Effect of Nitrogen and Composting on Decomposition of Barks from Four Hardwood Species

The decomposition of bark from 4 hardwood species, silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides Marsh.) was determined by measuring the rate and amount of CO2 evolved by microorganisms over a 30 day period. The amount of CO2 evolved from silver maple and hackberry barks was significantly greater then that evolved from cottonwood and sycamore barks. The CO2 evolved from barks of cottonwood and sycamore during decomposition was nearly equal. The addition of 2% N as NH4NO3 to each bark significantly increased the decomposition of all barks except hackberry. Maximum rates of CO2 evolution occurred between 4 and 6 days after initiation of the experiment and decreased after that time. The pH of the barks apparently did not influence decomposition rates. Composting each bark with 1% N as NH4NO3 for 30 days prior to measuring decomposition reduced CO2 evolution 5 fold with no significant differences among the 4 barks.

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