Foliar δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N Response of Lodgepole Pine and Douglas-Fir Seedlings to Soil Compaction and Forest Floor Removal

Authors: Choi, Woo-Jung¹; Chang, Scott X.²; Curran, Michael P.³; Ro, Hee-Myong⁴; Kamaluddin, Mohammed⁵; Zwiazek, Janusz J.⁶

Source: Forest Science, Volume 51, Number 6, December 2005 , pp. 546-555(10)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

The effects of soil compaction, forest floor (FF) removal, and rehabilitation treatments on foliar δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were studied on a calcareous soil. Regardless of soil compaction, FF removal (which reduces soil water potential) resulted in less negative foliar δ¹³C values of lodgepole pine (from −25.9 to −23.4‰), whereas soil compaction effects on foliar δ¹³C were observed only within the FF intact treatment. This result and the more negative foliar δ¹³C with increasing seedling growth most likely reflected limitation on CO₂ diffusion due to water stress caused by those treatments. However, foliar δ¹³C of Douglas-fir (range −25.0 ∼ −24.5‰) were not affected by the treatments, indicating less susceptibility to water stress. Soil compaction reduced NH₄⁺-N concentrations in the FF (from 48.5 to 28.0) and NO₃⁻-N concentrations in the FF (from 13.8 to 6.4) and mineral soil (from 4.3 to 2.1 mg kg⁻¹), and FF removal tended to decrease NH₄⁺-N concentrations in the mineral soil. Foliar δ¹⁵N of both species were not affected by soil compaction but were increased by the FF removal and rehabilitation treatments, indicating that the latter two treatments dramatically altered soil N dynamics. FOR. SCI. 51(6):546–555.

Keywords: Water stress; C and N stable isotope compositions; nitrogen dynamics; disturbance; long-term soil productivity (LTSP); environmental management; forest; forest management; forest resources; forestry; forestry research; forestry science; natural resources; natural resource management

Document Type: Regular article

Affiliations: 1: Assistant Professor Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering and Institute of Agricultural Science & Technology Chonnam National University Gwangju Korea 500-757, Email: wjchoi@chonnam.ac.kr 2: Assistant Professor Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta 442 Earth Sciences Building Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3 Phone: (780) 492-6375;, Fax: (780) 492-1767, Email: scott.chang@ualberta.ca 3: Research Scientist Ministry of Forests, Forest Sciences Program 1907 Ridgewood Road Nelson British Columbia Canada V1L 6K1, Email: Mike.Curran@gems5.gov.bc.ca 4: Assistant Professor Department of Applied Biological and Environmental Chemistry, School of Agricultural Biotechnology Seoul National University Seoul South Korea 151-921, Email: hmro@snu.ac.kr 5: Formerly Research Associate Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta, Edmonton 442 Earth Sciences Building Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3, Email: mk1@ualberta.ca 6: Professor Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta 442 Earth Sciences Building Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3, Email: jzwiazek@ualberta.ca

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