Universidad Pú

Pública de Navarra
Nafarroako Unibersitate Publikoa

Departamento de Ciencias del Medio Natural

Decomposition and nutrient

release from Pinus sylvestris L.
leaf litter in stands with
different thinning intensity

Blanco J. A., Imbert J. B., Ozcá

Ozcáriz A., Castillo F. J.

I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

GOVERNMENT OF NAVARRA + PUBLIC UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA

STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THINNING IN Pinus sylvestrys L. FORESTS

GOVERNMENT OF NAVARRA PUBLIC UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA

Department of Environment Ecology and Environment Group

SUSTAINABLE EXPLOTATION
TO IMPROVE THE
SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES

NUTRIENT CYCLING
STAND STRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY

I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

1
 OBJECTIVES

1.-
1.- To assess diferences in the decomposition process
between two typical locations of Pinus sylvestris L. in
Navarra.

2.-
2.- To check if different thinning intensities (0%, 20%
and 30% of basal area)
area) affect the decomposition of
litterfall.

I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

EXPERIMENTAL SITES

Altitude 625 m 1350 m

Latitude 42º
42º 42´
42´31´´
31´´ N 42º
42º 48´
48´50´´
50´´ N
Slope 7% 40 %
T mean 12.1 ºC 8.2 ºC
Precipitation 912 mm 1265 mm
I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

2
 METHODOLOGY

10 g of fresh leaf litter

Collection of fresh per PVC litterbag.
litter 2 mm mesh size

50 litterbags per
plot

Samplings every 2
months, removing 3
Weight loss
litterbags from plot
Chemical composition
I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

RESULTS

Site Treatment K2001 K2002 K01-02 T50 T95

years -1 years

Olson’
Olson’s (1963) Aspurz Control 0.645 0.473 a 0.517 a 1.34 5.79
Thinning 20% 0.619 0.418 b 0.469 b 1.48 6.39
decomposition rates Thinning 30% 0.587 0.405 b 0.448 b 1.55 6.69

Garde Control 0.380 0.276 0.299 2.32 10.02

Thinning 20% 0.325 0.287 0.300 2.31 9.99
I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003 Thinning 30% 0.349 0.276 0.292 2.37 10.26

3
 RESULTS

I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003

CONCLUSIONS

1.-
1.- Decomposition rates were higher in the site with
less adverse climatic conditions.

2.-
2.- Thinning may change decomposition rates by
slowing down this process.

3.-
3.- Thinning may change nutrient concentrations
in decomposed leaf litter under adverse
climatic conditions.

I.U.F.R.O. MEETING - ISABA 2003