Comparison of vegetation patterns and soil nutrient relations in an oak-pine forest and a mixed deciduous forest on Long Island, New York

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6531918· OSTI ID:6531918

Peterson, S. C.; Curtis, P. S.

An analysis of soil nutrient relations in two forest communities on Long Island, NY, yielded a correlation between the fertility of the top-soil and vegetational composition. The oak-pine forest soils at Brookhaven National Laboratory contain lower average concentrations of NH/sub 3/, Ca, K, and organic matter than the mixed deciduous forest soils in the Stony Brook area. The pH of the topsoil is also more acidic at Brookhaven. The observed differences between localities are greater than within-locality differences between the two soil series tested (Plymouth and Riverhead), which are common to both localities. Nutrient concentrations in the subsoil are not consistently correlated with either locality or soil series, although organic matter and NH/sub 3/ show significantly higher concentrations at Stony Brook. Supporting data on density and basal area of trees and coverage of shrubs and herbs also reveals significant variation between the two forest communities. An ordination of the vegetation data shows higher similarity within than between localities, while no obvious pattern of within-locality variation due to soil series treatments is apparent. These data support the hypothesis that fertility gradients may influence forest community composition and structure. This hypothesis is discussed with reference to vegetation-soil interactions and other factors, such as frequency of burning, which may direct the future development of the Brookhaven oak-pine forest.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6531918
• Report Number(s): BNL-51331
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FORESTS
COMMUNITIES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
SOILS
FERTILITY
BNL
CORRELATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FIRES
NEW YORK
NUTRIENTS
PLANTS
SITE SURVEYS
DATA
INFORMATION
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
510100* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)