Scientific Background for Soil Monitoring on National Forests and Rangelands. Workshop Proceedings, April 29-30, 2008, Denver, Colorado

摘要

This workshop was developed to determine the state-of-the-science for soil monitoring on National Forests and Rangelands. We asked international experts in the field of soil monitoring, soil monitoring indicators, and basic forest soil properties to describe the limits of our knowledge and the ongoing studies that are providing new information. This workshop and the proceedings are particularly important as National Forests wrestle with determining how (or if) to modify their existing soil quality standards and guidelines. Some fundamental properties of soils that pertain to the concept of soil quality are discussed including a discussion of what can and cannot be changed with management. Case studies showing the effects of N-fixing vegetation and N-enrichment effects on invasive species are provided to illustrate the complications that may arise from applying one soil quality standard to all cases. Finally, the nitrogen problem is discussed: nitrogen is the most frequently growth-limiting nutrient and yet it is also the nutrient that is often the most problematic to manage without causing deleterious effects on the availability of other nutrients and water quality