Biomass harvesting removes more woody material than would be taken with conventional forest harvesting. Harvesting residues, left on site are an important substrate for micro-organisms that maintain nutrient cycles essential for future forest productivity by mineralizing organic matter, and releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) as a respiratory bi-product. We assessed the impact of biomass removal intensity (stem-only [SO], full-tree biomass [FT], full-tree biomass plus stumping [FT+S], full-tree biomass plus stumps and forest floor removed [FT+B]), and herbicide application on soil respiration and net ecosystem exchange of carbon (C) in a harvested 40-yr-old jack pine stand. Soil respiration (surface CO2 efflux) normalized to 15°C (R15) was lower in biomass harvest treatments than in the uncut stand and a mature 80-yr-old fire-origin natural stand. Among harvest treatments, R15 was positively related to the amount of C retained, with the general pattern of FT+B
Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Recommended Citation:
Webster K.L.,Wilson S.A.,Hazlett P.W.,et al. Soil CO2 efflux and net ecosystem exchange following biomass harvesting: Impacts of harvest intensity, residue retention and vegetation control[J]. Forest Ecology and Management,2016-01-01,360