The effect of slope position in Catena landform on soil physical and chemical features in the Asalem Beech forest

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

2 Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

3 Associate Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

4 Assistant Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

Abstract

The beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stands in the Hyrcanian region of Iran occur on a wide range of soils in a relief row with valley and ridge structures called Catena. This affects soil features and plant species distribution due to its topographic shape and different slope positions. The aim of this study was to compare changes in soil characteristics across V-shaped Catena in the two harvested and non-harvested beech stands in the Asalem region, Guilan Province. We selected three Catena landforms in each non-harvested and harvested stand. In each stand, a 400-m2 plot along each Catena and slope position was designed, in which soil samples were taken from the center and four corners as well as from 10-0 cm, 20-10 cm and 30-20 cm depths. The samples were mixed to obtain a single soil sample for each depth and slope position. Soil samples were transferred to the laboratory to study physical and chemical properties. Based on our results, the variability of soil features was significantly influenced by different depths and forest management plans, whereas they were poorly affected by the different positions of the Catena. The highest amounts of pH and Ec were measured in the harvested stand, while the highest phosphorus and potassium contents were measured in the non-harvested stand and toe slope position, respectively. Absorbable potassium was the only parameter that had a significant difference in management, slope position, and depth of soil interactions. Generally, foot and toe slope positions contained more nutritious soils, which can be attributed to the leaching and erosion of soil from higher to lower slopes.

Keywords


- Augusto, L., Ranger, J., Binkley, D. and Rothe, A., 2002. Impacts of several common tree species of European temperate forests on soil fertility. Annals of Forest Science, 59(3): 233-253.
- Doran, J.W. and Parkin, T.B., 1994. Defining and assessing soil quality: 3-21. In: Doran, J.W., Coleman, D.C., Bezdick, D.F. and Stewart, B.A. (Eds.). Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. Soil Science Society of America, Special Publication No. 35, Madison, Wisconsin, 244p.
- Fazlollahi Mohammadi, M., Jalali, S.Gh., Kooch, Y. and Theodose, T.A., 2015. The influence of landform on the understory plant community in a temperate Beech forest in northern Iran. Ecological Research, 30(2): 385-394.
- Frimpong, K.A., Afrifa, E.K.A., Ampofo, E.A. and Kwakye, P.K., 2014. Plant litter turnover, soil chemical and physical properties in a Ghanaian gold- mined soil revegetated with Acacia species. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 4(5): 1058-1076.
- IRIMO (I.R. of Iran Meteorological Organization), 2017. Available at: Http://irimo.ir/far/web_directory/2703 (In Persian).
- Jafari Haghighi, M., 2003. Methods of Soil Analysis: Sampling and Important Physical & Chemical Analysis. Nedaye Zoha Press, 236p (In Persian).
- Jalali, M. and Rowell, D.L., 1999. The effect of cation exchange capacity, source of calcium and the rate of potassium application on the leaching of K in a sandy soil. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Balanced Fertilization and Crop Response to Potassium. Tehran, 15-18 May 1999: 307-307.
- Kizilkaya, R. and Dengiz, O., 2010. Variation of land use and land cover effects on some soil physico-chemical characteristics and soil enzyme activity. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 97(2): 15-24.
- Kozar, B., Lawrence, R. and Long, D.S., 2002. Soil phosphorus and potassium mapping using a spatial correlation model incorporating terrain slope gradient. Precision Agriculture, 3(4): 407-417.
- Löffler, J., 2007. The influence of micro-climate, snow cover, and soil moisture on ecosystem functioning in high mountains. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 17(1): 3-19.
- López, I.F., Lambert, M.G., Mackay, A.D. and Valentine, I., 2003. The influence of topography and pasture management on soil characteristics and herbage accumulation in hill pasture in the North Island of New Zealand. Plant and Soil, 255(2): 421-434.
- Luizão, R.C.C., Luizão, F.J., Paiva, R.Q., Monteiro, T.F., Sousa, L.S. and Kruijt, B., 2004. Variation of carbon and nitrogen cycling processes along a topographic gradient in a central Amazonian forest. Global Change Biology, 10(5): 592-600.
- Mo, J., Zhang, W., Zhu, W., Gundersen, P., Fang, Y., Li, D. and Wang, H., 2008. Nitrogen addition reduces soil respiration in a mature tropical forest in southern China. Global Change Biology, 14(2): 403-412.
- Nelson, J.D.J., Schoenau, J.J. and Malhi, S.S., 2008. Soil organic carbon changes and distribution in cultivated and restored grassland soils in Saskatchewan. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 82: 137-148.
- Page, L.M. and Cameron, A.D., 2006. Regeneration dynamics of Sitka spruce in artificially created forest gaps. Forest Ecology and Management, 221(1-3): 260-266.
- Palmtag, J., Cable, S., Christiansen, H.H., Hugelius, G. and Kuhry, P., 2018. Landform partitioning and estimates of deep storage of soil organic matter in Zackenberg, Greenland. The Cryosphere, 12: 1735-1744.
- Ramezanpour, H. and Kalbasi Zadeh, F., 2013. Studying slope position effects on soil physico-chemical properties in a hardwood forest of Lahijan region. Iranian Journal of Soil Research, 27(3): 387-395 (In Persian).
- Rezaei, H., Jafarzadeh, A.A., Alijanpour, A., Shahbazi, F. and Valizadeh Kamran, Kh., 2015. Effect of slope position on soil properties and types along an elevation gradient of Arasbaran forest, Iran. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 5(6): 449-456.
- Salehi, A., Mohammadi, A. and Safari, A., 2011. Investigation and comparison of physical and chemical soil properties and quantitative characteristics of trees in less-damaged and damaged area of Zagross forests (Case study: Poldokhtar, Lorestan province). Iranian Journal of Forest, 3(1): 81-89 (In Persian).
- Sánchez-Marañón, M., Soriano, M., Delgado, G. and Delgado, R., 2002. Soil quality in Mediterranean mountain environment: effects of land use change. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 66(3): 948-958.
- Scharenbroch, B.C. and Bockheim, J.G., 2007. Impacts of forest gaps on soil properties and processes in old growth northern hardwood-hemlock forests. Plant and Soil, 294(1-2): 219-233.
- Schoenholtz, S.H., Van Miegroet, H. and Burger, J.A., 2000. A review of chemical and physical properties as indicators of forest soil quality: challenges and opportunities. Forest Ecology and Management, 138(1-3): 335-356.
- Scholten, T., Goebes, P., Kühn, P., Seitz, S., Assmann, T., Bauhus, J., Bruelheide, H., Buscot, F., Erfmeier, A., Fischer, M., Härdtle, W., He, J.S., Ma, K., Niklaus, P.A., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmid, B., Shi, X., Song, Z., von Oheimb, G., Wirth, C., Wubet, T. and Schmidt, K., 2017. On the combined effect of soil fertility and topography on tree growth in subtropical forest ecosystems—a study from SE China. Journal of Plant Ecology, 10(1): 111-127.
- Schulp, C.J.E., Nabuurs, G.J., Verburg, P.H. and de Waal, R.W., 2008. Effect of tree species on carbon stocks in forest floor and mineral soil and implications for soil carbon inventories. Forest Ecology and Management, 256(3): 482-490.
- Shure, D.J., Phillips, D.L. and Bostick, P.E., 2006. Gap size and succession in cutover southern Appalachian forests: an 18-year study of vegetation dynamics. Plant Ecology, 185(2): 299-318.
- Tavakoli, M., Raiesi, F. and Salehi, M.H., 2008. Evaluation of selected soil quality indicators in almond orchard located on north and south facing slopes in Saman region, Shahrekord. Journal of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, 15(3): 31-43 (In Persian).
- Varamesh, S., Hosseini, S.M. and Abdi, N., 2011. Effect of afforestation with broadleaf species on carbon sequestration in soil of chitgar forest. Iranian Journal of Soil Research, 25(3): 187-196 (In Persian).
- Xiong, D.H., Zhou, H.Y., Yang, Z. and Zhang, X.B., 2005. Slope lithologic property, soil moisture condition and revegetation in dry-hot valley of Jinsha river. Chinese Geographical Science, 15(2): 186-192.
- Zushi, K., 2006. Spatial distribution of soil carbon and nitrogen storage and forest productivity in a watershed planted to Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don). Journal of Forest Research, 11(5): 351-358.