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Response of Mineral Soil Carbon to Clear‐Cutting in a Northern Hardwood Forest
Author(s) -
Vario C.L.,
Neurath R.A.,
Friedland A.J.
Publication year - 2014
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/sssaj2013.06.0226
Subject(s) - environmental science , experimental forest , ecosystem , forest ecology , soil carbon , soil horizon , carbon sink , sink (geography) , clearcutting , forest floor , soil water , agronomy , forestry , agroforestry , soil science , ecology , biology , geography , cartography
Northern New England is characterized by extensive forest cover (84%) and large reservoirs of soil carbon (C). There has been an increasing demand for forests to serve both as a C sink and a renewable energy source. Our understanding and management of the ecosystem C balance relies on accurate modeling of each compartment of the ecosystem. However, the dynamics of soil C storage with respect to forest use are poorly understood. For example, current regional models assume negligible mineral soil C loss after forest harvesting, while some studies on soil C demonstrate that belowground mineral soil C pools can be affected by disturbances at the soil surface. We investigated harvesting‐related changes in mineral soil C to a depth of 60 cm in the Bartlett Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. We found significantly lower concentrations of C in some recently harvested stands compared with >100‐yr‐old stands. Carbon concentrations among harvested stands varied significantly in all but the 0‐ to 10‐cm depth increment. Mineral soil C pools were lower in some stands that had been harvested, with isolated significant differences occurring between the 120‐yr‐old stand and stands that were cut 5 or 55 yr before sampling. However, there were no trends in mineral soil C pools over time after harvest, and the isolated differences in C pools do not suggest widespread C loss with forest harvesting. When combined, stands that had been harvested within the last 100 yr had significantly lower C pools than the >100‐yr‐old stands. Further work is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed loss of C after forest harvest. However, changes in C inputs and outputs to and from mineral soil in the decades following harvest could potentially lead to appreciable differences in C concentrations and pools across the landscape.