Effect of Caucasian alder (Alnus subcordata C. A. Mey.), Chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey.) and horizontal cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mill.) Gord.) plantation on litter, soil and CO2 emission characters

Abstract

Different plant covers have various effects on ecosystem litter and soil characters. This research aims to study the effect of different forest covers (Alnus subcordata C. A. Mey., Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey. and Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mill.) Gord.) on litter, soil and CO2 emission characters in the forest management plan of Nowshahr Neirang-Khanikan. Soil samples were taken from the organic (litter) and mineral (0-15cm) layers using randomly systematic method. Litter quality characters (carbon and nitrogen), soil bulk density, texture, water content, pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen and CO2 emission (in different water content and temperature regimes) were measured in the laboratory. Results showed that the highest values of litter nitrogen, silt, pH were found in alder plantation, whereas greater amounts of C/N of litter, water content, organic carbon, C/N of soil and CO2 emission were found under cypress stand. The highest amount of sand was detected under oak stand. The maximum of CO2 emission were occurred in field capacity moisture regime and higher temperature in whole of studied plantations. The results of this research indicate that afforestation with needle-leaved species, Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis, can be effective on the increasing CO2 emission from soil that must be considered in ecosystem management from the global warming point of view