Bonanza Creek

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Bonanza Creek
Andrews LTER
Kerry Malm Phil Garcia
GEOG 4401/5401 Soils Geography Fall 2007 Univ
of Colorado, Boulder
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Bonanza CreekLTERAlaska

• The role of soil and Alnus incana subsp.
  Tenuifolia in landscape succession in the Tanana
  River floodplain

http//www.lter.uaf.edu/bcef/default.cfm
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Why are the soils salty?
http//www.macalester.edu/biology/images/Tanana.JP
G
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Is this common Why is this bad?

• Common in the lowlands of the Tanana River
  floodplain
• Not in all AK floodplains
• Toxic concentrations of ions build up
• Limit soil processes which supply plants with N
  and P

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http//soilslab.cfr.washington.edu/nwfsc/2001Summe
r/index.html
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Alder to the Rescue

• Species Alnus incana subsp. Tenuifolia
• Thinleaf Alder
• Important for
• Soil development
• Stand development

http//www.kenaiwetlands.net/images/297m1b01.jpg
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Alders

• Symbiotic actinorhizal bacteria (root nodes)
• 60-70 of total N accumulation during 200 yrs of
  floodplain succession
• Top 2 m had 4x increase in N in 20 yrs
• SOM
• 50 of OM comes from leaves
• Erosion control
• Extensive root system

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Results

• More N in the soil
• Less erosion
• Increased terrace height
• Decrease flooding
• Increased distance to water
• table
• Less salty

http//nrm.salrm.uaf.edu/dverbyla/bnz_synthesis_C
D/chapter3/alluvial_terraces_tanana_river.jpg
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And in the end . . .

• New plant establishment (succession)

Shrubs
Conifers
Deciduous Trees
Paper Birch
Trembling Aspen
White Spruce
Black Spruce
Willow
Thinleaf Alder
Climax
Time
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Andrews LTERThe Pacific Northwest
Alnus rubra and Pseudotsuga manziesiis role in
forest development
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Red Alder and Douglas FirA unique relationship
over a complex landscape

• Inceptisols are the dominant soil type
• Alfisols and Spodosols present also
• Forests range from young gt25yrs to old growth
  lt400yrs
• An area with considerable potential for C
  sequestration
• Major Disturbances flood, windfall and fire

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Red Alders (Alnus rubra)

• Often first to succeed following disturbance
• N-fixing because of symbiotic actinomycete
  frankia
• Leaf fall is a major source of Nitrogen/humus
• Erosion Control

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2 Soil Types Examined

• Nutrient rich soil
• Nutrient poor soil

3 Different Relationships

• Douglas-fir monoculture
• Douglas-fir and Alder stand
• Alder monoculture

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Conifer
Nutrient Rich Soil
Conifer Alder
Alder

• Largest biomass production

• Straight competition between the 2 species
• Alder eventually out-competed

• Slow steady biomass accumulation

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Nutrient Poor Soil
Conifer
Conifer Alder
Alder

• Quick increase in biomass
• Short lived (50yrs)

• Largest Biomass production

• Large fast growth, short lived (70yrs)
• Overtaken by conifers

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Red Alder in H.J. Andrews

• Increase total stand and conifer growth in ¼ of
  the forested land
• Decrease total stand and conifer growth in ½
• Most useful on nutrient poor sites
• Important in Erosion Control

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Conclusions

• In the Tanana River floodplain alders act as an
  ecosystem engineer to aid in forest succession
• In the H.J. Andrews experimental forest alders
  act as ecosystem engineers in nutrient poor soils
• In both sites alders are important because of
  their symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing
  bacteria and extensive root systems

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Works Cited

• Chapin, F.S. III, M. Oswood, K. Van Cleve, L.A.
  Viereck, and D. Verbyla. 2006. Alaska's Changing
  Boreal Forest. Oxford University Press. New York.
  
• Dyrness, C.T. and K. Van Cleve. 1993. Control of
  surface soil chemistry in early-successional
  floodplain soils along the Tanana River, interior
  Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
  23979-994.
• Van Cleve, K. , L.A. Viereck and G.M. Marion.
  1993. Introduction and overview of a study
  dealing with the role of salt-affected soils in
  primary succession on the Tanana River floodplain
  of interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest
  Research 23 879-888.
• Van Cleve, K., J. Yarie, L.A. Viereck and C.T.
  Dyrness. 1993. Conclusions on the role of
  salt-affected soils in primary succession on the
  Tanana River floodplain, interior Alaska.
  Canadian Journal of Forest Research 231015-1018.
  
• Viereck, L.A., C.T. Dyrness and M.J. Foote. 1993.
  An overview of the vegetation and soils of the
  floodplain ecosystems of the Tanana River,
  interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest
  Research 23889-898.
• Binkley, Dan. 2004. A hypothesis about the
  interaction of tree dominance and stand
  production through stand development. Forest
  Ecology and Management. 190 265-271

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More Works Cited

• Griffiths, R. P., Bradshaw, G. A., Marks, B., and
  G. W. Lienkaemper. 1996. Spatial distribution of
  ectomycorrhizal mats in coniferous forests of the
  Pacific Northwest, USA. Plant and Soil
  180147-158
• Radosevich, S.,Hibbs, D.,Ghersa, C. 2006. Effects
  of species mixtures on growth and stand
  development of Douglas-fir and red alder, Can. J.
  For. Res. 36 768-782
• Griffiths, R. P., Bradshaw, G. A., Marks, B., and
  G. W. Lienkaemper. 1996. Spatial distribution of
  ectomycorrhizal mats in coniferous forests of the
  Pacific Northwest, USA. Plant and Soil
  180147-158

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