Decay rate of Larix gmelinii coarse woody debris on burned patches in the Greater Khingan Mountains

Abstract

The decomposition of coarse woody debris (CWD) affects the energy flow and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Previous studies on CWD have focused on the input, decomposition, reserve dynamics, and CWD functions, but coarse woody debris decomposition is complex and the results from different regions vary considerably. It is not clear which factors affect decay rate (k), especially at different decomposition stages. In this study, a single-exponential decay model was used to analyze the characteristics of CWD decomposition in Larix gmelinii forests over the 33 years following a fire in the Greater Khingan Mountains. The results show that the decay rate of coarse woody debris was positively correlated to decay class. The average decomposition rate was 0.019, and 41 years and 176 years are needed for a 50% and 95% mass loss, respectively. CWD nutrient content, density, and water content could explain the variance in the decay rate (~ 42%) of the decay factors such as amount of leaching, degree of fragmentation, respiration of the debris, and biotransformation, and varied significantly between different decay classes. Using the space–time substitution method, this study arranged the coarse woody debris of different mortality times to form a 33 year chronosequence which revealed the decomposition process. It was concluded that the decay rate was mainly explained by structural component of the debris and its nitrogen and water contents. This paper quantifies the indicators affecting CWD decay to explain the decomposition process.

Keywords

Coarse woody debris / Decay rate / Space–time substitution / Boreal forest / Fire disturbance

References

[1] Amiro BD, Orchansky AL, Barr AG, Black TA, Chambers SD, Chapin Iii FS, Goulden ML, Litvak M, Liu HP, McCaughey JH, McMillan A, Randerson JT. The effect of post-fire stand age on the boreal forest energy balance. Agric For Meteorol, 2006, 140: 41-50.

[2] Attiwill P. The disturbance of forest ecosystems: the ecological basis for conservative management. For Ecol Manag, 1994, 63: 247-300.

[3] Busse M. Downed bole-wood decomposition in lodgepole pine forests of central Oregon. Soil Sci Soc Am J, 1994, 58: 221-227.

[4] Bütler R, Patty L, Le Bayon RC, Guenat C, Schlaepfer R. Log decay of Picea abies in the Swiss Jura Mountains of central Europe. For Ecol Manag, 2007, 242: 791-799.

[5] Carmona M, Armesto JJ, Aravena J, Pérez C. Coarse woody debris biomass in successional and primary temperate forests in Chiloé Island, Chile. For Ecol Manag, 2002, 164: 265-275.

[6] Catry F, Rego F, Moreira F, Fernandes P, Pausas JG. Post-fire tree mortality in mixed forests of central Portugal. For Ecol Manage, 2010, 260: 1184-1192.

[7] Catry F, Pausas J, Moreira F, Fernandes P, Rego F. Post-fire response variability in Mediterranean basin tree species in Portugal. Int J Wildland Fire, 2013, 22: 919-932.

[8] Cha S, Chae HM, Lee SH, Shim JK. Branch wood decomposition of tree species in a deciduous temperate forest in Korea. Forests, 2017, 8: 176.

[9] Chambers J, Schimel J, Nobre A. Respiration from coarse wood litter in central Amazon forests. Biogeochemistry, 2001, 52: 115-131.

[10] Chen H, Harmon ME. Dynamic study of coarse woody debris in temperate forest ecosystems. Chin J Appl Ecol, 1992, 2: 99-104.

[11] Ci H. Characteristics of coarse woody debris decomposition and respiration of two tree species at Liuxihe, 2018, Beijing: Chinese Academy of Forestry 5 15

[12] Currie W, Nadelhoffer K. The imprint of land-use history: patterns of carbon and nitrogen in downed woody bebris at the Harvard forest. Ecosystems, 2002, 5: 446-460.

[13] Date RA. Nitrogen, a major limitation in the productivity of natural communities, crops and pastures in the Pacific area. Soil Biol Biochem, 1973, 5: 5-18.

[14] Delaney M, Brown S, Lugo AE, Torres-Lezama A, Quintero NB. The quantity and turnover of dead wood in permanent forest plots in six life zones of Venezuela. Biotropica, 1998, 30: 2-11.

[15] Eaton J, Lawrence D. Woody debris stocks and fluxes during succession in a dry tropical forest. For Ecol Manag, 2006, 232: 46-55.

[16] Fernandes P, Vega J, Jiménez E, Rigolot E. Fire resistance of European pines. For Ecol Manag, 2008, 256: 246-255.

[17] Fogel R, Cromack K. Effect of habitat and substrate quality on Douglas fir litter decomposition in western Oregon. Can J Bot, 2011, 55: 1632-1640.

[18] Frangi JL, Richter LL, Barrera MD, Aloggia M. Decomposition of Nothofagus fallen woody debris in forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Can J For Res, 1997, 27: 1095-1102.

[19] Ganjegunte GK, Condron LM, Clinton PW, Davis MR, Mahieu N. Decomposition and nutrient release from radiata pine (Pinus radiata) coarse woody debris. For Ecol Manag, 2004, 187: 197-211.

[20] Guo FT. Estimated gas emission from forest fire in Daxing’an Mountain, 2007, Harbin: Northest Forestry University 1 12

[21] Guo M, Li J, Huang SB, Wen LX. Feasibility of using MODIS products to simulate sun-Induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) in boreal forests. Remote Sens, 2020, 12: 3-8.

[22] Hafner SD, Groffman PM. Soil nitrogen cycling under litter and coarse woody debris in a mixed forest in New York State. Soil Biol Biochem, 2005, 37: 2159-2162.

[23] Harmon ME, Franklin JF, Swanson FJ, Sollins P, Gregory SV, Lattin JD, Anderson NH, Cline SP, Aumen NG, Sedell JR, Lienkaemper GW, Cromack K, Cummins KW. Ecology of coarse woody debris in temperate ecosystems. Ad Ecol Res, 1986, 15: 133-302.

[24] Harmon ME, Sexton J, Caldwell BA, Carpenter SE. Fungal sporocarp mediated losses of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, P, and Zn from conifer logs in the early stages of decomposition. Can J For Res, 1994, 24: 1883-1893.

[25] Harmon ME, Krankina O, Sexton J. Decomposition vectors: a new approach to estimating woody detritus decomposition dynamics. Can J For Res, 2000, 30: 76-84.

[26] Hayes DJ, McGuire AD, Kicklighter DW, Gurney KR, Burnside TJ, Melillo JM. Is the northern high-latitude land-based CO₂ sink weakening?. Glob Biogeochem Cycles, 2011, 25: 1-11.

[27] Hu YM, Xu CG, Chang Y, Li XZ, Bu RC, He HS, Leng WF. Application of spatially explicit landscape model (LANDIS): a case researches in Huzhong area. Mt Daxing 'anling Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2004, 24: 1846-1856.

[28] Janisch J, Harmon ME, Chen H, Fasth B, Sexton J. Decomposition of coarse woody debris originating by clearcutting of an old-growth conifer forest. Ecoscience, 2005, 12: 151-160.

[29] Jomura M, Kominami Y, Dannoura M, Kanazawa Y. Spatial variation in respiration from coarse woody debris in a temperate secondary broad-leaved forest in Japan. For Ecol Manag, 2008, 255: 149-155.

[30] Kruys N, Jonsson B, Stahl G. A stage-based matrix model for decay-class dynamics of woody debris. Ecol Appl, 2002, 12: 773-781.

[31] Laiho R, Prescott C. The contribution of coarse woody debris to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycles in three Rocky Mountain coniferous forests. Can J For Res, 1999, 29: 1592-1603.

[32] Lierop P, Lindquist E, Sathyapala S, Franceschini G. Global forest area disturbance from fire, insect pests, diseases and severe weather events. For Ecol Manag, 2015, 352: 78-88.

[33] Liu ZX, Zhang L, Ou YD, Sun D, Su ZY. The composition and structure of coarse woody debris in the evergreen broadleaved forest after ice storm in northern Guangdong province. J Southwest For Univ, 2011, 31: 18-23.

[34] Lorimer C. Methodological consideration in the analysis of forest disturbance history. Can J For Res, 2011, 15: 200-213.

[35] Lv MH, Zhou GY, Zhang DQ. Decomposition of Cryptocarya concinna coarse woody debris (CWD) in Dinghushan. Guihaia, 2006, 26: 523-529.

[36] Mackensen J, Bauhus J. Density loss and respiration rates in coarse woody debris of Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus regnans and Eucalyptus maculata. Soil Biol Biochem, 2003, 35: 177-186.

[37] Mackensen J, Bauhus J, Webber E. Decomposition rates of coarse woody debris-A review with particular emphasis on Australian tree species. Aust J Bot, 2003, 51: 27-37.

[38] Marra J, Edmonds R. Coarse woody debris and forest floor respiration in an old-growth coniferous forest on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA. Can J For Res, 1994, 24: 1811-1817.

[39] Mattson KG, Swank WT, Waide JB. Decomposition of woody debris in a regenerating, clear-cut forest in the Southern Appalachians. Can J For Res, 1987, 17: 712-721.

[40] McLauchlan KK, Higuera PE, Miesel J, Rogers BM, Schweitzer J, Shuman JK, Tepley AJ, Varner JM, Veblen TT, Adalsteinsson SA, Balch JK, Baker P, Batllori E, Bigio E, Brando P, Cattau M, Chipman ML, Coen J, Crandall R, Daniels L, Enright N, Gross WS, Harvey BJ, Hatten JA, Hermann S, Hewitt RE, Kobziar LN, Landesmann JB, Loranty MM, Maezumi SY, Mearns L, Moritz M, Myers JA, Pausas JG, Pellegrini AFA, Platt WJ, Roozeboom J, Safford H, Santos F, Scheller RM, Sherriff RL, Smith KG, Smith MD, Watts AC, Durigan G. Fire as a fundamental ecological process: research advances and frontiers. J Ecol, 2020, 108: 20147-22069.

[41] Montes F, Cañellas I. Modelling coarse woody debris dynamics in even-aged Scots pine forests. For Ecol Manag, 2006, 221: 220-232.

[42] Motta R, Berretti R, Lingua E, Piussi P. Coarse woody debris, forest structure and regeneration in the Valbona Forest Reserve, Paneveggio, Italian Alps. For Ecol Manag, 2006, 235: 155-163.

[43] Müller-Using S, Bartsch N. Decay dynamic of coarse and fine woody debris of a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest in Central Germany. Eur J Forest Res, 2009, 128: 287-296.

[44] Noh N, Yoon T, Kim RH, Bolton N, Kim C, Son Y. Carbon and nitrogen accumulation and decomposition from coarse woody debris in a naturally regenerated Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora S. Et Z.) forest. Forests, 2017, 8: 214.

[45] Olson JS. Energy storage and the balance of producers and decomposers in ecological systems. Ecology, 1963, 44: 322-325.

[46] Russell M, Woodall C, D'Amato A, Fraver S, Bradford J. Technical Note: linking climate change and downed woody debris decomposition across forests of the eastern United States. Biogeosciences, 2014, 11: 6417-6425.

[47] Shorohova E, Kapitsa E, Vanha-Majamaa I. Decomposition of stumps in a chronosequence after clear-felling vs. clear-felling with prescribed burning in a southern boreal forest in Finland. For Ecol Manag, 2008, 255: 3606-3612.

[48] Sollins P. Input and decay of coarse woody debris in coniferous stands in western Oregon and Washington. Can J For Res, 1982, 12: 18-28.

[49] Spies TA, Franklin JF, Thomas TB. Coarse woody debris in Douglas-fir forests of western Oregon and Washington. Ecology, 1988, 69: 1689-1702.

[50] Sturtevant B, Bissonette J, Long J, Roberts D. Coarse woody debris as a function of age, stand structure, and disturbance in boreal Newfoundland. Ecol Appl, 1997, 7: 702-712.

[51] Tang XL, Zhou GL, Zhou X, Wen DZ, Zhang QM, Yin GC. Coarse woody debris in monsoon evergreen broad−leaved forests of Dinghushan nature reserve. Acta Phytoecol Sin, 2003, 27: 484-489.

[52] Tyrrell L, Crow T. Dynamics of in old-growth hemlock-hardwood forests of northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan. Can J For Res, 1994, 24: 1672-1683.

[53] Wang CK, Gower ST, Wang YH, Zhao HX, Yan P, Bond-Lamberty BP. The influence of fire on carbon distribution and net primary production of boreal Larix gmelinii forests in north-eastern China. Glob Change Biol, 2001, 7: 719-730.

[54] Weedon J, Cornwell W, Cornelissen J, Zanne A, Wirth C, Coomes D. Global meta-analysis of wood decomposition rates: a role for trait variation among tree species?. Ecol Lett, 2008, 12: 45-56.

[55] Wilcke W, Hess T, Bengel C, Homeier J, Valarezo C, Zech W. Coarse woody debris in a montane forest in Ecuador: mass, C and nutrient stock, and turnover. For Ecol Manag, 2005, 205: 139-147.

[56] Wu JB, Guan DX, Han SJ, Zhang M, Jin CJ. Ecological functions of coarse woody debris in forest ecosystem. J For Res, 2005, 16: 247-252.

[57] Wu ZW, He HS, Liu XM, Wu ZF, Yu L, Zhang PF, Li SH, Song GH, Wang QB. Study on coarse woody debris in broadleaved Korean pine forest of Fenglin National natural reserve. Ecol Sci, 2011, 30: 150-155.

[58] Xu HC. Da hinggin ling mountains forest in China, 1988, Beijing: Science Press 30 55

[59] Xu WR. Effects of commercial harvest exclusion on forest composition, structure and spatial distribution of the Great Xing’an Mountains, 2018, Changchun: Northeast Normal University 20 28

[60] Yang LP. Biomass, composition and ecological functions of woody debris in montane moist evergreen broard-leaved forest in Ailao, 2007, Beijing: Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden) 10 15

[61] Yang LY, Dai LM, Zhang YJ. Storage and decomposition of fallen wood in dark coniferous forest on the north slope of Changbai Mountain. J Appl Ecol, 2002, 13: 1069-1071.

[62] Yatskov M, Harmon ME, Krankina O. A chronosequence of wood decomposition in the boreal forests of Russia. Can J For Res, 2003, 33: 1211-1226.

[63] Yuan J. Coarse woody debris of main forest types at Huoditang forest region in the QinLing Mountains, 2016, Xianyang: Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University 15 20

[64] Yuan J, Hou L, Zhang SX. Research progress in coarse woody debris. J Northwest For Univ, 2011, 26: 90-98.

[65] Yuan J, Cai J, Hou L, Zhang SX. Storage and decomposition of fallen wood in a Pinus tabulaeformis secondary forest at Huoditang forest region in the Qinling mountains. Scientia Silvae Sinicae, 2012, 48: 141-146.

[66] Yue C, Ciais P, Cadule P, Thonicke K, Leeuwen T. Modelling the role of fires in the terrestrial carbon balance by incorporating SPITFIRE into the global vegetation model ORCHIDEE-Part 2: carbon emissions and the role of fires in the global carbon balance. Geosci Model Dev, 2015, 8: 1321-1338.

[67] Zell J, Kändler G, Hanewinkel M. Predicting constant decay rates of coarse woody debris-A meta analysis approach with a mixed model. Ecol Model, 2009, 220: 904-912.

[68] Zhang LM, Wang CK. Carbon and nitrogen release during decomposition of coarse woody debris for eleven temperate tree species in the eastern mountain region of northeast China. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34: 368-374.

[69] Zhang XY, Guan DS, Zhang HD. Characteristics of storage and decomposition of coarse woody debris (CWD) under three forests in Guangzhou. Acta Ecol Sin, 2009, 09: 5227-5236.

[70] Zhu JX, Zhou XL, Fang WJ, Xiong XY, Zhu B, Ji CJ, Fang JY. Plant debris and its contribution to ecosystem carbon storage in successional Larix gmelinii forests in northeastern China. Forests, 2017, 8: 191.