Summary
Nitrogen-fixing activity in hardwood forests of the northeastern United States occurred in wood litter, greater than 2 cm in diameter. Activity in large dead wood was independent of species, in the case of deciduous wood litter, but was restricted to partially decayed wood with a high moisture content. Maximum rates of activity were observed in the summer months, minimum rates in the winter. Evidence from six stands of varying ages showed that fixation in large wood litter occurred in only 25% of the samples assayed.
Fixation was highest in the youngest, 4 years, and oldest, over 200 years, stands; being about 2 kg/ha/yr. The quantity of nitrogen fixed appears to be related to the biomass of dead wood. Large amounts of wood litter in the youngest stands were from slash left after cutting. As the supply of slash is exhausted by decay, nitrogen fixation decreases, with a low around year 20. Fixation then gradually increases as natural thinning adds wood to the litter compartment.
Apparently, the amount of nitrogen fixed in dead wood the first 20 years following clearcutting can only replace a modest fraction of the amount lost as a result of the cutting and product removal. Finally, the results indicate that nitrogen fixation in wood litter does not equal nitrogen fixation in a northern hardwood forest calculated using a mass balance approach, suggesting that additional nitrogen inputs exist.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, V., Billington, M. and Schell, D. 1974 The influence of abiotic factors on nitrogen fixation in the Barrow, Alaska, Artic Tundra. Ann. Univ. Turk. Sev. A. II Biol. Geog. Geol.55, 3–11.
Bormann, F. H., Siccama, T. G., Likens, G. E. and Whittaker, R. H. 1970 The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study: Composition and dynamics of the tree stratum. Ecol. Monogr.40, 373–388.
Bormann, F. H., Likens, G. E. and Melillo, J. M. 1977 Nitrogen budget for an agrading northern hardwood forest ecosystem. Science96, 981.
Bormann, F. H. and Likens, G. E. 1979 Pattern and Process in a Forested Ecosystem. Spring-Verlag, N.Y.
Cornaby, B. and Waide, J. B. 1973 Nitrogen fixation in decaying chestnut logs. Plant and Soil39, 445–448.
Covington, W. W. 1977 Secondary Succession in Northern Hardwoods: forest floor organic matter, nutrients and leaf fall. Ph.D. Thesis. Yale University.
Cowling E. B. and Merrill, W. 1966 Nitrogen in wood and its role in wood deterioration. Can. J. Bot.44, 1554–1554.
Englund, B. and Meyerson, H. 1974In situ measurements of nitrogen fixation at low temperatures. Oikos25, 283–287.
Federer, C. A. 1971 Annual cycles of soil and water temperature at Hubbard Brook. U.S. For. Serv. Res. Note N.E.167.
Gosz, J. R., Likens, G. E. and Bormann, F. H. 1973 Nutrient release from decomposing leaf and branch litter in the Hubbard Brook forest, N.H. Ecol. Monogr.43, 173–191.
Hardy, R. F. W., Holsten R. D., Jackson E. K. and Burns, R. C. 1968 The acetylene reduction assay for nitrogen fixation: laboratory and field evaluation. Plant Physiol.43, 1185–1207.
Johnson, N. M., Likens, G. E. and Bormann, F. H. 1966 Bulk chemical changes and rate of chemical weathering in Central New Hampshire. Trans. Am. Geo. Union47, 83–84.
Likens, G. E. and Bormann, F. H. 1970 Chemical analysis of plant tissues from the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem in Central New Hampshire. Yale Univ. School For. Bull.79.
Marks, P. 1974 The role of pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L.) in the maintenance of stability in northern hardwood ecosystems. Ecol. Monogr.44, 73–88.
Martin, C. W. 1975 Relationships between Precipitation, Stream water Chemistry, and Vegetation for the Bowl, a forested Watershed in New Hampshire. Master's Thesis. University of New Hampshire.
Paul, E. A. 1978 Contribution of nitrogen fixation to ecosystem functioning and nitrogen fluxes on a global basis. Ecol. Bull.26, 282–293.
Pierce, R. S., Martin, C. W. Reeves, C. C., Likens, G. E. and Bormann, F. H. 1972 Nutrient losses from clearcutting in New Hampshire.In Symp. Proc. from Watersheds in Transition. Fort Collins, Col. U.S.A.
Postgate, J. R. 1971 The Chemistry and Bio-chemistry of Nitrogen Fixation. Plenum Press. London.
Roskoski, J. P. 1977 Nitrogen fixation in Northern Hardwood Forests. Ph.D. Thesis. Yale University.
Siccama, T. G., Bormann, F. H. and Likens, G. R. 1970 The Hubbard Brook ecosystem study: productivity, nutrients, and phytosociology of the herbaceous layer. Ecol. Monogr.40, 389–402.
Spaulding, P. and Handbrough, J. R. 1944 Decay of logging slash in the northeast. U.S.D.A. Tech. Bull.876.
Steel, R. G. D. and Torrie, J. H. 1960 Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill Book Co. Inc. London.
Todd, R. L., Waide, J. B. and Cornaby, B. W. 1975 Significance of biological nitrogen fixation and denitrification in a deciduous forest ecosystem.In Mineral Cycling in Southeastern Ecosystems. E.R.D.A. Symposium Series (CONF-740513).
Todd, R. L., Meyer, R. D. and Waide, J. B. 1978 Nitrogen fixation in a deciduous forest in the southeastern United States. Ecol. Bull. (Stockholm)26, 172–177.
White, E. H. 1974 Whole-tree harvesting depletes soil nutrients. Can. J. For. Res.4, 530–535.
Whittaker, R. H., Bormann, F. H., Likens, G. E. and Siccama, T. G. 1974 The Hubbard Brook ecosystem study: forest biomass and production. Ecol. Monogr.44, 233–254.
Wilde, S. A., Voigt, G. K. and Iyer, J. G. 1972 Soil and Plant Analysis for Tree Culture. Oxford and I.B.H. Publ. Co. New Delhi.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roskoski, J.P. Nitrogen fixation in hardwood forests of the northeastern United States. Plant Soil 54, 33–44 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181997
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181997