Water potential of forest duff and its possible relationship to regeneration success in the northern Rocky Mountains

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Abstract
Organic material moisture characteristic curves (water potential versus moisture content) from the literature are compared with field observations of duff moisture content through the summer of 1981. The field site was a seed-tree harvest in a subalpine fir – menziesia habitat type (1830 m elevation; north aspect; 30° slope). It may be inferred that duff water potentials reached −1.5 MPa early in July and may have exceeded −100 MPa in August, that duff moisture was unavailable for regeneration through the end of September, and that seedling mortality would be extensive. The severity and duration of extreme duff water potentials would have even greater impact on regeneration success on lower elevation, higher energy sites.

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