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Forest Soil Fertility: Influence of Stand Composition on Nitrogen Transformation in the Surface Soil
Author(s) -
Coile T. S.
Publication year - 1939
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1939.036159950003000c0047x
Subject(s) - composition (language) , citation , soil fertility , nitrogen , soil water , transformation (genetics) , forestry , environmental science , geography , library science , soil science , computer science , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , biochemistry , organic chemistry , gene
If the essentially stable characteristics of forest soils are similar, fertility with respect to the surface soil is determined In part by stand composition.lt has been shown that litter of some species of forest trees have characteristically different contents of calcium and nitrogen, and different buffering capacities against acid.See (Plice, (5); Coile, (2)jGarstka,(3); and McHargue and Roy, (4)). A study was made of nitrogen transformation in the surface five inches of soil under two forest types in the Duke Forest which were widely different in species composition: namely, a stand of shortleaf pine 115 years old and an uneven-aged stand of the red gum-yellow poplar type. The shortleaf pine stand 115 years old, had a site index of eightyfour feet, with a volume per acre of approximately 4,000 cubic feet. On residual soils in the Piedmont Plateau, typical stands of pine above thirty to forty years of age have an understory of hardwoods of which, species of oaks and hickories eventually comprise the climax forest. The unevenaged stand of the red gum-yellow poplar forest type contained approximately 800 cubic feet of red gum and yellow poplar. The soil supporting the shortleaf pine forest type is Whitestore sandy loam derived from medium-textured, gray Triassic sandstone. The profile has the following characteristics: