LB 38-322 - Changes in soil chemical properties following mechanical removal of eastern redcedar

Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is considered a native invader in eastern North America and has expanded rapidly in recent years into open and semi-arid grasslands. This encroachment has led to declines in biodiversity, lowered habitat quality, and has altered nutrient cycling within these ecosystems. Soil chemical properties partly underlie successional trajectories of these plant communities, yet their role in restoration is often overlooked. Here, we tested the relative importance of a common management tool used in restoration – mechanical removal of undesired vegetation – to assess key soil chemical properties following the vegetative clearing of eastern redcedar. Importantly, we compared changes in soil chemical properties on restored landscapes to that of reference grassland ecosystems. Three main findings emerged: (1) soil water potential was less negative in eastern redcedar and remnant sites, but considerably more negative in restored areas. (2) Soil organic matter declined slightly after vegetative clearing of eastern redcedar, though was substantially less than in native or remnant grassland sites. (3) The ratio of carbon-to-nitrogen was three-fold lower in eastern redcedar and restored sites compared to native grassland sites. Taken together, our results indicate that common management interventions in restoration may not alone reestablish soils of target grassland systems on restored sites in the short-term.