Clear-cutting, woody residue removal, and nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation in forest soils of the Inland Pacific Northwest

Abstract

The effect of clear-cutting and woody residue removal on soil nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation, as estimated by the acetylene reduction technique, was investigated on a subalpine fir (Abieslasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) site in western Montana and on a cedar (Thujaplicata (Donn ex D. Don) Lindl.)–hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf) Sarg.) site in northern Idaho. Nitrogen fixation in the forest floor, soil wood, and mineral soil on the subalpine fir site averaged 0.9 kg N•ha−1•year−1 in the uncut stand. This nitrogen input was reduced by 10% after clear-cutting followed by prescribed burning, and by 22% after clear-cutting followed by intensive residue removal. Nitrogen fixation in the uncut cedar–hemlock stand averaged 1.1 kg N•ha−1•year−1 and was reduced by 26% after prescribed burning. Clear-cutting only and clear-cutting followed by intensive woody residue removal had little effect on nitrogen fixation. However, large amounts of woody residue left on the cut site nearly doubled the amounts of nitrogen fixation compared with the uncut stand. Lower nitrogen fixation after harvesting on both the Idaho and Montana sites was due mostly to reductions in forest floor and large woody residue. Replacement of nitrogen losses from prescribed burning on these sites by nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation and precipitation would take from 150 to 400 years, depending on the severity of the bum treatments.