Abstract
We evaluated the annual litterfall and nutrients return in primary forests of Nothofagus antarctica growing at three different site classes (SC) (III, IV and V) and compared two of these forests with adjacent stands under silvopastoral use (thinned 40 years ago), in Patagonia, Argentina. Traps were installed in each stand and sampled monthly during the litterfall over 10 years. Sample from the five stands was ground for further analyses of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S). The litterfall varied significantly between SC, but not between years, from 1,306 to 1,972 kg ha−1 in the best site. The nutrients return from litterfall did not change neither between site classes and years in most nutrients. Comparing primary forests with silvopastoral stands, in SCIV, significant differences among uses occurred for litterfall production and nutrients return, being higher in primary forest. While, in SCV, the litterfall and nutrients return practically did not change among uses. The results showed the incidence of site quality and forest use on the litterfall and nutrients return in N. antarctica forests.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Martínez Pastur G, Lencinas V (2009) Variaciones microclimáticas en bosques primarios y bajo uso silvopastoril de Nothofagus antarctica en dos Clases de Sitio en Patagonia Sur. Documentos INTA web. http://inta.gob.ar/documentos/variaciones-microclimaticas-en-bosques-primarios-y-bajo-uso-silvopastoril-de-nothofagus-antarctica-en-dos-clases-de-sitio-en-patagonia-sur/. Accessed 10 Oct 2013
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Monelos LH, Martínez Pastur G (2011) Aspectos ecológicos de la regeneración por semillas en bosques nativos de Nothofagus antarctica en Patagonia Sur, Argentina. Bosque 32:20–29
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Alvarez R, Barneix A (2012a) Producción y calidad de gramíneas en un gradiente de calidades de sitio y coberturas en bosques de Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forster) Oerst. en Patagonia. Ecol Austral 22:62–73
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Alvarez R, Barneix A, Moretto A, Martínez Pastur G (2012b) Litter decomposition and nutrients dynamics in Nothofagus antarctica forests under silvopastoral use in Southern Patagonia. Agrofor Syst 84:345–360
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Monelos LH, Martínez Pastur G (2013a) Regeneración por semillas en bosques nativos de Nothofagus antarctica bajo uso silvopastoril en Patagonia Sur, Argentina. Bosque 34:89–101
Bahamonde HA, Peri PL, Alvarez R, Barneix A, Moretto A, Martínez Pastur G (2013b) Silvopastoral use of Nothofagus antarctica in Southern Patagonian forests, influence over net nitrogen soil mineralization. Agrofor Syst 87:259–271
Barrera MD, Frangi JL, Richter LL, Perdomo MH, Pinedo LB (2000) Structural and functional changes in Nothofagus pumilio forests along an altitudinal gradient in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. J Veg Sci 11:179–188
Caldentey J, Ibarra M, Hernández J (2001) Litter fluxes and decomposition in Nothofagus pumilio stands in the region of Magallanes, Chile. For Ecol Manag 148:145–157
Collado L (2001) Los Bosques de Tierra del Fuego. Análisis de su estratificación mediante imágenes satelitales para el inventario forestal de la Provincia. Multequina 10:1–16
De Paz M, Gobbi ME, Raffaele E (2013) Mantillo de las especies leñosas de matorrales del NO de la Patagonia: abundancia, composición, estructura y heterogeneidad. Bol Soc Argent Bot 48:525–541
Decker KL, Boerner REJ (2006) Mass loss and nutrient release from decomposing evergreen and deciduous Nothofagus litters from Chilean Andes. Austral Ecol 31:1005–1015
Diehl P, Mazzarino MJ, Funes F, Fontenla S, Gobbi M, Ferrari J (2003) Nutrient conservation strategies in native Andean-Patagonian forest. J Veg Sci 14:63–70
Donoso C, Steinke L, Premoli A (2006) Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forster) Oerst. In: Donoso Zegers C (ed) Las especies arbóreas de los bosques templados de Chile y Argentina. Autoecología. Valdivia, Chile, pp 401–410
Frangi JL, Richter LL, Barrera MM, Aloggia M (1997) Decomposition of Nothofagus fallen woody debris in forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Can J For Res 27:1095–1102
Frangi JL, Barrera MD, Puigdefábregas J, Yapura PF, Arambarri AM, Richter LL (2004) Ecología de los bosques de Tierra del Fuego. In: Arturo M, Frangi J, Goya JF (eds) Ecología y Manejo de los Bosques de Argentina. Web documents. http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/bitstream/handle/10915/15915/Ecolog%C3%ADa_de_los_bosques_de_Tierra_del_Fuego__Jorge_L._Frangi__Marcelo_D._Barrera__Juan_Puigdef%C3%A1bregas__Pablo_F._Yapura__Ang%C3%A9lica_M._Arrambari_y_Laura_Richter_.pdf?sequence=20. Accessed 17 November 2013
Frangi JL, Barrera MD, Richter LL, Lugo AE (2005) Nutrient cycling in Nothofagus pumilio forest along an altitudinal gradient in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. For Ecol Manag 217:80–94
Gargaglione V, Peri PL, Rubio G (2010) Allometric relations for biomass partitioning of Nothofagus antarctica trees of different crown classes over a site quality gradient. For Ecol manag 258:1118–1126
Gargaglione V, Peri PL, Rubio G (2013) Partición diferencial de nutrientes en árboles de Nothofagus antarctica creciendo en un gradiente de calidades de sitio en Patagonia Sur. Bosque 34:291–302
Gurevitch J, Chester ST Jr (1986) Analysis of repeated measures experiments. Ecology 67:251–255
Ivancich H, Martínez Pastur G, Peri PL (2011) Modelos forzados y no forzados para el cálculo de índice de sitio en bosques de Nothofagus antarctica en Patagonia Sur. Bosque 32:135–145
Lencinas VM, Martinez Pastur G, Cellini JM, Vukasovic R, Peri PL, Fernandez MC (2002) Incorporación de la altura dominante y la clase de sitio a ecuaciones estándar de volumen para Nothofagus antarctica. Bosque 23:5–17
Mansilla PR (2012) Evaluación de la alteración y restauración de los ciclos biogeoquímicos de Nothofagus pumilio de Tierra del Fuego afectados por prácticas de manejo forestal. Doctoral Thesis in Biological sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, pp 150
Mazzarino MJ, Bertiller M, Schlichter T, Gobbi M (1998) Nutrient cycling in patagonian ecosystems. Ecol Austral 8:167–181
Peri P (2009) Evaluación de Pastizales en bosques de Nothofagus antarctica—Método Ñirantal Sur. Documentos INTA web. http://inta.gob.ar/documentos/evaluacion-de-pastizales-en-bosques-de-nothofagus-antarctica-2013-metodo-nirantal-sur/. Accessed 7 Oct 2013
Peri PL, Ormaechea SG (2013) Relevamiento de los bosques nativos de ñire (Nothofagus antarctica) en Santa Cruz: base para su conservación y manejo. Ediciones INTA web. http://inta.gob.ar/documentos/libro-201crelevamiento-de-los-bosques-nativos-de-nire-nothofagus-antarctica-en-santa-cruz-base-para-su-conservacion-y-manejo201d. Accessed 10 Dec 2013
Peri PL, Gargaglione V, Martínez Pastur G (2006) Dynamics of above- and below-ground biomass and nutrient accumulation in an age sequence of Nothofagus antarctica forest of Southern Patagonia. For Ecol Manag 233:85–99
Peri PL, Gargaglione V, Martínez Pastur G (2008) Above- and belowground nutrients storage and biomass accumulation in marginal Nothofagus antarctica forests in Southern Patagonia. For Ecol Manag 233:85–99
Peri PL, Hansen N, Rusch V, Tejera L, Monelos L, Fertig M, Bahamonde H, Sarasola M (2009) Pautas de manejo de sistemas silvopastoriles en bosques nativos de Nothofagus antarctica (ñire) en Patagonia. Documentos INTA web. http://inta.gob.ar/documentos/pautas-de-manejo-de-sistemas-silvopastoriles-en-bosques-nativos-de-nothofagus-antarctica-nire-en-patagonia/. Accessed 17 Oct 2013
Peri PL, Gargaglione V, Martínez Pastur G, Lencinas MV (2010) Carbon accumulation along a stand development sequence of Nothofagus antarctica forests across a gradient in site quality in Southern Patagonia. For Ecol Manag 260:229–237
Promis A, Caldentey J, Ibarra M (2010) Microclima en el interior de un bosque de Nothofagus pumilio y el efecto de una corta de regeneración. Bosque 31:129–139
Quinteros P, Hanzen N, Kutschker A (2010) Composición y diversidad del sotobosque de ñire (Nothofagus antarctica) en función de la estructura del bosque. Ecol Austral 20:225–234
Skovsgaard JP, Vanklay JK (2008) Forest site productivity: a re-view of the evolution of dendrometric concepts for even-aged stands. Forestry 81:13–31
Soler R (2012) Regeneración natural de Nothofagus antarctica en bosques primarios, secundarios y bajo manejo silvopastoril. Doctoral Thesis in Biological sciences, University of Córdoba Argentina, pp 126
Soler R, Martínez Pastur G, Peri PL, Lencinas MV, Pulido F (2013) Are silvopastoral systems compatible with forest regeneration? An integrative approach in southern Patagonia. Agrofor Syst 87:1213–1227
Soto J (2004) Clima. In: González L, Rial P (eds) Guía Geográfica Interactiva de Santa Cruz. Capítulo completo en CD. Editorial Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina, , pp 25–28, ISBN 987-521-117-6
Veblen TT, Donoso C, Kitzberger T, Rebertus AJ (1996) Ecology of Southern Chilean and Argentinean Nothofagus forests. In: Veblen TT, Hill RS, Read J (eds) The ecology and biogeography of Nothofagus forests. Yale University Press, New Haven, pp 293–353
Willems P, Raffaele E (2001) Implicancias del efecto de las interacciones en la interpretación de experimentos factoriales en biología. Ecol Austral 11:131–138
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Aaron R. Weiskittel.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bahamonde, H.A., Peri, P.L., Martínez Pastur, G. et al. Litterfall and nutrients return in Nothofagus antarctica forests growing in a site quality gradient with different management uses in Southern Patagonia. Eur J Forest Res 134, 113–124 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-014-0837-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-014-0837-z