Phosphorus and base cation accumulation and release patterns in decomposing Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch stumps

▶ Phosphorus and base cations (K, Ca, and Mg) are released slowly from decomposing Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch stumps. ▶ The absolute amounts of phosphorus in stumps increased during decomposition. The accumulation of phosphorus is probably mainly due to that decomposer fungi transport phosphorus into stumps from the surrounding soil. ▶ By serving as a nutrient sink and long-term nutrient pool with a slow release rate, stumps can potentially contribute to the retention of nutrients and decrease the leaching of nutrients from the forest ecosystem after clear-cutting. ▶ The results suggest that when one practises stump harvesting, nutrients are not only removed from the system through harvested biomass, but stump harvesting may also promote the leaching of nutrients.