Effects of Thinning Intensity on Forest Floor and Soil Biochemical Properties in an Aleppo Pine Plantation after 13 Years: Quantity but Also Quality Matters

Antonio J Molina,Inmaculada Bautista,Antonio Del Campo,Cristina Lull,María González-Sanchis,Antonio Lidón

doi:10.3390/f13020255

Abstract

In order to quantify the impacts of silvicultural treatments in semiarid forests, it is necessary to know how they affect key aboveground processes and also properties characterizing the forest floor and mineral soil compartments. The general objective of this work is to study the mid-term effects of thinning intensity on forest floor and soil properties after 13 years following the intervention. The experimental design consisted of a randomized block design with four thinning treatments (3 thinning intensity plots plus a control or unmanaged plot) and three blocks or replicates. Several determinations, such as total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, or basal respiration, were performed for characterizing forest floor and mineral soil by considering three random sampling points per experimental plot. Thirteen years after thinning, total organic content, the different organic carbon fractions studied, and basal respiration were higher in the forest floor of the unmanaged plot. These results, however, were contrasted to those obtained for the mineral soil, where significant differences between the treatments were only observed in basal respiration and C/N ratio, while the different organic carbon fractions were not affected by thinning intensity. Our results suggest better soil quality where biological activity is enhanced as a consequence of improved environmental conditions and also litterfall input. The latter is especially important in forests with tree leaves of low biodegradability, where new understorey species promoted by thinning can provide higher nutrient availability for the remaining trees and, therefore, better forest resilience.

Highlights

The experimental design consisted of a randomized block design with four thinning treatments (3 thinning intensity plots plus a control or unmanaged plot) and three blocks or replicates
As stated in Zhang et al [11], thinning intensity, time elapsed from thinning, and forest type are key aspects when evaluating forest thinning on soil carbon stocks and dynamics
The two-way ANOVAs/Kruskal–Wallis tests revealed a significant effect of thinning intensity on total organic matter and organic carbon, with T100 significantly higher than the rest of the thinning treatments (Figure 1a,b)

Summary

Introduction

The experimental design consisted of a randomized block design with four thinning treatments (3 thinning intensity plots plus a control or unmanaged plot) and three blocks or replicates. Total organic content, the different organic carbon fractions studied, and basal respiration were higher in the forest floor of the unmanaged plot These results, were contrasted to those obtained for the mineral soil, where significant differences between the treatments were only observed in basal respiration and C/N ratio, while the different organic carbon fractions were not affected by thinning intensity. Lull et al [10] observed that selective thinning and shrub clearing did not negatively affect soil carbon pools and biological activity when woody debris was left on the forest floor in a Mediterranean Holm oak forest 7 years after intervention These results are in accordance with Nave et al [7], who observed that carbon loss is temporary and recovers over a period of 6–20 years after harvesting in similar soil types to the ones studied here. This active fraction plays an important role in determining the structure and function of the soil ecosystem by acting as an energy source for heterotrophic organisms and as a reservoir of the dissolved fraction and plant nutrients [14]

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Conclusion