP). WWW.ICP-Forests.org

[47] Zhou L, Shalom ADD, Wu P, Li S, Jia Y, Ma X. Litterfall production and nutrient return in different-aged Chinese fir (Cunninghania lanceolata) plantations in South China. J For Res, 2015, 26: 79-89.