Canopy soils
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- Work cat.: Cantillo, J. Changing directions : tree hydraulic redistribution from canopy soil, 2020:abstr. (One of the most important and noticeable components of the canopy environment is the large biomass of epiphytes composed of vascular and non-vascular plants (e.g., mosses, lichens and ferns) which accumulates and decompose over time forming what we know as canopy soils. These arboreal soils are important because they provide habitat and can retain water and nutrients for epiphytes and their associated biota) p. 1 (Tree canopies harbor a dynamic ecosystem of diverse species and complex trophic interactions that have been an enigma of the treetops for a long time. The large accumulation and decomposition of organic material such as dead epiphyte detritus and canopy litter form "canopy soils" on top of tree branches that promote formation of adventitious "canopy roots"; Canopy soils are not only considered a significant nutrient source, but also an extensive water store that may be available to the host trees via canopy roots; arboreal soils)
- What are canopy soils?, via Soils matter, get the scoop! blog, viewed Oct. 26, 2020(researchers have found soils in the trees above our heads; such soils are called "canopy soils"; Canopy soils have been found trees from Costa Rica, USA, Chile, Taiwan, Colombia, New Zealand and other forests in the world)
- What are canopy soils?, via Soil Science Society of America website, Oct. 26, 2020(Plants that grow on trees are called epiphytes and can include mosses, ferns, vines, and orchids; dead leaves and needles from the treetops get caught in the epiphytes; the epiphytes themselves have a limited lifespan. All of this organic matter begins to decay. The naturally-occurring microbial life in the trees helps to decompose the organic matter, and eventually, the result is soil; Canopy soils can be found in areas with heavy rainfall, including Costa Rica, USA, Chile, Taiwan, Columbia, and New Zealand. The roots found in this soil include those from the epiphytes as well the host tree itself)
- Wikipedia, Oct. 26, 2020(Canopy soils, also known as arboreal soils, exist in areas of the canopy in a forests where branches, crevices, or some other physical feature on a tree can accumulate organic matter, such as leaves or fine branches. Eventually, this organic matter weathers into some semblance of a soil, and can reach depths of 30 cm in some temperate rainforests; Canopy soils are classified as histosols, which are composed primarily of organic material)
- Soil Science Society of America journal, Mar-Apr. 2006:p. 408 (title: Arboreal histosols in old-growth redwood forest canopies, Northern California; abstr.: Within the canopy of old-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) forests, accumulations of plant debris in crotches and on massive limbs serve as parent materials for "arboreal soils" up to1 m thick and over 50 m above the forest floor. These soils are important habitats and water sources for desiccation-sensitive organisms in the forest canopy ecosystem; arboreal soils can hold large amounts of water and can provide a more continuous moisture supply for epiphytes than the atmosphere or tree surfaces lacking soil accumulations)
- Kerekes, J. Fungi up high : biodiversity and canopy soils, 2014, via MykoWeb website, Oct. 26, 2020(Forest canopies, defined as the sum of all the tree crowns, are among some of the least studied habitats on our planet. But forest canopies are hosts to a variety of biodiversity, including vascular flora and animal biota. Within these forest canopies, primarily in wet tropical forests, organic matter derived from decomposed epiphytic plants and decomposed tree litter accumulates as soil mats within tree branches. This accumulated soil is often referred to as "canopy soil," also known as arboreal soil, aerial soil, crown humus, and canopy organic matter. Canopy soils can also be found in old growth temperate rainforests)
Wikipedia description:
Canopy soils, also known as arboreal soils, exist in areas of the forest canopy where branches, crevices, or some other physical feature on a tree can accumulate organic matter, such as leaves or fine branches. Eventually, this organic matter weathers into some semblance of a soil, and can reach depths of 30 cm in some temperate rainforests. Epiphytes can take root in the canopy soil, which accelerates the development of the soil by adding organic material and physically breaking up material with their root system. The nutrients that become stored within canopy soils can then be utilized by the epiphytes that grow in them, and even the tree that the canopy soil is accumulating in through the growth of canopy roots. This storage allows nutrients to be more closely cycled through an ecosystem, and prevents nutrients from being washed out of the system. The nitrogen cycle is most prevalent in canopy soil ecosystems with regards to the biogeochemical cycles that naturally exist within forest environments. Canopy soils play a role in maintaining the normal functioning of forest ecosystems that they exist in. Canopy soils are acutely vulnerable to climate changes, human disturbances, and other various disturbances that may occur. The decomposition of epiphytic communities due to these factors can impact these soils and their environments negatively.
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