Premium
Successional Development of the Forest Floor and Soil Surface on Upland Sites of the East Gulf Coastal Plain
Author(s) -
Switzer G. L.,
Shelton M. G.,
Nelson L. E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936964
Subject(s) - ecological succession , forest floor , secondary succession , dominance (genetics) , deciduous , climax community , ecology , secondary forest , environmental science , vegetation (pathology) , stand development , organic matter , geology , agroforestry , soil science , soil water , biology , medicine , biochemistry , pathology , gene
The forest floor and Soil surface were studies in 40 forest stands representing secondary succession from old fields to the oak—hickory—pine climax in eastern Mississippi, USA. Forest succession proceed from coniferous to deciduous communities and is divided into early, middle, and late stages. The compositional change of the vegetation is linearly related to stand age, and the shift from coniferous to deciduous dominance occurs at °130 yr. The physical and chemical properties of the forest floor and soil surface changes during succession and make extensive recoveries from the levels reported for old fields at abandonment. However, no overall pattern of change emerges since change varies by specific property of the forest floor and soil surface. Generally, the properties of the forest floor layers are more reflective of compositional changes than are the properties of the soil surface. Organic matter, C, N, P, and K approach equilibrium in the forest floor in early succession while the equilibrium of Ca and Mg is not reached until late succession. The equilibrium levels of organic matter and C are principally determined by decomposition rates since the inputs to the forest floor remain relatively constant throughout succession. Organic matter and C approach equilibrium levels in the succession. The rapid recovery indicates the restorative properties of the communities of early succession and the resilient properties of these sites.