Transect studies on pine litter organic matter: decomposition and chemical properties of upper soil layers in Polish forests

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Title: Transect studies on pine litter organic matter: decomposition and chemical properties of upper soil layers in Polish forests

Author: Breymeyer, Alicja; Degorski, Marek; Reed, David

Date: 1998

Source: In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., tech. coords. Proceedings of the international symposium on air pollution and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 179-185

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Station ID: GTR-PSW-166

Description: The relationship between litter decomposition rate, some chemical properties of upper soil layers (iron, manganese, zinc, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, chrome in humus-mineral horizon-A), and litter (the same eight elements in needle litter fraction) in pine forests of Poland was studied. Heavy metal content in organic-mineral horizon of soils was highly correlated with needle decomposition rate for copper (correlation coefficient 0.901), zinc (corr. coeff. 0.901), nickel (corr. coeff. 0.834), and iron (corr. coeff. 0.850). Heavy metal content in needle litter was highly correlated with needle decomposition rate (iron--corr. coeff. 0.83; zinc--0.80; lead--0.82; nickel--0.89), and with mixed litter decomposition rate (iron--corr. coeff. 0.71; zinc--0.66; lead--0.68; nickel--0.72). Significant correlations were not found between the rate of decomposition of wood or cones and their content of metals, except for chromium. When comparing decomposition rates with degree of litter pollution, it was shown that in the case of needle decomposition for six significant correlations, two were positive; in the case of mixed litter decomposition for five significant correlations, two were positive. In both cases decomposition reacted positively to the presence of iron and lead. When comparing decomposition rates with the degree of soil pollution, it was shown that in the case of needle decomposition, five significant correlations were positive; in the case of mixed litter decomposition, only one significant correlation was positive.

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Citation

Breymeyer, Alicja; Degorski, Marek; Reed, David 1998. Transect studies on pine litter organic matter: decomposition and chemical properties of upper soil layers in Polish forests In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., tech. coords. Proceedings of the international symposium on air pollution and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 179-185.