Experimental Manipulation of Forest Structure: Near-Term Effects on Gap and Stand Scale C Dynamics

Abstract

Canopy gaps and coarse woody debris are two forest structural features that are more abundant in old-growth forests than in second-growth, even-aged stands. These features directly influence the carbon balance of the ecosystem, yet few studies have quantified their interactive effects. We experimentally manipulated the forest structure of a second-growth northern hardwood forest in north-central Wisconsin (USA) and measured the shift of C between pools of the ecosystem components. Here, we question the longevity of the changes to the aboveground pools and address their implications for total ecosystem C (TEC) and net ecosystem production (NEP) at both the gap and stand scale. At the scale of the gap, the harvest and removal of trees significantly reduced NEP (−3.2 to −3.5 Mg C ha−1 for gaps vs 2.2 to 2.5 Mg C ha−1 for reference conditions), but did not alter heterotrophic respiration. The addition of woody debris without harvest significantly increased heterotrophic respiration, decreasing soil C storage of the gap area (−0.5 to −1.1 Mg C ha−1). The combined treatment of gap creation and woody debris addition made the gap area a significant C source to the atmosphere for the 3 years of the study (−4.9 to −5.1 Mg C ha−1). We also estimated how these structural features would affect C dynamics at a broader scale. The conversion of 10% of the stand canopy to gap conditions caused only a brief decrease in the stand NEP with the C balance returning to reference conditions by the third year following tree harvest. The woody debris additions caused an increase in both TEC and heterotrophic respiration. When combined the addition of canopy gaps and woody debris caused plots to initially become significant C sources, relative to undisturbed locations that were consistently accumulating C, with an annual NEP ranging from 2.1 to 2.8 Mg C ha−1 y−1. Understanding the effects of these structural features on forest C dynamics is highly relevant as the maturing forests of the region transition to more structurally complex forests and the demand for managing ecosystems for long-term C sequestration increases.