Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6543588 | Forest Ecology and Management | 2014 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Biologically accelerated soil weathering may explain the lack of observed deficiencies in regenerating forests of the region. Sites differed widely in the long-term nutrient capital available to support additional removals before encountering limitations (e.g., a fourfold difference in available Ca, and a tenfold difference in weatherable Ca). Intensive short-rotation biomass removal could rapidly deplete soil nutrient capital, but traditional long rotations, even under intensive harvesting, are unlikely to induce nutrient depletion in the 21st century. Weatherable P may ultimately limit biomass production on granitic bedrock (in as few as 6 rotations). Understanding whether and how soil weathering rates respond to nutrient demand will be critical to determining long-term sustainability of repeated intensive harvesting over centuries.
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Authors
Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Steven P. Hamburg, Ruth D. Yanai, Joel D. Blum,