The effects of combined throughfall reduction and snow removal on soil physical properties across a drainage gradient in aspen forests of northern Minnesota, USA

Anna B. Stockstad, Robert A. Slesak, Alan J. Toczydlowski, Charles R. Blinn, Randall K. Kolka, Stephen D. Sebestyen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Climate change is projected to alter precipitation patterns across northern latitudes, with decreased snow accumulation and summer rainfall predicted. These changes may alter soil physical properties such as soil strength, which would have implications for the feasibility of forest management activities. Reductions in summer and winter precipitation were simulated using a paired-plot design with throughfall reduction and snow removal as treatments across four soil drainage classes (well, moderately well, somewhat poor, and poorly drained) at each of three locations in northern Minnesota, USA. Snow removal caused large reductions in soil temperature and significantly deeper penetration of frost that varied by drainage class, where frost depth decreased with decreasing (wetter) drainage. There was a positive relationship between air freezing index and frost depth, where the rate of frost development was much higher in the snow removal treatment compared to the control (r2 of treatment = 0.8, slope = 0.093, p < 0.001; r2 of control = 0.18, slope = 0.012, p < 0.001). Throughfall reduction had limited effects on soil water content (SWC) and inconsistent effects on soil strength; relationships between SWC and strength were positive, negative, or non-existent. Based on these findings, changes in soil physical properties with altered precipitation are likely to manifest primarily in winter. Drainage class and air freezing index may be used to predict when sufficient soil frost is present for forest management activities to occur without detrimental effects to soil functions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number120538
JournalForest Ecology and Management
Volume524
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 15 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The authors thank everyone who has helped with snow removal at the sites: Alexis Grinde, Steve Kolbe, Stephen Nelson, Ryan Steiner (UMD Natural Resources Research Institute); Anne Gapinski, Gwen Keller (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities); and Katy Johnson (USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station). We thank Jacob Burdick at the Marcell Research Center for lodging (USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station). Participation of all Forest Service personnel was funded by the Northern Research Station and Pacific Northwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. We also thank Hannah Friesen for assistance with snow removal and statistical analyses/code.

Funding Information:
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The authors thank everyone who has helped with snow removal at the sites: Alexis Grinde, Steve Kolbe, Stephen Nelson, Ryan Steiner (UMD Natural Resources Research Institute); Anne Gapinski, Gwen Keller (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities); and Katy Johnson (USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station). We thank Jacob Burdick at the Marcell Research Center for lodging (USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station). Participation of all Forest Service personnel was funded by the Northern Research Station and Pacific Northwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. We also thank Hannah Friesen for assistance with snow removal and statistical analyses/code.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The effects of combined throughfall reduction and snow removal on soil physical properties across a drainage gradient in aspen forests of northern Minnesota, USA'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this