Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
Volume 129, Issue 3, Pages 355-365Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10342-009-0341-z
Keywords
Artificial gaps; Humification index; Organic matter; Phenolic compounds; Silver fir; Soil properties
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Funding
- Universita Mediterranea'' di Reggio CalabriaProgrammi di Ricerca Scientifica
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Changes in soil properties related to natural regeneration of silver fir (Abies alba, Mill.) in small (185 m(2)) and medium (410 m(2)) gaps, in the Calabria Apennines (Southern Italy), were studied 2 years after gap creation. The organic matter within the medium gaps decayed more rapidly than those in the small gaps. Among the microenvironmental variables and soil properties, soil temperature was most strongly positively related to organic matter decomposition rates. Medium gaps had high soil temperature and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmittance, and low soil moisture. Within medium gaps, we found a great amount of phenolic compounds and a low content of organic matter and humic acids. These results indicate that in the medium gaps mineralization of organic matter was more important than humification. In contrast, in small gaps, the great amount of organic matter, the high content of humic acid and the values of humification index suggested that in these gaps the humification process of organic matter prevailed. Within small gaps, we observed more silver fir regeneration than medium gaps. Difference in organic matter content, particularly in the amount of phenolic compounds, may account for differences observed in natural regeneration of silver fir between small and medium gaps.
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