Document


Title

Spatial, temporal, and restoration treatment effects on soil resources in mixed-oak forests of southeastern Ohio
Document Type: Conference Proceedings
Author(s): Ralph E. J. Boerner; Jennifer A. Brinkman
Editor(s): Daniel A. Yaussy; David M. Hix; Robert P. Long; P. Charles Goebel
Publication Year: 2004

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • FFS - Fire and Fire Surrogate Study
  • hardwoods
  • mixed-oak forests
  • N - nitrogen
  • Ohio
  • P - phosphorus
  • soil pH
  • soils
Region(s):
Record Maintained By:
Record Last Modified: April 27, 2016
FRAMES Record Number: 2051

Description

As part of a larger study of the use of fire and thinning to restore ecosystem function in eastern forests, we quantified spatial, temporal, and treatment-related variations in soil pH, available P, and N mineralization over two years in two southern Ohio mixed-oak forests (Zaleski State Forest and Raccoon Ecological Management Area/REMA). In each site, two watershed-scale treatment units of ~25 ha were sampled on a 50m grid for analysis of spatial autocorrelation and for assessment of temporal variability and treatment effects. Sampling occurred in summer 2000 (prior to treatment) and summer 2001 (after one unit in each site had been thinned+burned). Nutrient status differed more between sites than between treatment units within sites. Semivariance analysis of pretreatment samples demonstrated that pH, available P, and N mineralization were strongly structured spatially in all four treatment units (spatial structure >67%). There were no significant temporal differences in pH or N mineralization (2000 vs 2001) in control areas of the two sites; however, available P did decrease between 2000 and 2001. Neither patch size nor spatial structure changed significantly over this time. Analysis of covariance of post-treatment soil status indicated that the thinning+burning treatment resulted in significant increases in available P and soil pH at REMA but not Zaleski. Semivariance analysis indicated that the thinning+burning treatment increased patchiness (decreased patch size) in pH, but decreased patchiness in available P. Ecosystem restoration treatments affected both overall nutrient status and spatial structure in ways that should influence how plants and communities respond to such treatments.

Online Link(s):
Link to this document (145 KB; full text; pdf)
Citation:
Boerner, Ralph E.; Brinkman, Jennifer A. 2004. Spatial, temporal, and restoration treatment effects on soil resources in Ohio hardwood forests. Pages 241-254 in: Yaussy, Daniel A.; Hix, David M.; Long, Robert P.; Goebel, P. C. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. Mar 16-19, 2004. General Technical Report NE-GTR-316. Newton Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station.