Kristiina A. Vogt

Changes in biomass distribution, canopy dynamics, and above— and belowground net primary production were examined in a Rocky Mountain Douglas—fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca forest in New Mexico. Nutrient and water availability were experimentally altered by: fertilization (F), irrigation (I), carbon in the form of wood chips (WC), carbon + irrigation (WC/I), and control (C). Prior to treatment, aboveground tree biomass ranged from 238 to 369 000 kg/ha, projected leaf area index (LAI) ranged from 5.4 to 8.7 m 2 /m 2 and aboveground net primary production (ANPP) ranged from 9200 to 11 900 kg · ha — 1 · yr — 1 . Aboveground NPP was correlated positively (R 2 = 0.85) with LAI before the treatments. Canopy dynamics were strongly influenced by water and nutrient availability. For trees of similar diameter, irrigated and fertilized trees supported a significantly greater biomass of new twig and new foliage than control trees. During the 2—yr study leaf area index (LAI) increased by 5, 12, 18, and 24% in the C, I, WC/I, and F plots, respectively, and decreased by 3% in the WC plots. Stand level biomass distribution and production patterns were also affected by the availability of nutrients and water. Two years after the treatments were initiated, new foliage masses were 2400 (F), 2300 (WC/I), 2000 (I), 1900 (C), and 1800 (WC) kg/ha. In 1986, aboveground NPP was 33% greater in the F than WC treatment. Irrigation also increased ANPP. Fine root net primary production ranged from 1540 to 4200 kg · ha — 1 · yr — 1 and was significantly greater (P < .1) in the control than in the four treatments. BNPP comprised 46 (C), 32 (WC), 31 (I), 23 (WC/I), and 23 (F) % of total NPP. Total NPP was correlated positively with LAI (R 2 = 0.66) and ranged from 15 360 kg · ha — 1 · yr — 1 in the WC treatment to 21 140 kg · ha — 1 · yr — 1 in the F treatment. Many of the physiological relations between water or nutrient availability and production and carbon allocation reported in this study are consistent with results from studies on lowland Douglas—fir and other conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest. Collectively, these studies provide a mechanistic understanding of how water and nutrient availability govern production and carbon allocation of conifer forests in the western United States.

Biomass distribution and above- and below-ground net primary production were determined for 23- and 180-year-old Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes ecosystems growing at 1200-m elevation in the western Washington Cascade Range. Total organic matter accumulations were 427.0 t•ha −1 in the young stand, and 1247.1 t•ha −1 in the mature stand. Aboveground tree and detritus biomass were 49.0 t•ha −1 and 130.2 t•ha −1 , respectively, in the young stand compared with 445.5 t•ha −1 and 389.4 t•ha −1 in the mature stand. Net primary production (NPP) was 18.3 t•ha −1 in the young stand and 16.8 t•ha −1 in the mature stand. Belowground dry matter production was 65% of total net production in the young stand and 73% of total net production in the mature stand. Conifer fine root production was 35.9% of NPP in the young and 66.4% of NPP in the mature stand. This apparent shift in fine root production as a proportion of NPP may be related to detritus accumulation.