Litterfall and associated nutrient pools extend beyond the canopy of scattered eucalypt trees in temperate pastures

Title
Litterfall and associated nutrient pools extend beyond the canopy of scattered eucalypt trees in temperate pastures
Publication Date
2011
Author(s)
Barnes, Phoebe
Wilson, Brian
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7983-0909
Email: bwilson7@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:bwilson7
Reid, Nick
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4377-9734
Email: nrei3@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nrei3
Koen, Terry B
Lockwood, Peter
Lamb, David
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Place of publication
Netherlands
DOI
10.1007/s11104-011-0786-y
UNE publication id
une:8766
Abstract
Scattered paddock trees are a keystone feature of temperate grazing landscapes of Australia. However, our understanding of their influence on their immediate environment, and specifically the spatial distribution and characteristics of litter, is still limited. Here, we quantified the spatial pattern of litter around 4 Eucalyptus species ('Eucalyptus melliodora' A. Cunn. Ex Schauer, 'E. viminalis' Labill., 'E. blakelyi' Maiden and 'E. michaeliana' Blakely) in grazing landscapes on the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Australia. We examined the effect of species and soil parent material (basalt, granite and meta-sediments) on litter chemistry and chemical pools. Between 54-145 kg of litter was found around individual trees and litter density consistently declined with distance from the tree (330 g.m⁻² in the inner canopy to 4 g.m⁻² in the open paddock). However, an equivalent quantity of litter was found beneath and beyond the canopy indicating that a large quantity of the litter and nutrients fell beyond the edge of the canopy. Overall, leaf litter accounted for 23 to 34% of litterfall and had larger nutrient concentrations and pools than bark or stick litter. Most litter nutrients concentrations were independent of tree species or parent material but our results suggest that P, K and S were removed in foliage prior to abscission whilst Ca and Fe concentrations increased. The spatial patterns of litter distribution around scattered trees coincide with spatial patterns in soil properties that are frequently observed in these environments, and provide strong evidence of a significant link between these factors. Our results suggest that the removal of scattered trees from pastoral landscapes in this region of Australia will result in the loss of a significant litter input to the soil surface and will diminish this potentially important source of soil nutrients.
Link
Citation
Plant and Soil, 345(1-2), p. 339-352
ISSN
1573-5036
0032-079X
Start page
339
End page
352

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