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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Nutrient distribution and cycling along a forest chronosequence following the regreening of a mining and smelting degraded landscape

Patrick A. Levasseur https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8307-435X A B * , Nathan Basiliko B and Shaun A. Watmough C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.

B Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada.

C Trent School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.

* Correspondence to: plevasse@lakeheadu.ca

Handling Editor: Mark Tibbett

Soil Research 63, SR24155 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR24155
Submitted: 7 September 2024  Accepted: 13 March 2025  Published: 31 March 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

The regreening (the one-time application of soil amendments and tree planting) of mining and smelting degraded landscapes can increase site productivity and ecosystem nutrients in the short-term, but uncertainties exist regarding long-term nutrient status.

Aims

This study investigated whether nutrient distribution and cycling change with stand age in regreened forests on a mining and smelting degraded landscape in the City of Greater Sudbury, Canada.

Methods

We measured soil and vegetation nutrient concentrations (calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)), nutrient resorption, litter decomposition, and N mineralisation along a chronosequence of forested sites (n = 12) that were regreened 15–40 years prior to sampling.

Key results

As regreening stands aged, concentrations of Mg, K, and P increased in lower soil horizons, but foliar concentrations of nutrients did not change. The regreening sites were very rich in Ca and Mg but soils were poor in P, K, inorganic N, and N mineralisation rates were very low. We found few relationships between nutrient cycling and stand age. Potassium and P are thought to be the limiting nutrients in the region and while resorption efficiency of K was much higher than expected, foliar N, P and K concentrations were comparable to ‘healthy’ values.

Conclusions

The lack of change in foliar nutrients and nutrient cycling with stand age suggest that nutrient limitation is not inhibiting forest function 40 years following a one-time regreening treatment.

Implications

This study provides perspective to the long-term success of a one-time regreening on an immensely degraded industrial landscape.

Keywords: acidic soils, ecosystem reconstruction, forest soils, lime application, litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, rehabilitation, restoration.

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