ESRM 410 Forest Soils & Site Productivity

INSTRUCTORS

Daniel VogtOffice Hours: M&F 1:30-3:00 & by apptEmail: dvogt@u.washington.edu

and

Rob HarrisonOffice Hours: by apptEmail: robh@u.washington.edu

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• Class Hours: 12:30-1:20 MWF (107 Wink)

• TEXT:

Ecology & Management of Forest Soils by Fisher and Binkley,

2000, 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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REQUIREMENTS

• Exam 1 25%

• Exam 2 30%

• Presentation/Paper-group research 30%

• Field Trip Paper 15%

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Field Trips

• Matlock (Oct 6)

• Cedar River – group research projects (Oct 27)

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Edaphology

• The science that deals with the influence of SOILS on living things, particularly plants, including human use of land for plant growth.

Eg, • physical, chem and bio properties of soils,• processes occur in soils, • nutrient supply to plants, AND• land use impacts (esp Management), and • how soils function as a part of the ecosystem.

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Forest Soil Topics

• Forest Soils and Vegetation Development,• Forest Biome Soils• Physical Properties of Forest Soils• Biology of Forest Soils (roots, fungi &

mycorrhizas, bacteria, invertebrates)• Soil Chemistry & Nutrient Uptake• Soil Organic Matter• Forest Biogeochemistry

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Forest Soil Topics (cont’d)

• Forest Productivity• Fire Effects• Forest Soil &Nutrition Mgmt

– nutrient limitations, – fertilization, – biological N fixation)

• Long-term Productivity• Field & Lab Methods for quantifying

productivity of forests & soils

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• Forest soil ecology & management

includes unavoidable uncertainty that

derives from a lack of understanding and

site-specific information. Uncertainty is

unavoidable, so it needs to be included as

a key aspect of management. and

(Fisher & Binkley 2000)

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• We present some basic points about

hypothesis testing and decision analysis

in the hope of stirring creative skepticism

among readers about the material we

present and about the state of knowledge

of forest soil ecology and management. (Fisher & Binkley

2000)

You, Us & Guests!!!9

• Soil patterns vary across the landscape?

• Soil = f (cl, r, o, t, p)

and

in response to disturbances

Eg = - ??

= + ??

MANAGEMENT!!10

• The 1st rule of intelligent forest management?

TAKE CARE OF THE SOIL!!(Fisher & Binkley 2000)

• The 1st rule of intelligent sustainable resource management?

TAKE CARE OF THE SOIL!!(Vogt & Harrison 2007)

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• Fact: > 99% diversity of life

in forest ecosystems

Resides in the

SOIL!!!!

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What is a Forest?

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Forest Soil?

• Soil that has developed under forest cover– Deep rooting by trees, tipovers– Organisms associated w/

• Forest vegetation

• Litter layer

– Eluviation promoted by decomp of litter

which is SOIL GENESIS or development

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Forest Soil

• So currently various So currently various forest typesforest types cover cover ~1/3 of the world’s land surface.~1/3 of the world’s land surface.

• Many of the former forest soils are now Many of the former forest soils are now devoted to agricultural, urban or devoted to agricultural, urban or industrial uses. industrial uses.

• Forest soils and their legacies may cover Forest soils and their legacies may cover ~½ of the earth’s land surface!!!~½ of the earth’s land surface!!!

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Forest Soils

• Conditions that promote forestry over agriculture?

– The need for timber and their products

– Poor drainage

– Steep slopes

– Rocky soils

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Forest Soil

• So currently various forest types cover ~1/3 of the world’s land surface.

• U.S.?

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Forest Land in U.S. today?• As more efficient farming developed in the

Midwest, agricultural fields were abandoned (esp in East).

• By 1950 forested lands increased to ~1/3 total land area in U.S. (was ~½ in 1620)

• Today??? Perhaps unchanging, due to?

– Increasing urban and industrial development, ...., but balanced by increasing restoration, afforestation, ...!!!

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Forest Soils

• Forest soils differ from agricultural soils?

• Intensively managed forest soils differ from agricultural soils?

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Forest Soils differ from ag soils?

• Tree canopy shades soil and makes cooler during the day and warmer at night than cultivated soils.

• Canopy & forest floor (litter layer) also result in uniform moisture conditions.

• Water flow different on steeper slopes.

• Forest soils have more diverse and active soil fauna and flora than ag soils. (nutrient cycling?)

• Hydro- and nutrient pumping by deeper tree roots?

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Do intensively managed forest soils differ from agricultural soils?

• Today’s intensively managed forests (ie, disturbances) have decreased many soil differences normally found between many non-disturbed forests and croplands. (eg, harvesting, clear-cutting?, thinning, fertilization, …)

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Forest Soils Important• We depend upon forests• Differ from Ag soils• Forest soils have:

– Organic surface layer (FF)– Diverse fauna & flora – Interactions (structure & functions)– May be wet or steep, shallow to bedrock, or stony– Trees depend upon lower horizons vs ag soils

• We need to manage not only our trees & crops but also our soils!!

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