Carbon and Nitrogen in Forest Floor and Mineral Soil under Six Common European Tree Species. Vesterdal, L., Schmidt, I. K., Callesen, I., Nilsson, L. O., & Gundersen, P. Forest Ecology and Management, 255(1):35–48, February, 2008.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
The knowledge of tree species effects on soil C and N pools is scarce, particularly for European deciduous tree species. We studied forest floor and mineral soil carbon and nitrogen under six common European tree species in a common garden design replicated at six sites in Denmark. Three decades after planting the six tree species had different profiles in terms of litterfall, forest floor and mineral soil C and N attributes. Three groups were identified: (1) ash, maple and lime, (2) beech and oak, and (3) spruce. There were significant differences in forest floor and soil C and N contents and C/N ratios, also among the five deciduous tree species. The influence of tree species was most pronounced in the forest floor, where C and N contents increased in the order ash = lime = maple $<$ oak = beech $\ll$ spruce. Tree species influenced mineral soil only in some of the sampled soil layers within 30 cm depth. Species with low forest floor C and N content had more C and N in the mineral soil. This opposite trend probably offset the differences in forest floor C and N with no significant difference between tree species in C and N contents of the whole soil profile. The effect of tree species on forest floor C and N content was primarily attributed to large differences in turnover rates as indicated by fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N. The C/N ratio of foliar litterfall was a good indicator of forest floor C and N contents, fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N, and mineral soil N status. Forest floor and litterfall C/N ratios were not related, whereas the C/N ratio of mineral soil (0-30 cm) better indicated N status under deciduous species on rich soil. The results suggest that European deciduous tree species differ in C and N sequestration rates within forest floor and mineral soil, respectively, but there is little evidence of major differences in the combined forest floor and mineral soil after three decades. [Excerpt] [...] Soil C and N was evaluated in a common garden design based on monoculture stands of six tree species replicated at six sites. The six tree species included five common European broadleaves: beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), lime (Tilia cordata L.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) represented conifers and served as a reference to previous studies on this species. There was no replication of tree species within each site, i.e. there was one stand of each species present in each site. [...] [\n] [...] [Conclusion] Three decades after planting the six tree species formed three groups according to litterfall, forest floor and soil C and N attributes: (1) ash, maple and lime, (2) beech and oak, and (3) spruce. There were significant differences in soil C and N contents and C/N ratios, also within the five deciduous tree species. The influence of tree species was most pronounced in the forest floor, where C and N contents increased in the order ash = lime = maple $<$ oak = beech $\ll$ spruce. Tree species influenced mineral soil only in some of the sampled soil layers. Species with little forest floor C and N content had more C and N in the mineral soil. This opposite trend probably offset the differences in forest floor C and N with no significant difference between tree species in C and N contents of the whole soil profile. The effect of tree species on forest floor C and N content was primarily attributed to large differences in turnover rates as indicated by fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N. The C/N ratio of foliar litterfall was a good indicator of both forest floor C and N contents, fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N, and mineral soil N status. Forest floor and litterfall C/N ratios were not related, whereas the C/N ratio of mineral soil better indicated N status under deciduous species on rich soil. The results suggest that European deciduous tree species differ in C and N sequestration rates within forest floor and mineral soil, respectively, but there is little evidence of major differences in the entire soil profile after three decades.
@article{vesterdalCarbonNitrogenForest2008,
  title = {Carbon and Nitrogen in Forest Floor and Mineral Soil under Six Common {{European}} Tree Species},
  author = {Vesterdal, Lars and Schmidt, Inger K. and Callesen, Ingeborg and Nilsson, Lars O. and Gundersen, Per},
  year = {2008},
  month = feb,
  volume = {255},
  pages = {35--48},
  issn = {0378-1127},
  doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2007.08.015},
  abstract = {The knowledge of tree species effects on soil C and N pools is scarce, particularly for European deciduous tree species. We studied forest floor and mineral soil carbon and nitrogen under six common European tree species in a common garden design replicated at six sites in Denmark. Three decades after planting the six tree species had different profiles in terms of litterfall, forest floor and mineral soil C and N attributes. Three groups were identified: (1) ash, maple and lime, (2) beech and oak, and (3) spruce. There were significant differences in forest floor and soil C and N contents and C/N ratios, also among the five deciduous tree species. The influence of tree species was most pronounced in the forest floor, where C and N contents increased in the order ash = lime = maple {$<$} oak = beech {$\ll$} spruce. Tree species influenced mineral soil only in some of the sampled soil layers within 30 cm depth. Species with low forest floor C and N content had more C and N in the mineral soil. This opposite trend probably offset the differences in forest floor C and N with no significant difference between tree species in C and N contents of the whole soil profile. The effect of tree species on forest floor C and N content was primarily attributed to large differences in turnover rates as indicated by fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N. The C/N ratio of foliar litterfall was a good indicator of forest floor C and N contents, fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N, and mineral soil N status. Forest floor and litterfall C/N ratios were not related, whereas the C/N ratio of mineral soil (0-30 cm) better indicated N status under deciduous species on rich soil. The results suggest that European deciduous tree species differ in C and N sequestration rates within forest floor and mineral soil, respectively, but there is little evidence of major differences in the combined forest floor and mineral soil after three decades.

[Excerpt] [...] Soil C and N was evaluated in a common garden design based on monoculture stands of six tree species replicated at six sites. The six tree species included five common European broadleaves: beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), lime (Tilia cordata L.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.). Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) represented conifers and served as a reference to previous studies on this species. There was no replication of tree species within each site, i.e. there was one stand of each species present in each site. [...]

[\textbackslash n] [...]

[Conclusion]

Three decades after planting the six tree species formed three groups according to litterfall, forest floor and soil C and N attributes: (1) ash, maple and lime, (2) beech and oak, and (3) spruce. There were significant differences in soil C and N contents and C/N ratios, also within the five deciduous tree species. The influence of tree species was most pronounced in the forest floor, where C and N contents increased in the order ash = lime = maple {$<$} oak = beech {$\ll$} spruce. Tree species influenced mineral soil only in some of the sampled soil layers. Species with little forest floor C and N content had more C and N in the mineral soil. This opposite trend probably offset the differences in forest floor C and N with no significant difference between tree species in C and N contents of the whole soil profile. The effect of tree species on forest floor C and N content was primarily attributed to large differences in turnover rates as indicated by fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N. The C/N ratio of foliar litterfall was a good indicator of both forest floor C and N contents, fractional annual loss of forest floor C and N, and mineral soil N status. Forest floor and litterfall C/N ratios were not related, whereas the C/N ratio of mineral soil better indicated N status under deciduous species on rich soil. The results suggest that European deciduous tree species differ in C and N sequestration rates within forest floor and mineral soil, respectively, but there is little evidence of major differences in the entire soil profile after three decades.},
  journal = {Forest Ecology and Management},
  keywords = {*imported-from-citeulike-INRMM,~INRMM-MiD:c-13911672,~to-add-doi-URL,acer-pseudoplatanus,carbon-cycle,europe,fagus-sylvatica,forest-resources,fraxinus-excelsior,nitrogen,picea-abies,quercus-robur,soil-resources,tilia-cordata,tree-species},
  lccn = {INRMM-MiD:c-13911672},
  number = {1}
}

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