Skip to main content

Remote Sensing of Litter and Soil Organic Matter Decomposition in Forest Ecosystems

  • Chapter
Remote Sensing of Biosphere Functioning

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 79))

Abstract

Remote sensing is increasingly recognized as an important tool for landscape or regional estimation of ecosystem function, and for determination of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Existing remote sensing systems have been used to monitor the seasonal phenology of standing green biomass and its production on a continental scale (Tucker et al., 1985); to measure changes in forest canopy leaf area index over large environmental gradients (Spanner et al., 1984, Running et al., 1986, Peterson et al., 1987); to track deforestation in tropical regions (Woodwell et al., 1986), and for the detection of ecosystem stress and forest decline (Rock et al., 1986). These approaches have relied on the detection of large structural changes in canopy properties that relate directly to processes controlling net primary productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aber, J.D., and Melillo, J.M. (1980). Litter decomposition: measuring relative contribution of organic matter and nitrogen to forest soils. Canad. J. Bot. 58: 416–421.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aber, J.D., and Melillo, J.M. (1982). Nitrogen immobilization in decaying hardwood leaf litter as a function of initial nitrogen and lignin content. Canad. J. Bot. 60: 2263–2269.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aber, J.D., Melillo, J.M., and Federer, C.A. (1982). Predicting the effects of rotation length, harvest intensity and fertilization on fiber yield from northern hardwood forests in New England. Forest Sci. 28: 31–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg, B., and Agren, G. (1984). Decomposition of needle litter and its organic-chemical components-theory and field experiments. Long-term decomposition in a scots pine forest III. Canad. J. Bot. 62: 2880–2888.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berg, B., Hannus, K., Popoff, T., and Theander, O. (1982). Changes in organic chemical components of needle litter during decomposition. Long term decomposition in a scots pine forest I. Canad. J. Bot. 60: 1310–1319.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coley, P.D., Bryant, J.P., and Chapin, F.S. (1985). Resource availability and plant antiherbivore defense. Science 230: 895–899.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cromack, K. (1973). Litter production and litter decomposition in a mixed hardwood watershed and in a white pine watershed at Coweeta Hydrologic Station, North Carolina. Dissertation, Univ. of Georgia, Athens.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan, P.W., and Van Cleve, K. (1983). Nutrient cycling in relation to decomposition and organic matter quality in taiga ecosystems. Canad. J. Forest Res. 13: 795–817.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fownes, J.H. (1985). Water use and primary production of Wisconsin hardwood forests. Dissertation, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goetz, A.F.H., Vane, G., Solomon, J., and Rock, B.N. (1985). Imaging spectrometry for earth remote sensing. Science 228: 1147–1153.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, W.R., Gilpin, M.E., and Aber, J.D. (1987). Restoration ecology: Ecological restoration as a technique for basic research, pp. 3–22. In W.R. Jordan, M.E. Gilpin, and J.D. Aber (eds.), Restoration Ecology: A Synthetic Approach to Ecological Research. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lennon, J.M., Aber, J.D., and Melillo, J.M. (1985). Primary production and nitrogen allocation of field grown sugar maple in relation to nitrogen availability. Biogeochem. 1: 135–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClaugherty, C.A., and Berg, B. (1987). Cellulose, lignin and nitrogen concentrations as rate regulating factors in late stages of forest litter decomposition. Pedobiologia 30: 101–112.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meentemeyer, V. (1978). Macroclimate and lignin control of litter decomposition rates. Ecology 59: 465–472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meentemeyer, V., and Berg, B. (1986). Regional variation in rate of mass loss of Pinus sylvestris needle litter in Swedish pine forests as influenced by climate and litter quality. Scand. J. Forest Res. 1: 167–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melillo, J.M., and Aber, J.D. (1984). Nutrient immobilization in decaying litter: an example of carbon-nutrient interactions. In: H. Cooley and F. Goley (eds.), Trends in Ecological Research. Plenum, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melillo, J.M., Aber, J.D., Linkins, A.E., Ricca, A., Fry, B., and Nadelhoffer, K.J. (1989). Carbon and nitrogen dynamics along the decay continuum: Plant litter to soil organic matter. Plant and Soil (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Melillo, J.M., Aber, J.D., and Muratore, J.M. (1982). Nitrogen and lignin control of hardwood leaf litter decomposition dynamics. Ecology 63: 621–626.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A.G., Miller, J.D., and Cooper, J.M. (1981). Optimum foliage nitrogen concentration in pine and its change with stand age. Canad. J. Forest Res. 11: 563–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney, H.A., and Gulmon, S.L. (1982). Constraints on leaf structure and function in relation to herbivory. Bio Science 32: 198–206.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nadelhoffer, K.J., Aber, J.D., and Melillo, J.M. (1983). Leaf-litter production and soil organic matter dynamics along a nitrogen mineralization gradient in southern Wisconsin (USA). Canad. J. Forest Res. 13: 12–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadelhoffer, K.J., Aber, J.D., and Melillo, J.M. (1985). Fine root production in relation to total net primary production along a nitrogen availability gradient in temperate forests: A new hypothesis. Ecology 66: 1377–1390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parton, W.J., Stewart, J.W.B., and Cole, C.V. (1988). Dynamics of C, N, P and S in grassland soils: a model. Biogeochem. 5: 109–132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, J., Aber, J.D., McClaugherty, C.A., and Melillo, J.M. (1982). Geology, soils and vegetation of Blackhawk Island, Wisconsin. Amer. Midland Naturalist 108: 266–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, J., Aber, J.D., McClaugherty, C.A., and Melillo, J.M. (1984). Above-ground production and N and P cycling along a nitrogen mineralization gradient on Blackhawk Island, Wisconsin. Ecology 65: 256–268.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor, J., and Post, W.M. (1986). Influence of climate, soil moisture and succession on forest carbon and nitrogen cycles. Biogeochem. 2: 3–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, D.L., Aber, J.D., Matson, P.A., Card, D.H., Swanberg, N., Wessman, C, and Spanner, M. (1988). Remote sensing of forest canopy and leaf biochemical contents. Remote Sens. Envir. 24: 85–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rock, B.N., Vogelmann, J.E., Williams, D.L., Vogelmann, A.F., and Hoshizaki, T. (1986). Remote detection of forest damage. BioScience 36: 439–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Running, S.W., Peterson, D.L., Spanner, M.A., and Teuber, K.B. (1986). Remote sensing of coniferous forest leaf area. Ecology 67: 273–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, D.F., and Bormann, F.H. (1982). Nutrient resorption in northern hardwood forests. BioScience 32: 29–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Safford, L.O., Young, H.E., and Knight, T.W. (1977). Effect of soil and urea fertilization on foliar nutrients and basal area growth of red spruce. Univ. Maine Life Sci. Agric. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. 740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer, M. (1978). Humic substances: Chemistry and reactions, pp. 1–64. In M. Schnitzer and S.U. Khan (eds.). Soil Organic Matter. Elsevier, Oxford, England.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Spanner, M.A., Peterson, D.L., Hall, M.H., Wrigley, R.C. Card, D.H., and Running, S.W. (1984). Atmospheric effects on the remote sensing estimation of forest leaf area index, pp. 1295–1308. In Proc. Eighth International Symposium on Remote sensing of Environment. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spycher, G., Sollins, P., and Rose, S.L. (1983). Carbon and nitrogen in the light fraction of a forest soil: Vertical distribution and seasonal patterns. Soil Sci. 135: 79–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, F.J. (1985). Geochemistry of soil humic substances. In D.M. McKnight (ed.), Humic Substances in Soil, Sediment and Water: Geochemistry, Isolation and Characterization. Wiley, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, C.J., Townshend, J.R.G., and Goff, T.E. (1985). African land-cover classification using satellite data. Science 227: 369–375.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. (1977). Effects of nitrogen availability on nitrogen cycling in a Douglas-fir stand. Forest Sci. 23: 307–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitousek, P.M. (1982). Nutrient cycling and nutrient use efficiency. Amer. Naturalist 119: 553–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weetman, G.F., and Fournier, R.M. (1984). Ten-year growth and nutrition effects of a straw treatment and of repeated fertilization on jack pine. Canad. J. Forest Res. 14: 416–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wessman, C.A, Aber, J.D., and Peterson, D.L. (1987). Estimation of forest canopy characteristics and nitrogen cycling using imaging spectrometery. pp. 114–18. In G. Vane (ed.), Imaging Spectroscopy II, Proceedings of the International Society for Optical Engineering, Vol. 834. San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wessman, C.A., Aber, J.D., Peterson, D.L., and Melillo, J.M. (1988a). Foliar analysis using near infrared spectroscopy. Canad. J. Forest Res. 18: 6–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wessman, C.A., Aber, J.D., Peterson, D.L., and Melillo, J.M. (1988b). Remote sensing of canopy chemistry and nitrogen cycling in temperate forest ecosystems. Nature 335:154–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Aber, J.D., Wessman, C.A., Peterson, D.L., Melillo, J.M., Fownes, J.H. (1990). Remote Sensing of Litter and Soil Organic Matter Decomposition in Forest Ecosystems. In: Hobbs, R.J., Mooney, H.A. (eds) Remote Sensing of Biosphere Functioning. Ecological Studies, vol 79. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3302-2_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3302-2_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7958-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-3302-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics