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Methods of Soil Resampling to Monitor Changes in the Chemical Concentrations of Forest Soils
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Spruce-fir forest changes during a 30-year nitrogen saturation experiment.

Steven G McNulty1, Johnny L Boggs1, John D Aber2

  • 1USDA Forest Service, 920 Main Campus Dr. Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States.

The Science of the Total Environment
|July 3, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This 30-year study on red spruce-balsam fir forests found that nitrogen addition initially altered forest floor and tree health. Post-treatment, ecosystem recovery was slow, with climate change and other stressors hindering future regeneration.

Keywords:
Climate changeLong-term experimentNitrogen saturationRed spruce

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Forestry
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • High elevation red spruce-balsam fir forests face decline.
  • The nitrogen (N) saturation hypothesis proposes excessive N causes forest damage.
  • Understanding N impacts is crucial for forest management and conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the nitrogen (N) saturation hypothesis in a red spruce-balsam fir ecosystem.
  • To investigate the mechanisms behind forest decline attributed to N deposition.
  • To assess the long-term effects of N fertilization and subsequent recovery.

Main Methods:

  • Established a field experiment with control, low, and high N addition plots (0, 15.7, 31.4 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹).
  • Applied N treatments annually from 1988 to 2010, with ongoing monitoring.
  • Measured forest floor properties (C:N, N mineralization, nitrification), foliar N and Ca content, and tree basal area.

Main Results:

  • Increased N addition led to decreased forest floor C:N, N mineralization, and spruce basal area.
  • Elevated N addition resulted in increased spruce foliar N% and forest floor nitrification.
  • Control plots accumulated N, while N addition plots lost N from the forest floor.
  • Post-treatment, tree components normalized, but forest floor processes recovered slowly.
  • Forest mortality on N addition plots coincided with drought and freeze injury years.

Conclusions:

  • Nitrogen addition significantly altered forest floor dynamics and tree health, supporting aspects of the N saturation hypothesis.
  • Ecosystem recovery after N fertilization cessation was slow, with forest floor processes lagging.
  • Climate change (warming, drought) and other stressors interact with N deposition, complicating ecosystem response.
  • Spruce-fir ecosystem regeneration is unlikely in the next century due to cumulative stressors, despite recent growth increases.