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Nutrient Accumulation during Primary Succession in a Montane Tropical Forest, Puerto Rico
Author(s) -
Zarin Daniel J.,
Johnson Arthur H.
Publication year - 1995
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/sssaj1995.03615995005900050034x
Subject(s) - chronosequence , ecological succession , nutrient , biomass (ecology) , primary succession , old growth forest , environmental science , secondary forest , rainforest , vegetation (pathology) , landslide , ecology , ecosystem , agroforestry , biology , geology , medicine , geotechnical engineering , pathology
Few studies document both above‐ and belowground changes in ecosystem nutrient capital with successional time. This study was conducted to assess the resiliency of soil and biomass nutrient capital in a montane tropical forest following catastrophic disturbance. We report measurements of soil and biomass C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg pools in a chronosequence of landslide scars ranging from 1 to >55 yr ( n = 12) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Pool sizes are also reported for plots located in the two late‐succession vegetation associations, which represent both potential mature forest stages for aggrading landslide scars and the dominant predisturbance forest types at that elevation: the palm brake forest ( n = 3), dominated by sierra palm [ Prestoea montana (R. Grah.) Nichols], and the palo colorado forest ( n = 5), dominated by palo colorado [ Cyrilla racemiflora L.] and other dicots. The soils of new landslide scars contain much less exchangeable nutrient cation capital than that present in biomass + soil exchange pools in either of the mature forest types or in the >55‐yr landslide scars. Nonetheless, recovery of N, P, K, and Mg to levels present in both mature forest associations occurs during the brief course of this primary succession chronosequence, suggesting that forest recovery is not limited by the availability of those nutrients. Recovery of C and Ca pools is apparently slower.