Particle Density of Aspen, Spruce, and Pine Forest Floors in Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Soil particle density (ρ s ), the ratio of the mass of soil solids to the volume of solids, is used to derive such properties as soil porosity and heat capacity, which are critical to understanding and modeling water, energy, and nutrient fluxes through forested landscapes. Values of forest floor ρ s and organic matter particle density (ρ o ) vary widely in the literature, so it is difficult to know which values are appropriate under different circumstances. We measured ρ s , ρ o , bulk density (ρ b ), loss‐on‐ignition (LOI), and total C for a range of forest types in northern Alberta, Canada. Although samples were obtained from a diverse range of forest types, our measured values of forest floor ρ s (1.52–1.60 Mg m −3 ) and calculated values of ρ o (1.41–1.44 Mg m −3 ) showed no statistically significant differences among stand types. The measured values of ρ s and ρ o were greater than many values in the literature, potentially due to differences in measurement methods. Measurements of ρ s should be performed across a range of forest floor and organic soil types to refine our understanding of the variation in this fundamental soil property.