Effect of colonizing tree species on soil nutrient availability in a clay soil of the boreal mixedwood

Soil nutrient availability was assessed around stems of trembling aspen, white spruce, and paper birch that regenerated after fire 49, 77, and 123 years ago on a clayey soil of the southern boreal forest. For all stand ages, forest floor pH was greater by 0.5 unit under aspen than under other species, while the accumulation of organic matter and nutrients was generally greater in the forest floor of spruce