Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry
Extensive areas of inland dunes are commonly overplanted with Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>). However, thus far the pine litterfall has not been investigated in detail in Scots pine stands overgrowing the landforms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the mass and chemi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/6/678 |
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| author | Justyna Jasińska Piotr Sewerniak Radosław Puchałka |
| author_facet | Justyna Jasińska Piotr Sewerniak Radosław Puchałka |
| author_sort | Justyna Jasińska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extensive areas of inland dunes are commonly overplanted with Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>). However, thus far the pine litterfall has not been investigated in detail in Scots pine stands overgrowing the landforms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the mass and chemical composition of litterfall in a dune Scots pine forest, paying special attention to the differences in the properties of the particular categories of litterfall (needles, twigs, bark, cones, residue) occurring in different seasons. The secondary goal of the research was to investigate the possible effect of contrasting slope aspect on litterfall properties. Litterfall was examined for three years on a north- and south-facing dune slope using the litter trap method. The mass and chemical composition (C, N, P, K, Mg, Mn, Ca, Fe, Al) of each litterfall category was analysed. Average annual mass of litterfall ranged from 322.0 ± 2.6 (slope N) to 361.9 ± 34.2 (slope S) g m<sup>−2</sup> year<sup>−1</sup>. Fluctuations in the annual concentrations of N, P, K and Mg were determined, which was the result of their gradual withdrawal from needles before they were dropped in autumn. Immobile or poorly mobile elements (i.e., Mn, Ca, Fe and Al) were found to be steadily accumulated during the year in fallen tissues. The studied elements can be set in the following order as regards the annual pools which return to a topsoil with litterfall: C > N > Ca > K > Mg > Mn > Al > P > Fe on slope N and C > Ca > N > K > Mg > Al > P > Mn > Fe on slope S. Despite the fact that the residue (seeds etc.) constitutes a much smaller part of the total litterfall mass than the needles, comparable amounts of N, P, K, Al and Fe return to a topsoil with both these categories. The only element for which we determined differences in concentrations regarding slope aspect was Mn: the concentrations were significantly higher for needles, twigs, bark and cones on the N than the S slope. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:11:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1895af68bc9c4438921aa16c4f6dd060 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:11:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-1895af68bc9c4438921aa16c4f6dd0602023-11-20T03:40:55ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-06-0111667810.3390/f11060678Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and ChemistryJustyna Jasińska0Piotr Sewerniak1Radosław Puchałka2Department of Soil Science and Landscape Management, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Toruń, PolandDepartment of Soil Science and Landscape Management, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Toruń, PolandDepartment of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100 Toruń, PolandExtensive areas of inland dunes are commonly overplanted with Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>). However, thus far the pine litterfall has not been investigated in detail in Scots pine stands overgrowing the landforms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the mass and chemical composition of litterfall in a dune Scots pine forest, paying special attention to the differences in the properties of the particular categories of litterfall (needles, twigs, bark, cones, residue) occurring in different seasons. The secondary goal of the research was to investigate the possible effect of contrasting slope aspect on litterfall properties. Litterfall was examined for three years on a north- and south-facing dune slope using the litter trap method. The mass and chemical composition (C, N, P, K, Mg, Mn, Ca, Fe, Al) of each litterfall category was analysed. Average annual mass of litterfall ranged from 322.0 ± 2.6 (slope N) to 361.9 ± 34.2 (slope S) g m<sup>−2</sup> year<sup>−1</sup>. Fluctuations in the annual concentrations of N, P, K and Mg were determined, which was the result of their gradual withdrawal from needles before they were dropped in autumn. Immobile or poorly mobile elements (i.e., Mn, Ca, Fe and Al) were found to be steadily accumulated during the year in fallen tissues. The studied elements can be set in the following order as regards the annual pools which return to a topsoil with litterfall: C > N > Ca > K > Mg > Mn > Al > P > Fe on slope N and C > Ca > N > K > Mg > Al > P > Mn > Fe on slope S. Despite the fact that the residue (seeds etc.) constitutes a much smaller part of the total litterfall mass than the needles, comparable amounts of N, P, K, Al and Fe return to a topsoil with both these categories. The only element for which we determined differences in concentrations regarding slope aspect was Mn: the concentrations were significantly higher for needles, twigs, bark and cones on the N than the S slope.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/6/678plant litternutrient turnoverpine stands<i>Pinus sylvestris</i>dune areasslope aspect |
| spellingShingle | Justyna Jasińska Piotr Sewerniak Radosław Puchałka Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry Forests plant litter nutrient turnover pine stands <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> dune areas slope aspect |
| title | Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry |
| title_full | Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry |
| title_fullStr | Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry |
| title_short | Litterfall in a Scots Pine Forest on Inland Dunes in Central Europe: Mass, Seasonal Dynamics and Chemistry |
| title_sort | litterfall in a scots pine forest on inland dunes in central europe mass seasonal dynamics and chemistry |
| topic | plant litter nutrient turnover pine stands <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> dune areas slope aspect |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/6/678 |
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