Biomass and Nutrients in Aboveground Vegetation and Soils of Florida Oak-saw Palmetto Scrub
Schmalzer PA and Hinkle CR. 1996. Biomass and Nutrients in Aboveground Vegetation and Soils of Florida Oak-saw Palmetto Scrub. Castanea. 61(2):168-193
Aboveground biomass was sampled in four stands of oak-saw palmetto scrub vegetation that were 2,4,8, and 25 years since the previous fire by harvesting 1 m2 plots. The samples were analyzed for major nutrients. The sampling plots were dominated by myrtle (Quercus myrtifolia), sand live oaks (Quercus geminata), Chapman oaks (Quercus chapmanii), rusty lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea) and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). Live aboveground biomass increased with time since the fire. Litter biomass increased for eight years after the fire. Standing dead biomass was an important component of aboveground biomass through the time sequence. Aboveground saw palmetto rhizomes were a major biomass category. Nutrient concentrations in live aboveground biomass did not appear to change with time since fire and were similar to those in other shrublands. Biomass pools of major nutrients frequently exceeded those in the soil. Retention of nutrients in soils and regrowing vegetation after fire may be important to the persistence of scrub on low nutrient soils.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Schmalzer, Paul; Hinkle, C
- Units
- CANA
- Keywords
- Biomass, Chapman oak ( Quercus chapmanii), myrtle ( Quercus myrtifolia), Plant Studies, rusty lyonia ( Lyonia ferruginea), sand live oak ( Quercus geminata), saw palmetto(Serenoa repens), Soil, Vegetation