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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

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PRESCRIBED<br />

0 l I I I I<br />

JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER<br />

~igure 5.-- Effects of harvest treatment on N fixation <strong>in</strong> the hms Zayer (02)<br />

of a cedar-hemlock stand dur<strong>in</strong>g the smer (Idaho).<br />

Changes <strong>in</strong> nonsymbiotic N fixation rates due to timber re~oval also reflects<br />

differences <strong>in</strong> site productivity, The amounts of N fixed <strong>in</strong> a highly productive,<br />

northern Idaho cedar-hemlock soil were much greater than <strong>in</strong> a cold, high altitude<br />

lodgepole p<strong>in</strong>e soil regardless of harvest treatment. Conservatively assum<strong>in</strong>g that the<br />

N-fix<strong>in</strong>g bacteria would be active for only 100 dayslyr, N added to the cedar-hemlock<br />

soil would amount to slightly over 1 kg/ha/yr on the prescribed burned sites to nearly<br />

2.3 kg/ha/yr <strong>in</strong> the uncut stands. However, as the stands on these cut and burned<br />

areas become reestablished, the N fixation rates would likely <strong>in</strong>crease to preharvest<br />

levels. The length of the recovery period is unknown. While these N ga<strong>in</strong>s are small<br />

on an annual basis, the significance over a stand rotation of 100-150 years would be<br />

appreciable. In contrast, N added to the lodgepole p<strong>in</strong>e soils would be much lower.<br />

Aga<strong>in</strong> assum<strong>in</strong>g a 100 day activity period for the N-fix<strong>in</strong>g microflora (a possible overestimation),<br />

less than .25 kg/ha/yr of N would be added to the burned sites, and only<br />

.5 kg/ha/yr <strong>in</strong> the undisturbed stands. N fixation rates should also <strong>in</strong>crease as this<br />

site regenerates, but the recovery time would probably be longer than on the more<br />

favorable cedar-hem1 ock site.<br />

More immediate N ga<strong>in</strong>s on poorer sites could be obta<strong>in</strong>ed by convert<strong>in</strong>g unused<br />

logg<strong>in</strong>g residues <strong>in</strong>to chips. N fixation rates associated with wood chip decay were<br />

the highest found <strong>in</strong> any of the wood or soil substrates exam<strong>in</strong>ed (Jurgensen and<br />

others, 1979b). The <strong>in</strong>sulat<strong>in</strong>g properties of the chips and the heat and moisture<br />

generated dur<strong>in</strong>g fermentative and decay processes would favor the activity of N-fix<strong>in</strong>g<br />

organisms throughout the year (~arsen and others, 1980). While the economic or practical<br />

feasibility of conduct<strong>in</strong>g such chipp<strong>in</strong>g operations is questionable, it is one way<br />

by which logg<strong>in</strong>g residues could be more rapidly deconiposed and overall site productiv<br />

i ty improved.

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