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Mixed-Species Effects on Soil C and N Stocks, C/N Ratio and pH Using a Transboundary Approach in Adjacent Common Garden Douglas-Fir and Beech Stands
- Source :
- Forests; Volume 8; Issue 4; Pages: 95, Dawud, S M, Vesterdal, L & Raulund-Rasmussen, K 2017, ' Mixed-Species Effects on Soil C and N Stocks, C/N Ratio and pH Using a Transboundary Approach in Adjacent Common Garden Douglas-Fir and Beech Stands ', Forests, vol. 8, no. 4 . https://doi.org/10.3390/f8040095, Forests, Vol 8, Iss 4, p 95 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Mixed forest of Douglas-fir and beech has been suggested as one of the possible future forest types in Northwest Europe but the effects of this mixed forest on soil properties relative to monoculture stands are unknown. In a transboundary investigation of adjacent common garden Douglas-fir and beech stands, we determined the effects on topsoil properties. However, responses of C and N stocks, the C/N ratio and pH were site- and soil layer-specific and were mainly single-sided and without synergistic effects. Beech reduced the soil C and N stocks in Douglas-fir at the nutrient-poor site, caused an increase in the C/N ratio in the forest floor and mineral soil at both nutrient-poor and -rich sites, and reduced the acidifying effect of Douglas-fir at the nutrient-poor site. These results do not support the hypothesis that mixture effects would be consistent across sites and soil layers. The lack of synergistic effects may be attributed to the relatively similar litter quality or rooting depth that prevented any larger niche differentiation and complementarity. The results indicate that the transboundary approach within a mature common garden proved useful as a platform to test tree species interactions, and this approach could be explored in soil studies until dedicated mixed-species common gardens reach maturity.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
mixed-species forests
transboundary approach
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Beech
Douglas fir
Forest floor
Topsoil
biology
Ecology
Douglas-fir
soil nutrient status
Niche differentiation
Forestry
lcsh:QK900-989
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
biology.organism_classification
European beech
Agronomy
soil C stock
lcsh:Plant ecology
040103 agronomy & agriculture
Litter
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Soil horizon
Environmental science
Monoculture
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19994907
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Forests
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....441722014e200d56b5cff0b72d0b4ebe
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/f8040095