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Fire, Exotic Earthworms and Plant Litter Decomposition in the Landscape Context

Giai, Carla
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1236626931

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology.
Mixed-oak (Quercus ssp.) forests in southern Ohio have been significantly affected by fire suppression policies enforced since the early1920s, possibly altering key ecosystem properties such as soil organic matter quality and quantity, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. The Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) program is a multidisciplinary program that included the experimental application of both functional restoration treatments (i.e. prescribed fire at historical intervals) and structural approaches (i.e mechanical thinning to pre-settlement density and species composition). Within that framework, I focused in three unquantified major aspects of southern Ohio forest ecosystems exposed to a quasi-natural disturbance regime: (1) effects on soil microbial communities, (2) possible belowground effects of non-native earthworm species, and (3) impacts on the rates of litter decomposition and subsequent nutrient release. Direct effects of prescribed fire and thinning in soil nutrient dynamics and microbial communities were analyzed three months after the second application of prescribed fire. This short-term analysis was complementary to a series of in-situ, manipulative experiments that evaluated (a) potential effects of non-native earthworm species on N dynamics, as well as changes in soil organic matter and microbial communities within the FFS experimental design, and (b) litterbag incubations of native leaf mixtures and standard litters over more than three years in our study sites, where I evaluated the influence of restoration treatment, leaf litter quality, and landscape position on leaf litter decomposition processes and nutrient release. The major conclusion of my studies is that I did not observe definitive effects of restoration treatments. Rather, a combination of site characteristics and landscape position were responsible for some of the differences observed when comparing unmanaged controls to any of the alternative restoration treatments. I hypothesize that because my studies were performed a short time after the application of such treatments, and only considered two applications of prescribed fire and one thinning event, it is not possible to separate larger scale factors (e.g. topography and climate) determining nutrient dynamics in the area from any effects that could result from restoration treatments. Consequently, further applications of prescribed fire, thinning, and/or their combination are strongly recommended for the region.
Raph Boerner, PhD (Advisor)
Clive Edwards, PhD (Committee Member)
Robert Klips, PhD (Committee Member)
David Stetson, PhD (Committee Member)
Mac Callaham, Jr/PhD (Committee Member)
Ecology; Forestry
fire; exotic earthworms; plant litter decomposition; terrestrial ecosystems; hardwood forests; restoration ecology; nutrient dynamics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Giai, C. (2009). Fire, Exotic Earthworms and Plant Litter Decomposition in the Landscape Context [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1236626931

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Giai, Carla. Fire, Exotic Earthworms and Plant Litter Decomposition in the Landscape Context. 2009. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1236626931.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Giai, Carla. "Fire, Exotic Earthworms and Plant Litter Decomposition in the Landscape Context." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1236626931

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.