Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Scarification is a widely used silviculture method and is suggested to improve organic matter decomposition rate. In this study, I made the use of an experiment that buried humus material into mineral soil after clear-cuts and studied its effects on humus decomposition rate in four biogeoclimatic zones (CWH, ESSF, ICH and IDF) in British Columbia. Litterbags containing local humus materials (mixture of F and H layers) were placed on the forest floor surface or buried in the soil (5-10 cm deep). Samples were retracted annually and dry mass and carbon (C) content were measured to calculate the remaining C mass in each sample for three continuous years. The remaining C mass at all of four sites was lower when buried than placed on the surface, but the difference was significant only at the drier IDF site. Humus in forests with better climatic conditions, such as abundant precipitation and suitable temperature, responded weakly to burying. Stimulation of humus decomposition through scarification is most likely to occur in dry forests in B.C.