Ecotone quebec3/26/2023 ![]() The forest is mostly composed of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum), red maple ( Acer rubrum), American beech ( Fagus grandifolia), yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis), white birch ( Betula payrifera), large-tooth aspen ( Populus grandidentata), eastern white cedar ( Thuja occidentalis), white pine ( Pinus strobus), and red spruce ( Picea rubens). The study was conducted at the Station de biologie des Laurentides (SBL) of Université de Montréal in St. called for more manipulative experiments under various site conditions, including monitoring of other factors such as moisture availability. These studies suggest no change in the rates of leaf-litter decomposition due to soil warming, yet Wu et al. , only a few studies have been performed regarding effects of experimental soil warming on leaf-litter decomposition in temperate deciduous tree species under field conditions. Understanding the influence of soil warming and extension of periods with soil biological activity on litter decomposition is thus crucial for a full understanding of forest response to climate change. Litter decomposition is also an important biogeochemical process, affecting soil C as well as nutrient availability. ![]() Meta-analyses suggest that warming increases N and C cycling as well as plant biomass production and foliar nutrition in various ecosystems, including forests. Several experiments have tested the effects of warmer temperatures and extended periods of biological activity on ecosystem functioning using various methods (e.g., open-top and active heating chambers, infrared lamps). It would be relevant to test for leaf-litter dynamics during dry and wet summers and verify again our initial hypothesis of decreased leaf-litter decomposition rates due to soil warming/drying. The study year was characterized by significant periods of water stress but was not considered an exceptional year in that regard. The soil drying effect by warming also needs to be further documented and modeled. However, some variables that could play an important role on litter decomposition in the context of climate change were not measured (e.g., plant phenology, understory composition and density, microbes) and thus, uncertainties remain. Results imply that climate change has a marginal influence on leaf-litter dynamics of temperate tree species on soils that are typical of the boreal forest. Moreover, no difference in litter mass loss was detected between treatments, likely due to a drying effect of the soil warming treatment. ![]() There was no indication of a slower turnover in these marginal soils compared to other studies conducted on typical hardwood soils. Our results suggest differences in decomposition rates between tree species as follows: sugar maple > red maple ≥ American beech = large-tooth aspen. We hypothesized that decomposition rates of all leaf-litter types would be decreased equally by warming due to a drying effect of the soil and its surface, which is detrimental to microbial biomass and activity. Leaf-litter mass loss of the local red maple, sugar maple, large-tooth aspen, and American beech were monitored to assess the ability of these tree species to condition boreal soils in the context of their northward migration under climate change. In a temperate forest of Quebec, Canada, we emulated climate change by warming the acidic, nutrient-poor, and dry soils of two mixedwoods by 3 to 4 ☌ using heating cables. Studying the influence of such changes on biogeochemical processes is thus crucial for a fuller understanding of forest response to climate change. Ongoing rapid climatic changes are expected to modify the structure, composition, and functioning of forest ecosystems. ![]()
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