Growth, damage and net nitrogen uptake in Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings, effects of site preparation and fertilisation

Abstract

The effects of four different soil treatments and two different fertilising regimes on growth, nitrogen uptake and damage of planted Picea abies seedlings were studied on abandoned farmland in southern Sweden. Intensive site preparation, i.e. deep soil cultivation of the whole plot area, effectively managed to increase seedling growth and reduce seedling damage during establishment. Inversion of the soil profile in patches and field vegetation control with herbicides did not increase seedling growth and survival as effectively as complete deep soil cultivation. but had both higher growth and survival than the untreated control. Seedling nitrogen uptake was higher in the cultivated treatments and nitrogen uptake was positively correlated to fast root development during the first growing season, but the nitrogen uptake was not con-elated to nitrogen net mineralisation. Fertilising increased the amounts of field vegetation. Moreover, seedling damage by voles was correlated to the amount of field vegetation, and seedling damage lowered the seedling growth. The risk for nitrogen leaching is probably higher in complete deep soil cultivation than in other treatments

Published in

Annals of Forest Science
2003, Volume: 60, number: 7, pages: 657-666 Publisher: E D P SCIENCES

SLU Authors

• Nilsson, Urban

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Nordborg, Fredrik

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2003058

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/2995