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Effects on nutrient cycling of conifer restoration in a degraded tropical montane forest

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Abstract

Background and aims

Exotic coniferous species have been used widely in restoration efforts in tropical montane forests due to their tolerance to adverse conditions and rapid growth, with little consideration given to the potential ecological benefits provided by native tree species. The aim of this study was to elucidate differences in litterfall and nutrient flow between a montane oak forest (Quercus humboldtii Bonpl.) and exotic coniferous plantations of pine (Pinus patula Schltdl. & Cham.) and cypress (Cupressus lusitanica Mill.) in the Colombian Andes.

Methods

Litter production, litter decomposition rate, and element composition of leaf litter were monitored during 3 years.

Results

Litter production in the oak forest and pine plantation was similar, but considerably lower in the cypress plantation . Similar patterns were observed for nutrient concentrations in litterfall, with the exception of Ca which was three times higher in the cypress plantation. The annual decay rate of litter was faster in the montane oak forest than in either of the exotic coniferous plantations. The potential and net return of nutrients to the forest floor were significantly higher in oak forest than in the exotic coniferous plantations.

Conclusions

Future restoration programs should consider new species that can emulate the nutrient flow of native broadleaf species instead of exotic species that tend to impoverish soil nutrient stocks in tropical montane forests.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Ecology and Environmental Conservation Laboratory and the Piedras Blancas Forest Station of the Forest Sciences Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, for their financial and technical support. Research was also funded by the research division of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. We also thank the laboratory of soils from the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, for its technical support. We are grateful to Empresas Públicas de Medellín for allowing us access to the forests. Finally, we thank Drs. Osvaldo Valeria and W.F.J. Parsons for their comments and help with statistical analysis and language revision of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Montréal, Case Postale 8888, Succursale Centre-ville-Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada

    J. A. Ramírez

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia

    J. D. León-Peláez, D. A. Herrera & C. M. Zapata

  3. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences (sDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    D. Craven

  4. Departamento de Biología Animal, Parasitología, Ecología, Edafología y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    M. I. González-Hernández

  5. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, IRNASa, Salamanca, Spain

    J. Gallardo-Lancho

  6. Departamento de Biociencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia

    W. Osorio

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  1. J. A. Ramírez
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  2. J. D. León-Peláez
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  3. D. Craven
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  4. D. A. Herrera
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  5. C. M. Zapata
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  6. M. I. González-Hernández
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  7. J. Gallardo-Lancho
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Correspondence to J. A. Ramírez.

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Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai.

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Ramírez, J.A., León-Peláez, J.D., Craven, D. et al. Effects on nutrient cycling of conifer restoration in a degraded tropical montane forest. Plant Soil 378, 215–226 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2024-x

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