ABSTRACT
Forested ecosystems of the upper Great Lakes represent an extremely important natural resource for the region and the nation. They are the headwaters of the largest freshwater lake system in the world and harbour some of the most productive forest lands in North America. Extensive wetlands are interspersed through these forest types and are a key component to habitat, freshwater resources, and forest product values of the region. A major obstacle to address regulatory and conservation policy, as well as development of “Best Management Practices” on forest wetlands in this region, is a lack of information on basic functional processes and how forest management activities affect those processes. The loss of K on the whole-tree harvested and trench treatments was due primarily to reductions in the forest floor, since there was no difference in extractable K among those treatments in the mineral soil.
