Clearfelling and burning effects on nitrogen mineralization and leaching in soils of old-age Eucalyptus regnans forests

Abstract

An argument against clearfelling and burning operations in forests is that nutrient reserves may be diminished, leading to productivity decline over successive rotations. Nitrogen is of primary concern as it is readily volatilised and may be leached and thus the retention of nitrogen is a key recovery process following perturbation. In this study we measured N mineralization in situ and nitrogen concentrations in soil water from an old- age Eucalyptus regnans forest (about 250 years old) and from clearfelled forest in which treatment areas of unburnt ground, burnt ground and burnt ground maintained free from regrowth were established. Total inorganic N in the soil (0-5 cm) increased to a max..