The Role of Tree Waste in the Litter Layer Formation in Cutting Areas of Middle Taiga Spruce Forests

Complete text of the article:

Download article (pdf, 0.7MB )

UDС

630*187:582.475:630*221.01:581.131(1-924.82)

DOI:

Abstract

The paper studied the degradation of plant residues in 4–6-year-old cutting areas after clear-cutting of middle taiga spruce forests. The dynamics of tree waste fall and decomposition was established. The mineralization of plant residues of the O horizon was evaluated. The density of litter layer in the cutting areas of blueberry and polytric-sphagnum spruce forests was identified. Weight of organic matter, entering the soil with tree waste, in the cutting area of blueberry spruce forest is 3115 kg/ha, polytric-sphagnum – 3608 kg/ha, 55–60 % of which is litter from aboveground organs. The bulk of the tree waste (89 %) is formed by the ground cover plants – moss and grass. The rate of decomposition in descending order is as follows: birch leaves ? cowberry leaves ? pine needles ? spruce needles ? moss ? branches ? bark. The most active decomposition is observed in birch leaves, their C/N (carbon/nitrogen) ratio being 35–38. In spruce and pine needles, this value ranges from 38 to 43, in branches of woody plants – from 48 to 60, and in bark – from 105 to 142. The most active litter layer decomposition is observed in the subhorizon consisting of leaves: in the cutting area of blueberry spruce forest it is 17.3 % per year and in that of polytric-sphagnum spruce forest – 15.4 %. In the enzymatic subhorizon there are decomposed 10.4 and 9.3 % of organic matter of plant residues per year, respectively. In the humus subhorizon, decomposition of plant residues is rather slow (about 7 %). The low rate of plant residues decomposition in the cutting area of blueberry spruce forest facilitates the formation of a rather thick litter layer (12.0 cm), with a total density of organic matter 47.5 t/ha and capacity of 18.7 cm, the density in the cutting area of polytric-sphagnum spruce forest being 63.9 t/ha.

Authors

N.V. Likhanova, Leading Chemical Engineer, PhD Candidate

Affiliation

Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Keywords

middle taiga, spruce forest, tree waste, decomposition, cutting, litter layer.

References

1. Aristovskaya T.V. Mikrobiologiya podzolistykh pochv [Microbiology of Podzolic Soils]. Moscow, Leningrad, 1965. 183 p. 2. Bobkova K.S. Biologicheskaya produktivnost' lesov evropeyskogo Severo-Vostoka [Biological Productivity of Forests in the European Northeast]. Leningrad, 1987. 156 p. 3. Bobkova K.S. Biologicheskaya produktivnost' i komponenty balansa ugleroda v zabolochennykh korennykh el'nikakh Severa [Biological Productivity and Carbon Balance Components in Aboriginal Boggy Spruce Forests of the North]. Lesovedenie, 2007, no. 6, pp. 45–54. 4. Bogatyrev L.G. Obrazovanie podstilok – odin iz vazhneyshikh protsessov v lesnykh ekosistemakh [Formation of Litter Layer – One of the Most Important Processes in Forest Ecosystems]. Pochvovedenie, 1996, no. 4, pp. 501–511. 5. Vedrova E.F. Razlozhenie organicheskogo veshchestva lesnykh podstilok [Decomposition of Organic Matter of Forest Litter Layer]. Pochvovedenie, 1997, no. 2, pp. 216–223. 6. Germanova N.I. Razlozhenie opada kak pokazatel' intensivnosti krugovorota elementov v lesnykh nasazhdeniyakh Yuzhnoy Karelii [Decomposition of Tree Waste as an Indicator of Elements Cycle Intensity in Forest Stands of Southern Karelia]. Lesovedenie, 2000, no. 3, pp. 30–35. 7. Dylis N.V. Lesnaya podstilka v biogeotsenoticheskom osveshchenii [Forest Litter in the Light of Biogeocenosis]. Lesovedenie, 1985, no. 5, pp. 3–8. 8. Dymov A.A., Bobkova K.S., Tuzhilkina V.V., Rakina D.A. Rastitel'nyy opad v korennom el'nike i listvenno-khvoynykh nasazhdeniyakh [Tree Waste in an Aboriginal Spruce Forest and Mixed Stands]. Lesnoy zhurnal, 2012, no. 3, pp. 7–18. 9. Zamolodchikov D.G., Utkin A.I., Korovin G.N. Opredelenie zapasov ugleroda po zavisimym ot vozrasta nasazhdeniy konversionno-ob"emnym koeffitsientam [Determination of Carbon Supply by Stand Age-Dependent Conversion-Volume Factors]. Lesovedenie, 1998, no. 3, pp. 84–93. 10. Kazimirov N.I., Morozova R.M. Biologicheskiy krugovorot veshchestv v el'nikakh Karelii [Biological Circulation of Elements in Spruce Forests of Karelia]. Leningrad, 1973. 176 p. 11. Karpachevskiy L.O. Pestrota pochvennogo pokrova v lesnom biogeotsenoze [The Diversity of Soil Cover in Forest Ecosystems]. Moscow, 1977. 312 p. 12. Kozlovskaya L.S., Laskova L.M. Razlozhenie drevesnykh ostatkov na vyrubkakh v usloviyakh severa [Decomposition of Tree Waste in Cutting Areas in the North]. Lesovodstvennye i ekologicheskie posledstviya rubok v lesakh Karelii [Silvicultural and Ecological Consequences of Logging in the Forests of Karelia]. Petrozavodsk, 1986, pp. 92–107. 13. Kuznetsov M.A. Vliyanie usloviy razlozheniya i sostava opada na kharakteristiki i zapas podstilki v srednetaezhnom chernichno-sfagnovom el'nike [Effect of Decomposition Conditions and Falloff Composition on Litter Reserves and Characteristics in a Bilberry-Sphagnum Spruce Forest of Middle Taiga]. Lesovedenie, 2010, no. 6, pp. 54–60. 14. Lazareva I.P., Vuorimaa T.A. Vliyanie sploshnykh rubok lesa na svoystva peschanykh podzolov severnoy Karelii [Influence of Clear-Сutting on the Properties of Sandy Podzols of Northern Karelia]. Lesovodstvennye i ekologicheskie posledstviya rubok v lesakh Karelii [Silvicultural and Ecological Consequences of Logging in the Forests of Karelia]. Petrozavodsk, 1986, pp. 61–79. 15. Forestry Regulations for Chernamsky Station of the Federal Unitary Enterprise “Tsentrolesproekt”, no. 6, April 23, 2007. 72 p. 16. Malishevskaya V.A. Dinamika opada i skorost' ego mineralizatsii [Dynamics of Tree Waste, and Its Mineralization Rate]. Struktura i produktivnost' elovykh lesov yuzhnoy taygi [The Structure and Productivity of Spruce Forests in Southern Taiga]. Leningrad, 1973. 311 p. 17. Manakov K.N., Nikonov V.V. Biologicheskiy krugovorot mineral'nykh elementov i pochvoobrazovanie v el'nikakh kraynego Severa [Biological Circulation of Mineral Elements and Soil Formation in Spruce Forests of the Far North]. Leningrad, 1981. 196 p. 18. Nikonov V.V., Lukina N.V. Biogeokhimicheskie funktsii lesov na severnom predele rasprostraneniya [Biogeochemical Functions of Forests in the Northern Outreach]. Apatity, 1994. 315 p. 19. Orlov A.Ya. Metod opredeleniya massy korney derev'ev v lesu i vozmozhnost' ucheta godichnogo prirosta organicheskoy massy v tolshche lesnoy pochvy [Method for Determining the Mass of Tree Roots in the Forest and the Possibility of Recording Annual Organic Mass Increase in the Soil Depth]. Lesovedenie, 1967, no. 1, pp. 64–70. 20. Rodin L.E., Remezov N.P., Bazilevich N.I. Metodicheskie ukazaniya k izucheniyu dinamiki i biologicheskogo krugovorota v fitotsenozakh [Methodological Guidelines for Studying the Dynamics and Biological Cycle in Plant Communities]. Leningrad, 1968. 140 p. 21. Rukovodstvo po tekhnologii i organizatsii lesosechnykh rabot pri sploshnykh i ne sploshnykh rubkakh [A Guide to Technology and Organization of Logging Operations at Clear-Cutting and Other Types of Cutting]. Syktyvkar, 2002. 48 p. 22. Semenova V.G. Vliyanie rubok glavnogo pol'zovaniya na pochvy i krugovorot veshchestv v lesu [The Influence of Final Felling on the Soil and Circulation of Elements in the Forest]. Moscow, 1975. 184 p. 23. Chertovskoy V.G. Dolgomoshnye vyrubki, ikh obrazovanie i oblesenie [Haircap Moss Cutting Areas, Their Formation and Afforestation]. Moscow, 1963. 136 . 24. Dahlman R.C., Kucera C.L. Root Productivity and Turnover in Native Prairie. Ecology, 1965, vol. 46, pp. 84–89. 25. Dziadowiee H. The Decomposition of Plant Litter Fall in an Oak-Linden-Hornbeam Forest and Oak-Pine Miwed Forest of the Bialowieza National Park. Acta Soc. Bot. Pol., 1987, vol. 56, pp. 169–185. 26. Edmonds R.L. Decomposition Rates and Nutrient Dynamics in Small-Diameter Woody Litter in Four Forest Ecosystems in Washington, U.S.A. Can. J. Forest Res., 1987, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 499–509.