Summary
Published in Annals of Forest Science 66: 707 https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009057
Spruce budworm outbreaks are among the major natural disturbances affecting the dynamics and functioning of Canadian boreal forests. However, the element losses potentially associated with spruce budworm outbreaks have not been quantified.
We evaluated the influence of spruce budworm outbreaks on nutrient export from boreal forest soils by comparing nutrient leaching losses during a spruce budworm outbreaks episode (1981–1984) to an unperturbed period (1999–2003) in a calibrated catchment located in a balsam fir forest.
Nutrient soil leaching losses were significantly higher during the spruce budworm outbreaks (1981–1984) for N-NO3 (30.1 fold), K (8.3 fold), N-NH4 (6.2 fold), Mg (2.7 fold) and SO4 (2.2 fold), as compared to an unperturbed period (1999–2003). When the recurrence of spruce budworm outbreaks (33 years) and a plausible average length of such events (5 years) are taken into consideration, it is estimated that in the long term, 5.6 more NO3, 1.5 more K and 1.2 more NH4 are leached from the soil profile during outbreaks.
The important leaching losses during spruce budworm outbreaks, when added to the losses due to tree harvesting and fire (and acid deposition for K), may have considerable effects on soil fertility and ecosystem sustainability.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Ecosystems and Environment, Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
HOULE, Daniel, Louis DUCHESNE and Robert BOUTIN
Year of publication :
2009
Format :
Paper
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
boreal forest, sustainable management, spruce budworm, nutrient, cycling, environment, forest ecology, silviculture and yield of natural forests - softwood stands, ecosystems and environment, forestry research scientific article
