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Effects of understory removal, N fertilization, and litter layer removal on soil N cycling in a 13-year-old white spruce plantation infested with Canada bluejoint grass

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Abstract

Canada bluejoint grass [Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv., referred to as bluejoint below] is a competitive understory species widely distributed in the boreal region in North America and builds up a thick litter layer that alters the soil surface microclimate in heavily infested sites. This study examined the effects of understory removal, N fertilization, and litter layer removal on litter decomposition, soil microbial biomass N (MBN), and net N mineralization and nitrification rates in LFH (the sum of organic horizons of litter, partially decomposed litter and humus on the soil surface) and mineral soil (0–10 cm) in a 13-year-old white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss] plantation infested with bluejoint in Alberta, Canada. Removal of the understory vegetation and the litter layer together significantly increased soil temperature at 10 cm below the mineral soil surface by 1.7 and 1.3°C in summer 2003 and 2004, respectively, resulting in increased net N mineralization (by 1.09 and 0.14 mg N kg−1 day−1 in LFH and mineral soil, respectively, in 2004) and net nitrification rates (by 0.10 and 0.20 mg N kg−1 day−1 in LFH and mineral soil, respectively, in 2004). When the understory vegetation was intact, nitrification might have been limited by NH4 + availability due to competition for N from bluejoint and other understory species. Litter layer removal increased litter decomposition rate (percentage mass loss per month) from 2.6 to 3.0% after 15 months of incubation. Nitrogen fertilization did not show consistent effects on soil MBN, but increased net N mineralization and nitrification rates as well as available N concentrations in the soil. Clearly, understory removal combined with N fertilization was most effective in increasing rates of litter decomposition, net N mineralization and nitrification, and soil N availability. The management of understory vegetation dominated by bluejoint in the boreal region should consider the strong effects of understory competition and the accumulated litter layer on soil N cycling and the implications for forest management.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and the Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd, and Weldwood of Canada Ltd. We thank Carmela Arevalo, Dr Woo-Jung Choi, Kirsten Ketilson, Dr He Liang, Peter Presant, Dan Saurette, Xiao Tan, Kaimin Zhan, and Dr Huanchao Zhang, for assistance in the field and/or laboratory. The discussion of Drs Phil Comeau and Vic Lieffers was greatly appreciated. We also thank Dave Swindlehurst, Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd, and Paul Godin, Millar Western Forest Products Ltd, for assistance in site selection and in providing information on site history. Comments from three anonymous reviewers on an earlier version substantially improved this manuscript.

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  1. Miwa Matsushima

    Present address: Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo-City, Chiba-Ken, 271-8510, Japan

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  1. Department of Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Science Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E3

    Miwa Matsushima & Scott X. Chang

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Correspondence to Scott X. Chang.

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Matsushima, M., Chang, S.X. Effects of understory removal, N fertilization, and litter layer removal on soil N cycling in a 13-year-old white spruce plantation infested with Canada bluejoint grass. Plant Soil 292, 243–258 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9220-x

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