PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 2: Forest Ecology
Monday, August 8, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Land cover change from primary to secondary forests: effects on the nitrogen cycle in Chiloe island.
Perez, Cecilia*,1, Carmona, Martin1, Aravena, Juan1, Fariña, Jose1, Necochea, Pablo1, Armesto, Juan1, 1 P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
ABSTRACT- The transformation of primary to secondary forest by the use of fire or by commercial selective logging can alter biogeochemical processes such as net N mineralization, and modify important controls on these processes, such as the soil carbon and nitrogen pools and C/N ratios. Principal Component and Correspondence Analysis showed a significant segregation of North Patagonian and Valdivian forest types according to tree species composition, basal areas, and soil chemical and physical variables. The main ordination axis was significantly associated with differences in soil and litter C/N ratios, net N mineralization, soil pH, water content and bulk density. We conclude that differences among forest types prevail over anthropogenic disturbance effects reflected in floristic and biogeochemical differences between primary and secondary forests. Results suggest that primary forests of Chiloe Island exhibit high resilience to current modes of anthropogenic disturbance.
Key words: southern temperate forest, selective cutting, C/N ratio, multivariate analysis