HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Preston, C.M. Articles by Fyfe, C.A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Preston, C.M. Articles by Fyfe, C.A. Agricola Articles by Preston, C.M. Articles by Fyfe, C.A. Related Collections Ecosystem Management Soil Methods/Instrumentation Fire Soil Chemistry Forest Soils

Article
SYMPOSIUM PAPERS

Harvesting and Climate Effects on Organic Matter Characteristics in British Columbia Coastal Forests

^a Pacific Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 506 West Burnside Rd., Victoria, BC, Canada V8Z 1M5
^b Dep. of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1W5

* Corresponding author (cpreston{at}pfc.forestry.ca)

Received for publication July 14, 2001. As part of investigations into the effects of harvesting old-growth forest, we characterized carbon in five organic matter pools in eight forest chronosequences of coastal British Columbia. Each chronosequence comprised stands in four seral stages from regeneration (3–8 yr) to old-growth (>250 yr), with second-growth stands mostly of harvest origin. Stands were located in two biogeoclimatic subzones with contrasting climate (wetter, slightly cooler conditions on the west coast of Vancouver Island than on the east). Carbon concentrations in fine woody debris (FWD), forest floor (LFH), fine roots from LFH, and two water-floatable fractions from 10 to 30 cm mineral soil (MIN-ROOT, 2–8 mm and MIN-FLOAT, <2 mm) showed no significant effects due to climate, seral stage, or site. There were some significant differences in N concentrations, but none related to seral stage. Carbon-13 cross-polarization with magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra with principal component analysis of relative areas also showed little harvesting effect, but greater variation related to input of coarse woody debris (CWD) vs. roots high in tannin. Overall, there tended to be more spectral features associated with wood and lignin in the west; whereas some MIN-ROOT samples from the drier east side had aromatic intensity attributed to charcoal. The minimal effects of one harvest on organic matter are most likely due to the large legacy effect; however, more intensive management will probably result in less CWD retention, less charcoal input, and less microsite variability in these pools of poorly decomposed organic matter.

Abbreviations: AOV, analysis of variance • CFC, Coastal Forest Chronosequence • CP, cross-polarization • CWD, coarse woody debris • DD, dipolar dephasing • FWD, fine woody debris • LFH, forest floor • LFH-ROOT, forest floor roots • MAS, magic-angle spinning • MIN-FLOAT, mineral soil fraction, <2 mm • MIN-ROOT, mineral soil fraction, 2 to 8 mm • NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance • PC, principal component • PCA, principal component analysis • SPE, single-pulse excitation • SSB, spinning sidebands • TOSS, total suppression of sidebands

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. H. Venner, C. E. Prescott, and C. M. Preston Leaching of Nitrogen and Phenolics from Wood Waste and Co-composts Used for Road Rehabilitation J. Environ. Qual., January 13, 2009; 38(1): 281 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. D. Hannam, S. A. Quideau, S.-W. Oh, B. E. Kishchuk, and R. E. Wasylishen Forest Floor Composition in Aspen- and Spruce-Dominated Stands of the Boreal Mixedwood Forest Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., September 1, 2004; 68(5): 1735 - 1743. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Preston and P. D. Forrester Chemical and Carbon-13 Cross-Polarization Magic-Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Logyard Fines from British Columbia J. Environ. Qual., March 1, 2004; 33(2): 767 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. McColl and R. F. Powers Decomposition of Small Woody Debris of California Red Fir: Mass Loss and Elemental Content over 17 Years Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., July 1, 2003; 67(4): 1227 - 1233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]