Effect of clear-cutting, prescribed burning and scarification on litter decomposition in an Eastern Ontario jack pine (Pinus banksiana) ecosystem

Abstract

Mass losses of litter bags containing leaf litter of Pinus banksiana Lamb., Quercus rubra L., Pteridium aquilium (L.) Kuhn, and Populus tremuloides Mchx. were compared in a jack pine ecosystem after clear-cutting, clear-cutting plus prescribed burning, and clear-cutting plus disk trenching scarification. Controls consisted of litterbags left in undisturbed plots. Mass losses were significantly affected by treatment types and litter types. The greatest differences among treatments were observed after 1 year of field incubation whereas there were considerably fewer differences among treatments after 3 years of incubation in the field. Initial decomposition of P. tremuloides and Q. rubra litter was greatest in the control plots. Scarified plots showed the slowest decomposition rates. Mass losses were not significant among treatments and litter types after 3 years incubation except for P. aquilinum litter on clear-cut and scarified plots.