Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon along an altitudinal gradient from Norway spruce forest to the mountain birch/alpine ecotone in Norway

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil water from the base of the soil organic layer were determined at three forest plots along an altitudinal gradient in eastern Norway. The lowest plot, at 830 m above sea level (a.s.l.), was in Norway spruce forest and there were additional plot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Boreal environment research 2005, Vol.10 (3), p.181-189
Main Authors: CLARKE, Nicholas, ROSBERG, Ingvald, AAMLID, Dan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidity
Alpine environments
altitude
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Cosmic radiation
Dissolved organic carbon
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
ecotones
Exact sciences and technology
Forests
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Lead
Litter
Marine and continental quaternary
Mountains
Picea abies
Q1
Q2
Sea level
Surface water
Surficial geology
Synecology
Temperature
Trees
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Summary:Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil water from the base of the soil organic layer were determined at three forest plots along an altitudinal gradient in eastern Norway. The lowest plot, at 830 m above sea level (a.s.l.), was in Norway spruce forest and there were additional plots at the ecotone between Norway spruce and mountain birch at 925 m a.s.l. and at the forest line (1000 m a.s.l.). DOC concentrations in soil water did not decrease uniformly with altitude although tree biomass, above-ground litterfall and the soil C pool all did so. Significant correlations between DOC and {H+} or electrical conductivity may reflect the contribution of DOC to solution acidity and the anionic charge, respectively. If mean temperature during the growing season increases, tree growth at any given altitude will tend to increase and the spruce-birch ecotone may move to a higher altitude than at present. Increased C inputs as litter to the soil might then lead to increasing DOC concentrations and fluxes in surface waters.
ISSN:1239-6095
1797-2469