A global meta-analysis of soil exchangeable cations, pH, carbon, and nitrogen with afforestation.

BERTHRONG, ST; JOBBAGY, EG; JACKSON, RB

ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

ECOLOGICAL SOC AMER

Lugar: Washington DC; Año: 2009 vol. 19 p. 2228 - 2241

1051-0761

Afforestation, the conversion of non-forested lands to forest plantations, can sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, but the rapid growth and harvesting of biomass may deplete nutrients and degrade soils if managed improperly. The goal of this study is to evaluate how afforestation affects mineral soil quality, including pH, sodium, exchangeable cations, organic carbon, and nitrogen, and to examine the magnitude of these changes regionally where afforestation rates are high. We also examine potential mechanisms to reduce the impacts of afforestation on soils and to maintain long-term productivity. Across diverse plantation types (153 sites) to a depth of 30 cm of mineral soil, we observed significant decreases in nutrient cations (Ca, K, Mg), increases in sodium (Na), or both with afforestation. Across the data set, afforestation reduced soil concentrations of the macronutrient Ca by 29% on average (P , 0.05). Afforestation by Pinus alone decreased soil K by 23% (P , 0.05). Overall, plantations of all genera also led to a mean 71% increase of soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil K by 23% (P , 0.05). Overall, plantations of all genera also led to a mean 71% increase of soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil K by 23% (P , 0.05). Overall, plantations of all genera also led to a mean 71% increase of soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% soil Na (P , 0.05). Mean pH decreased 0.3 units (P , 0.05) with afforestation. Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus plantations (15% and 20% Afforestation caused a 6.7% and 15% (P , 0.05) decrease in soil C and N content respectively, though the effect was driven principally by Pinus