Soil data for mapping paludification in black spruce forests of eastern Canada

Area of Science:

• Forestry
• Soil Science
• Ecology

Background:

• Paludification, the accumulation of organic matter in boreal forests, negatively impacts tree regeneration and forest growth.
• Accurate spatial prediction of paludification is crucial for effective forest management in northern boreal ecosystems.
• Organic layer thickness (OLT) serves as a reliable proxy for assessing paludification risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a comprehensive soil database for predicting OLT in northeastern Canada.
• To provide a spatially explicit and continuous dataset for digital soil mapping efforts.
• To support sustainable forest management practices by identifying areas prone to paludification.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of 13,944 OLT measurements (in cm) with corresponding GPS coordinates from georeferenced ground plots and transects.
• Standardized manual OLT measurements using a hand probe across various data sources.
• Database utilized for 30-m resolution OLT mapping and paludification risk prediction.

Main Results:

• The OLT measurements exhibited significant variability (mean ± SD: 21 ± 24 cm, range: 0–150 cm).
• The OLT distribution was positively skewed, indicating a prevalence of lower OLT values.
• The dataset enabled the creation of OLT maps and paludification risk assessments for the region.

Conclusions:

• The described soil database is a valuable resource for predicting OLT and understanding paludification.
• The spatially explicit data supports digital soil mapping at local, national, and international scales.
• This resource aids in sustainable forest management by informing strategies to mitigate the impacts of paludification.