Nutrient cycling in secondary pure spruce (Picea abies) and mixed spruce-beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands
Abstract
Nutrient cycling in pure spruce and mixed species stands Ever since the 19th century, when it became popular to plant Norway spruce (Picea abies) outside its climatic range to reforest devastated forest land in Central Europe, spruce and beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands have been contrasted in their effects on the forest soil. It is nowadays considered prudent, close-to-nature forest practice, to convert secondary spruce stand into mixed spruce-beech stands, even though such mixtures have often not been the natural vegetation at most of the sites in question. Critical reviews on tree-soil interactions concede acidification by spruce but partly question its negative consequences on stand growth. Effects of admixture of beech to secondary pure spruce stands are investigated within this study with special emphasis on nutrient cycling in these forest ecosystems. We hypothesize that a) input of carbon and macro nutrients by litter and roots is a function of forest vegetation type; b) this carbon input as well as the chemical quality of the associated input of nutrients has a marked effect on element stores and turnover; and c) silvicultural methods, e.g., admixture of beech versus spruce, can be used to manipulate nutrient stores of forest ecosystems and to manage nitrogen retention and release. This issue is important because ground water levels are already critical from the viewpoint of human health. The methodological part will focus on four lines: i) Improvement of the theoretical basis for understanding and describing the impact of forest management on nutrient cycling using regression analysis of soil and nutritional parameters. ii) Modeling and predicting effects of forest management on soil processes and nutrient fluxes within forest ecosystems on the local scale. iii) Distinguishing pathways of nutrient turnover in pure spruce and mixed spruce-beech stands by means of natural abundance measurements of stable isotopes (C, N, O, Sr), since it has been proposed that the C-13, N-15, O-18-nitrate and Sr-87 signals of vegetation and soil may provide useful tools in evaluating nutrient dynamics of forest ecosystems. iv) Linking microbial nutrient turnover in pure spruce and mixed spruce-beech stands with isotopic signatures of C and N, because during microbial transformations of C and N, microbes discriminate against the heavier isotopes.
modeling Picea abies Fagus sylvatica nutrient cycling stable isotopes microbial nutrient turnover
Publikationen
The use of dendrochemistry to record plant-soil feedback in spruce and mixed spruce-beech stands.
Autoren: Berger, T.W., Köllensperger, G., Wimmer, R. Jahr: 2002
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Delta 15N in soil profiles of differently managed temperate forest stands.
Autoren: Hertenberger, G., Wanek, W., Berger, T.W. Jahr: 2002
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Impact of species composition on forest soil properties and nutrient fluxes of secondary pure spruce and mixed spruce-beech stands.
Autoren: Berger, T.W. Jahr: 2003
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Validation and application of the nutrient cycling model (NuCM) for a secondary pure spruce and a mixed spruce-beech stand.
Autoren: Untersteiner, H., Berger, T.W. Jahr: 2003
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Ecological Consequences of Conversion
Autoren: Kulhavý, J., Berger, T.W., Caboun, V., Göttlein, A., Grunda, B., Heitz, R., Kantor, P., Klimo, E., Lomský, B., Niemtur, S., Rehfuess, K.-E., Slodicák, M., Sterba, H., Vesterdal, L. Jahr: 2004
Chapter in collected volumes
Improving soil chemical paramters of secondary pure spruce stands by admixture of beech
Autoren: Berger, T.W. Jahr: 2004
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
The role of calcium uptake in deep soils for spruce and beech using Sr isotopes
Autoren: Berger, T.W., Prohaska, T. Jahr: 2004
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Comparisons of N fluxes in soils of different forest types. 15N labelling experiment and natural abundance measurements
Autoren: Pörtl, K. Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., Berger, T.W., Wanek, W. Jahr: 2004
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Plant-soil feedback in spruce (Picea abies) and mixed spruce-beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands as indicated by dendrochemistry
Autoren: Berger, T.W., Köllensperger, G., Wimmer, R. Jahr: 2004
Journal articles
Stickstoff und Treibhausgase in verschiedenen Waldökosystemen
Autoren: Kitzler, B; Pörtl, K; Berger, T W; Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S Jahr: 2004
Journal articles
Nitrogen isotope compostion (d15 N) of forest soil N pools reflects short-term N dynamics
Autoren: Wanek, W., Pörtl, K., Berger, T.W., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S. Jahr: 2005
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Throughfall fluxes in a secondary spruce (Picea abies), a beech (Fagus sylvatica) and a mixed spruce-beech stand
Autoren: Berger, T.W., Untersteiner, H., Schume, H., Jost, G. Jahr: 2008
Journal articles
The role of calcium uptake from deep soils for spruce (Picea abies) and beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Autoren: Berger, T.W., Swoboda, S., Prohaska, T., Glatzel, G. Jahr: 2006
Journal articles
Impact of tree species composition (spruce, mixed, beech) on throughfall fluxes
Autoren: Berger, T.W. Jahr: 2008
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Nutrient fluxes in pure and mixed stands of spruce (Picea abies) and beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Autoren: Berger, TW; Untersteiner, H; Toplitzer, M; Neubauer, C Jahr: 2009
Journal articles
The use of the isotope systems of alkaline earth elements (Mg, Ca, Sr) to determine plant origin and their potential to study plant metabolism and environmental fluxes
Autoren: Prohaska, T., Horsky, M., Brunner, M., Berger, T.W., Hietz, P., Rodrigues, C. and Máguas, C. Jahr: 2011
Journal articles
Project staff
Torsten Winfried Berger
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Torsten Winfried Berger
torsten.berger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91217
Project Leader
01.01.2002 - 31.08.2005
Gerhard Josef Stingeder
Univ.-Prof. i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Gerhard Josef Stingeder
gerhard.stingeder@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.01.2002 - 31.08.2005
BOKU partners
External partners
Austrian Research Centers
none
partner
FBVA, Institut für Forstökologie
none
partner
University of Vienna, Institute of Plant Physiology, Department of Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology
none
partner