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Fertilization Response by Interior Forests: When, Where, and How Much? Item Info

Interest in tree nutrition and the use of fertilizers in forests of the interior West has grown over the last 20 years. Large-scale fertilizer trials have been established to estimate growth response for Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine. Current research focuses on where and why fertilizer response is obtained and how fertilization interacts with other forest management activities. Nitrogen is the major growth-limiting nutrient in these forests. For Douglas-fir, gross volume growth responses to 224 kg N /ha may average up to 25% during the first six years following fertilization. Similar treatments in ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine have produced a 30% volume response in five and six years, respectively. Response has been shown to vary across parent materials and soil types; it is usually less on sites with high levels of mineralizable nitrogen in the soil, high foliar nitrogen concentrations, or high site index. Good response to nitrogen fertilization has been linked to vegetation control in very young stands and to stocking control in older stands. Nitrogen fertilization may increase mortality rates and the incidence of pest problems. While other nutrients usually do not produce a significant growth response when applied singly, response to nitrogen may be limited by natural or induced deficiencies of other nutrients. Lack of sulfur, boron, or copper can reduce growth response to nitrogen in lodgepole pine; low potassium levels may have a similar effect in Douglas-fir; and addition of other nutrients, primarily sulfur, has increased response to nitrogen in ponderosa pine.

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Title:
Fertilization Response by Interior Forests: When, Where, and How Much?
Creator:
Mika, P.G.; Moore, J.A.; Brockley, R.P.; Powers, R.F.
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1992
Description:
Interest in tree nutrition and the use of fertilizers in forests of the interior West has grown over the last 20 years. Large-scale fertilizer trials have been established to estimate growth response for Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine. Current research focuses on where and why fertilizer response is obtained and how fertilization interacts with other forest management activities. Nitrogen is the major growth-limiting nutrient in these forests. For Douglas-fir, gross volume growth responses to 224 kg N /ha may average up to 25% during the first six years following fertilization. Similar treatments in ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine have produced a 30% volume response in five and six years, respectively. Response has been shown to vary across parent materials and soil types; it is usually less on sites with high levels of mineralizable nitrogen in the soil, high foliar nitrogen concentrations, or high site index. Good response to nitrogen fertilization has been linked to vegetation control in very young stands and to stocking control in older stands. Nitrogen fertilization may increase mortality rates and the incidence of pest problems. While other nutrients usually do not produce a significant growth response when applied singly, response to nitrogen may be limited by natural or induced deficiencies of other nutrients. Lack of sulfur, boron, or copper can reduce growth response to nitrogen in lodgepole pine; low potassium levels may have a similar effect in Douglas-fir; and addition of other nutrients, primarily sulfur, has increased response to nitrogen in ponderosa pine.
Source:
Mika, P.G., J.A. Moore, R.P. Brockley, and R.F. Powers. 1992. Fertilization Response by Interior Forests: When, Where, and How Much? Ch 11 p. 127-142 In Chappell, H.N., G.F. Weetman, R.E. Miller. 1992. Forest Fertilization: Sustaining and Improving Nutrition and Growth of Western Forests. For. Res., Univ. of Washington, Seattle. Inst. of For. Res. Cont. No. 73.
Source Identifier:
Fertlization_Response_by_Interior_Forests_When_Where_and_How_Much_IFTNC_1992
Type:
Text
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application/pdf

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Preferred Citation:
"Fertilization Response by Interior Forests: When, Where, and How Much?", Intermountain Forestry Cooperative, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iftnc/items/iftnc4796.html
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This document is provided by the University of Idaho Library for use by University of Idaho students, staff, and faculty. All rights to the document linked from this metadata belong to the author, rights holder, and/or provider. For more information contact The Intermountain Forestry Cooperative, https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/ifc
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