The Effects of Harvesting on Long-Term Soil Productivity in Southern Indiana Oak-Hickory Forests

Abstract

Timber harvesting has the potential to alter long-term soil productivity in a variety of forest ecosystems. We monitored the effects of harvesting on N cycling processes in upland oak-hickory forests of southern Indiana, using a chronosequence of stands ranging in age from 1 year to 100 years after harvest. N cycling pools and processes were monitored from 1995-1999. Results suggest that reestablishment of fine root biomass occurs long before recovery of leaf area. The forest floor increases in relative importance for nutrient cycling with stand age. Litter decomposition is similar among stand ages. Estimates of actual evapotranspiration were significantly correlated with N cycling at most stages of forest development. There is a balance of litter N inputs, N mineralization, and N uptake at all stages of stand regeneration except at maturity. At this stage, litter N inputs were generally lower than N mineralization and N uptake.

Citation

Idol, Travis W.; Pope, Phillip E.; Ponder, Felix, Jr. 2002. The Effects of Harvesting on Long-Term Soil Productivity in Southern Indiana Oak-Hickory Forests. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-48. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pg. 233-238