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Effects of Litter Alteration on Carbon Dioxide Evolution from a South Carolina Pine Forest Floor¹

ABSTRACT

A field study in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina was conducted to evaluate the impacts of several litter manipulations on carbon dioxide evolution from a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forest floor. These manipulations, which included prescribed burning, removal of the L-layer material (red straw), and total litter (O1 and O2 horizons) removal, were compared with undisturbed control treatment using a static alkali absorption technique for CO₂ measurement.

Though slight reductions were noted, the burning and removal of the L-layer material had less effect on the evolution of CO₂ from the forest floor than total litter removal. Total litter removal, however, significantly reduced the average rate of CO₂ evolution by approximately 22% (p 0.05). The amount of CO₂ evolved was sensitive to rainfall and air temperature, showing declines in periods of drought and cool temperature. However, on an annual basis, the air temperature was much more important than rainfall in estimating the CO₂ evolution. The burning treatment increased the pH and nitrogen concentrations of the litter and the soil pH at the 0 to 5-cm depth. The calculated net annual respiration (CO₂-C production), exclusive of root metabolism, was approximately equivalent to 95% of the C input from litterfall deposited on the ground during this period, indicating that perhaps the accumulation of litter has reached a steady state condition.

¹ Contribution from the Savannah River Ecology Lab., (Inst. of Ecol., Univ. of Georgia), Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801. This paper was presented 9 Aug. 1979 before Div. S-7 during the Am. Soc. of Agronomy Annual Meetings in Fort Collins, Colo.

² Research Technician, Associate Professor of Agronomy, and Assistant Research Ecologist, respectively, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801.

Received for publication April 1, 1980. Accepted for publication December 16, 1980.