Mineral Nutrient Accumulation and Cycling in a Stand of Red Alder (Alnus Rubra)

• Published in: The Journal of ecology Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 965 - 974
• Main Authors: Turner, J., Cole, D. W., Gessel, S. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, etc Blackwell Scientific Publications 01-11-1976; Blackwell Scientific Pub
• Subjects: Biomass; Forest ecosystems; Forest litter; Forest stands; Minerals; Plant litter; Soil organic matter; Tree trunks; Trees; Understory
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.2307/2258818

The distribution of organic matter and mineral nutrients in a thirty-four-year-old stand of red alder (Alnus rubra) in Washington State, U.S.A., is described, together with the annual nutrient transfers between components. The nutrients studied were nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese. There was a large quantity of N in the ecosystem, presumably because of N-fixation by the alder. The stand was deteriorating and thus there was a high quantity of wood in the litterfall. The understorey made an important contribution to the biomass, stand productivity and return of mineral nutrients to the forest floor. Comparison with a nearby stand of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) of similar age indicates that, while the organic matter distribution is similar, they have different patterns of nutrient accumulation and cycling. Data from an over-mature 450-year-old Douglas-fir stand are also included so that a comparison of two deteriorating stands can be made.