Summary
Published in Plant Ecology 208(2): 213-221
In a declining sugar maple (SM) stand, we tested the hypothesis that an increasing relative abundance of American beech (AB) and yellow birch (YB) would improve litter quality by providing a higher proportion of litterfall richer in base cations and lower in acidity. From 1989 to 2006, SM leaf fall diminished from 59% (1,718 kg ha-1 year-1) to 36% (915 kg ha-1 year-1) of the total leaf fall biomass. Overall, the increase in AB and YB litterfall compensated for the SM decrease, resulting in constant annual leaf litterfall fluxes (2,803 kg ha-1 year-1) over the period studied. However, because the leaf litter for AB and YB had Ca and Mg concentrations 2-3 times higher than did SM, Ca and Mg concentrations and fluxes in leaf litterfall significantly increased between 1989 and 2006. Leaf litterfall of AB and YB also has a higher base/acid ratio than SM. Consequently, changes in forest composition following SM decline led to a clear improvement in litterfall quality in terms of base cations content and fluxes and acid-base properties.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Ecosystems and Environment, Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
DUCHESNE, Louis, Rock OUIMET and Daniel HOULE
Year of publication :
2010
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
érable, hêtre, litière, feuille, acidité, écologie écosystèmes et environnement, écologie forestière, écosystèmes et environnement, Acer, Fagus, maple, beech, litter, leaf, acidit, ecosystems and environment, forest ecology
