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The effects of soil mixing on soil nutrient status, recovery of competing vegetation and conifer growth on cedar-hemlock cutovers in coastal British Columbia

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Abstract

In 1988 an experiment was established to stimulate the effect of windthrow on low-and high-productivity forest types in coastal British Columbia. It was hypothesized that site productivity may be improved by mixing the upper 1 m of the organic matter and mineral soil. Results of this study indicated that soil mixing (1) slightly increased soil pH and temperature on both forest types after 2 and 5 years, (2) decreased all soil nutrient availability indices on the high productivity type after 2 years, but resulted in no difference from the control after 5 years, and (3) decreased microbial activity and cellulose loss rate and most soil nutrient availability indices on the low-productivity type after 2 and 5 years. Soil mixing greatly reduced Gaultheria shallon above-ground biomass on both low- and high productivity forest types, whereas biomass of Epilobium angustifolium and other plant species increased slightly on the high-productivity type after 2 and 5 vears. Tsuga heterophylla was taller on high-productivity type and on mixed plots in both types after 2 and 5 years. Thuja plicata was taller on the high-productivity type after 5 years only. The increased conifer growth measured on the mixed low-productivity type was attributed to higher levels of available nutrients due to reduced G. shallon competition.

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Messier, C., Keenan, R. & (Hamish) Kimmins, J.P. The effects of soil mixing on soil nutrient status, recovery of competing vegetation and conifer growth on cedar-hemlock cutovers in coastal British Columbia. New Forest 9, 163–179 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035485

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