Jw. Fyles et B. Cote, FOREST FLOOR AND SOIL NUTRIENT STATUS UNDER NORWAY SPRUCE AND RED PINE IN A PLANTATION IN SOUTHERN QUEBEC, Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 74(4), 1994, pp. 387-392
The influence of 40 years of red pine and Norway spruce growth on fore
st floor and soil nutrient status was examined in a well-replicated se
ries of plantation blocks established on abandoned agricultural land.
Concentrations of N, P, K and Ca, and mass of organic matter and all n
utrients in the forest floor were higher under spruce than under pine.
In the mineral soil, concentrations of exchangeable K and Ca were hig
her under spruce whereas Mg, extractable P and mineralizable N did not
differ between the species. Forest floor pH was higher under spruce b
ut mineral soil pH did not differ between the species. The soil charac
teristics reflected litter chemistry of the two species. Relative to p
ine, spruce foliage litter was consistently higher in nutrient concent
ration and had lower acidity and higher ash bases. The results are inc
onsistent with the reputation of Norway spruce as a species that stron
gly acidifies soils, an observation that may be the result of elevated
levels of Ca and K in our soils relative to those in other studies wh
ere acidification has been observed. This research demonstrates that s
oil fertility can be altered significantly by tree species effects ove
r the period of a single rotation.