Interacting effects of wildfire severity and liming on nutrient cycling in a southern Appalachian wilderness area

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 366; no. 1/2; pp. 165 - 183
• Main Authors: Elliott, Katherine J., Knoepp, Jennifer D., Vose, James M., Jackson, William A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.05.2013; Springer Netherlands
• Subjects: Acid soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; air pollution; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Appalachian region; application rate; base saturation; biogeochemical cycles; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; burning; Calcareous soils; cations; climate change; Ecology; Environment; Environmental aspects; Forest litter; Forest soils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Human beings; Influence on nature; Life Sciences; limes; liming; mortality; nutrients; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; pests; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; regrowth; Regular Article; shrubs; Soil chemistry; Soil depth; Soil nutrients; soil pH; Soil samples; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil solution; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; sprouting; trees; understory; vegetation; Water and solute dynamics; wilderness; Wildfires; Appalachians; North America; America; Canada; Appalachian region; Calcium; Aluminum; Acidic soils; Dolomitic lime; Exchangeable base cations; Fire severity; Nitrogen; Soil solution nutrients; Forest floor; Dolomite; Forest soil; Physical environment; Alkaline earth metal; Temperate zone; Inorganic element; Lime; Wildfire; Natural environment; Liming amendment; Soil solution; Translocation; Chemical solution; Acid soil; Litter; Aluminium; Exchangeable cation; Biogeochemical cycle; Base; Nutrient; Vegetation fire
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-012-1416-z

Aims Wilderness and other natural areas are threatened by large-scale disturbances (e.g., wildfire), air pollution, climate change, exotic diseases or pests, and a combination of these stress factors (i.e., stress complexes). Linville Gorge Wilderness (LGW) is one example of a high elevation wilderness in the southern Appalachian region that has been subject to stress complexes including chronic acidic deposition and several wildfires, varying in intensity and extent. Soils in LGW are inherently acidic with low base cation concentrations and decades of acidic deposition have contributed to low pH, based saturation, and Ca:Al ratio. We hypothesized that wildfires that occurred in LGW followed by liming burned areas would accelerate the restoration of acidic, nutrient depleted soils. Because soils at LGW had extremely low concentrations of exchangeable Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ dolomitic lime was applied to further boost these cations. We evaluated the effectiveness of dolomitic lime application in restoring exchangeable Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ and subsequently increasing pH and Ca:Al ratio of soils and making Ca and Mg available to recovering vegetation. Methods Five treatment areas were established: severely burned twice (2000 & 2007) with dolomitic lime application (2xSBL); moderately burned twice with lime application (2xMBL); severely burned twice, unlimed (2xSB); moderately burned once (2000), unlimed (1xMB); and a reference area (REF; unburned, unlimed). In 2008 and 2009, we measured overstory, understory, and ground-layer vegetation; forest floor mass and nutrients; and soil and soil solution chemistry within each treatment area. Results All wildfire burned sites experienced substantial overstory mortality. However, understory biomass doubled between sample years on the most recently burned sites due to the rapid regrowth of ericaceous shrubs and prolific sprouting of deciduous trees. Burning followed by lime application (2xSBL and 2xMBL) significantly increased shallow soil solution NO₃-N, but we found no soil solution NO₃-N response to burning alone (2xSB and 1xMB). Surface soil base saturation and exchangeable Ca²⁺ were significantly affected by liming; Ca²⁺ concentrations were greater on 2xMBL and 2xSBL than 2xSB, 1xMB and REF. There was a smaller difference due to moderate burning along with greater soil Ca²⁺ on lxMB compared to REF, but no difference between 2xSB and REF. Surface and subsurface soil exchangeable Al 3+ were lower on 2xSBL than 2xSB, 2xMBL, 1xMB, and REF. Liming decreased soil acidity somewhat as surface soil pH was higher on the two burned sites with lime (pH=3.8) compared to 2xSB without lime (pH=3.6). Conclusions Liming resulted in decreased soil Al³⁺ on 2xSBL coupled with increased soil Ca²⁺ on both 2xSBL and 2xMBL, which improved soil Ca/Al ratios. However, the soil Ca/Al ratio response was transitory, as exchangeable Al³⁺ increased and Ca/Al ratio decreased over time. Higher lime application rates may be necessary to obtain a substantial and longer-term improvement of cation-depleted soils at LGW.