Linking Foliar Chemistry to Forest Floor Solid and Solution Phase Organic C and N in Picea abies [L.] Karst Stands in Northern Bohemia

• Published in: Plant and soil 2006-05, Vol.283 (1-2), p.187-201
• Main Authors: Aitkenhead-Peterson, J.A, Alexander, J.E, Albrechtova, J, Kram, P, Rock, B, Cudlin, P, Hruska, J, Lhotakova, Z, Huntley, R, Oulehle, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Canopies; Carbon; Cellulose; conifer needles; Dissolved organic carbon; dissolved organic matter; dissolved organic nitrogen; Ecological function; Foliage; Forest floor; Forest litter; Forest soils; forest stands; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Infrared spectroscopy; Karst; Lignin; Nitrogen; Organic soils; Picea abies; Pollution dispersion; Remote sensing; Soil biochemistry; soil chemical properties; Soil chemistry; Soil ecology; soil organic carbon; soil organic matter; soil organic nitrogen; Soil pollution; soil solution; soil-plant interactions; spectral analysis
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-006-0010-7

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) produced in the forest floor are important for ecosystem functions such as microbial metabolism, pedogenesis and pollutant transport. Past work has shown that both DOC and DON production are related to litterfall and standing stocks of C and N in the forest floor. This study, conducted in spring, 2003, investigated variation in forest floor water extractable DOC (WEDOC) and DON (WEDON) and forest floor C and N as a function of lignin, cellulose and N contained in live canopy foliage across eight Picea abies [L.] Karst stands in northern Bohemia. Based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) analysis of foliar materials, lignin:N and cellulose:N content of the youngest needles (those produced in 2002) were positively and significantly related to WEDOC (R2 = 0.82–0.97; P