Nutrient Turnover by Fine Roots in Temperate Hardwood and Softwood Forest Ecosystems Varying in Calcium Availability

The effect of nutrient availability and forest type on the nutrient turnover of fine roots is important in terrestrial nutrient cycling, but it is poorly understood. I measured nutrient turnover of hardwoods and softwoods at three well studied sites in the northeastern US: Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook, NH; Cone Pond, NH. Significant differences in nutrient turnover by fine roots were observed among sites, but not between forest types. The magnitude of differences for each element ranged from 3 times for P and N to 8 times for Ca and Mg between sites. Smaller differences of 0.2 to 0.8 times were observed between forest types. In hardwoods, the Sleepers River 'new' site had $23kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ Ca, $7kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ Mg, and $16kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ K turnover, owing to high root nutrient contents and turnover. Cone Pond had the highest turnover for Mn ($0.8kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$) and Al ($16kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), owing to high nutrient contents. The Hubbard Brook hardwood site exhibited the lowest turnover of these elements. In softwoods, the variation in turnover of Ca, Mg, and K was lower than in hardwoods. The Hubbard Brook had the highest turnover for P ($1.6kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), N ($31kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Mn ($0.4kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Al ($10kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Fe ($6.4kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Zn ($0.3kg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), Cu ($34g\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$), and C ($1.1Mg\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$). Root Ca turnover exponentially increased as soil percentage Ca saturation increased because of greater root nutrient contents and more rapid turnover at the higher Ca sites. These results imply that nutrient inputs by root turnover significantly increase as soil Ca availability improves in temperate forest ecosystems.