Needle nutrient status of Sirococcus shoot blight‐diseased and healthy Norway spruces

In this study the needle nutrient status of Sirococcus shoot blight‐diseased and healthy Norway spruces (Picea abies) was investigated. Element contents were determined in the current year and 3‐year‐old needles collected in December 2000 from 72 mature trees randomly distributed in the investigated stand. Half of the trees were severely affected by Sirococcus conigenus and had a reduced crown whereas the other trees were unaffected and vigorous. Compared with the uninfected trees, contents of Mg, Ca, P and Mn were significantly lower in the current year and 3‐year‐old needles of diseased trees. Furthermore, analyses of the nutrient contents of needles from severely affected trees revealed insufficient Mg and Ca supply and enhanced N/Mg and N/Ca ratios, when compared with threshold values. The results of this study suggest that imbalanced tree nutrition either has a significant impact on the expression of Sirococcus disease symptoms or fungal infection itself is affecting needle nutrient contents.     

Effects of vitality fertilization on the growth of Heterobasidion annosum in Norway spruce roots

The effects of vitality fertilization on the growth of Heterobasidion annosum in roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies) were studied in a 53-year-old, naturally regenerated spruce stand in southern Finland. The fertilizer treatments were: (1), unfertilized control; (2), a compound fertilizer containing P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Zn and B; (3), as 2 with additional nitrogen; (4), as 3 with additional lime; and (5), a mixture composed on the basis of needle analysis, containing N, P, K and Cu. Three growing seasons after fertilization, four roots of eight trees in each treatment were inoculated with four different strains of H. annosum. Spread of the fungus from the inoculation point was determined after 12 months. Mean spread rates upwards in roots were 18.2, 25.6, 21.3, 26.0 and 29.8 cm/year in treatments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. These results suggest a tendency towards faster growth by H. annosum in fertilized trees. However, there was considerable variation in fungal growth at both the tree and root level and differences between treatments were not statistically significant.     

Temporal variation in nutrient concentrations of Pinus sylvestris needles

Temporal variation in nutrient concentrations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles was studied during a three‐year period in three stands of differing stages of development. Concentrations of N, P and K varied significantly between years; this variation was related to differences in needle dry weight. Concentrations of all measured nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, B) and Al varied between seasons; this variation was related to nutrient mobility and the annual physiological cycle. Concentrations of the mobile nutrients N, P and K decreased in spring and early summer during shoot and needle elongation and increased in late summer and autumn during needle senescence and litterfall. Concentrations of Mg, Cu, Zn and B followed somewhat similar patterns. The poorly mobile nutrients Ca, Mn and Fe accumulated gradually in needles during each growing season. Needle nutrient concentrations were stable during the nonactive period.     

Effect of soil chemical properties on growth,foliation and nutrition of Norway spruce stand affected by yellowing in the Bohemian Forest Mts., Czech Republic

In 1998, a fertilizer experiment aiming to investigate the effects of slow-release N, P, K and Mg fertilizer (SILVAMIX Mg NPK^®) on a 60-year-old spruce stand with symptoms of yellowing was established. In this paper, trees were selected to investigate the relation between annual diameter increment, yellowing, foliation, needle and soil chemical properties: ten from the fertilized treatment (F), ten green trees from the control (CG) and ten yellow trees from the control (CY). CG and CY trees were growing in close proximity at a distance of only several meters apart under the same soil conditions. In treatment F, increased annual diameter increment, improved foliation, needle Mg concentration, plant-available Mg and P concentrations in the soil and absence of yellow trees were recorded 7 years after a single application of the fertilizer. During the last 15 years, annual growth increment and foliation of CY trees have continuously decreased while relatively stable values were recorded for CG trees and increased for F trees. In 2006, CG and CY trees differed significantly in Mg concentration in needles, foliation, yellowing and annual diameter increment. Although differences in soil chemical properties between CG and CY treatments were not significant, lower concentrations of plant-available Mg²⁺ and higher concentrations of H⁺ and Al³⁺ were found in soils under CY trees. There was a negative correlation between soil concentration of Mg and yellowing, but this correlation was relatively weak, indicating that there is no simple relation between soil and needle concentrations of Mg. In the investigated locality, the “new type” of yellow tree decline has been a long-term gradual process.     

Nutrient retranslocation from the fine roots of Fraxinus mandshurica and Larix olgensis in northeastern China

Nutrient retranslocation in trees is important in nutrient budgets and energy flows in forest ecosystems. We investigated nutrient retranslocation in the fine roots of a Manchurian Ash(Fraxinus mandshurica) and a Larch(Larix olgensis) plantation in northeastern China. Nutrient retranslocation in the fine roots was investigated using three methods, specifically, nutrient concentration, the ratio of Ca to other elements(Ca/other elements ratio) and nutrient content. The method based on nutrient content proved most suitable when investigating nutrient retranslocation from fine roots of the two species. The nutrient-content-based method showed that there were retranslocations of N, P, K and Mg from the fine roots of Manchurian Ash, with retranslocation efficiencies of 13,25, 65, and 38 %, respectively, whereas there were no Ca retranslocations. There were retranslocations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg from the fine roots of Larch, with retranslocation efficiencies of 31, 40, 52, 23 and 25 %, respectively.     

Effects of thinning on nutrient content pools in two Pinus sylvestris forests in the western Pyrenees

Abstract

Nutrient content [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg)] in needles, branches and stems before (P0, not thinned) and after thinning (P20 and P30, 20% and 30% of basal area removed, respectively) was studied in 37- and 32-year-old Pinus sylvestris L. forests in the western Pyrenees: Garde and Aspurz. Thinning significantly decreased all nutrient pools in P20 and P30 relative to P0 on both sites, but no significant differences were found between P20 and P30 owing to low statistical power. Thinning increased the differences between the two forests for total above-ground content of P and Mg, and for the content of N, P and K in the 1999 needles cohort. The former result was due in part to the higher concentration of P (needles and branches) and Mg (needles) in Garde. Therefore, the importance of needles relative to the other nutrient pools increased for N and P after thinning. This may have resulted from the fact that the removal of dead trees with low needle biomass was greater in Garde than in Aspurz. Based on the percentage of basal area removed, nutrient removal in Garde for P30 was higher than expected, apparently owing to an increase in branch removal relative to P20. These results indicate that effects of thinning on nutrient pools were influenced by differences in stand structure and nutrient tissue concentrations between sites.     

Influence of fertilizer timing on seasonal nutrient uptake and dry-matter production by young Pinus radiata in southern western Australia

Seasonal changes in above ground dry-matter, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) accumulation were measured following application of N and P in autumn or spring to 1-year-old Pinus radiata (D. Don). Dry-matter production and nutrient accumulation were measured eight times over two years following fertilization.

All trees produced dry-matter throughout the year, but during the summer, fertilized trees produced more dry-matter than unfertilized trees. In contrast to dry-matter production, nutrient accumulation showed a distinctly seasonal pattern with maximum accumulation of N and P occurring in winter and spring, when rainfall and soil moisture were highest. Accumulation of N and P either slowed markedly or ceased during summer depending on fertilizer treatment. Continued dry-matter production during summer, when nutrient accumulation was low, resulted in the decline of N and P concentrations in needles, branches and stems of all trees. This indicated that nutrients required for new growth during summer were mobilized from existing foliage and wood. Fertilization increased the concentrations of N and P in foliage and wood, and these higher concentrations persisted through summer. Spring fertilization increased N accumulation to a greater extent than autumn fertilization, this effect lasting two years. The greater dry-matter production by fertilized trees during summer indicated that growth during summer was limited by nutrient supply.     

Effects of silvicultural treatments and seasonal patterns on foliar nutrients in young post-fire Pinus halepensis forest stands

Tree growth and health status appear to be related to foliar nutrient contents. Foliar nutrient concentration might be the result of a complex interaction between soil nutrients and effective availability caused by climate, water and other site and treatment effects. This study examines foliar macronutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and organic C concentrations in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) needles (between 5 and 18 months old), as well as time course variability (nine dates, from July 1999 to November 2001). Variability was assessed depending on quality site (two sites, Yeste and Calasparra; SE Spain) and seven silvicultural treatments including thinning, scrubbing, pruning and particular combinations of them. Foliar macronutrient concentrations for Aleppo pine in South-eastern Spain were slightly lower (N, P, K,) or higher (Mg, Ca) than the considered as adequate ranges for Aleppo pine and Pinus genera. However, our results agree well with other normal ranges reported for Aleppo pine in Spain and for other North American Pinus species such as P. elliottii, P. taeda and P. palustris. Site, treatment and date (season) affected significantly the foliar macronutrient and C concentration, although the most important was the date, likely due to the two growth periods per year that Aleppo pine has in Mediterranean sites. Silvicultural treatments affected foliar nutrient concentration, so that the concentrations of N, P and K were higher when treatments included thinning than those that did not. The contrary was true for Mg and Ca. However, treatments did not affect the time course of the concentration, i.e., seasonality was not broken due to treatments. Moreover, the effect of the treatments was markedly high along the first year after they were applied but the differences were attenuate 2 years later. Site affected the time course of N, K, Mg and C in a different way: while for N, K and C, at the end of study period, they were higher in Calasparra than in Yeste, for Mg the contrary was true. Nutrient ratios had a different behaviour regarding to single nutrient: although date was significant, we did not appreciate seasonality. In addition, some nutrient ratios were not affected by treatments (N/P, N/K, Ca/Mg,) or by site (N/Ca, K/Ca). Average foliar N concentration and Ca/Mg ratio explained significantly the mean diameter and height growth, so that higher is the foliar N concentration and lower is Ca/Mg, higher is the growth.     

Carbon assimilation and nitrogen in needles of fertilized and unfertilized field-grown Scots pine at natural and elevated concentrations of CO2

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on carbon assimilation and needle biochemistry of fertilized and unfertilized 25-30-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees were studied in a branch bag experiment set up in a naturally regenerated stand. In each tree, one branch was enclosed in a bag supplied with ambient [CO2] (360 micromol mol(-1)), a second branch was enclosed in a bag supplied with elevated [CO2] (680 micromol(-1)) and a control branch was left unbagged. The CO2 treatments were applied from April 15 to September 15, starting in 1993 for unfertilized trees and in 1994 for fertilized trees, which were treated with N in June 1994. Net photosynthesis, amount and activity of Rubisco, N, starch, C:N ratio and SLA of needles were measured during the growing season of 1995. Light-saturated net photosynthetic rates of 1-year-old and current-year shoots measured at ambient [CO2] were not affected by growth [CO2] or N fertilization. Elevated [CO2] reduced the amount and activity of Rubisco, and the relative proportion of Rubisco to soluble proteins and N in needles of unfertilized trees. Elevated [CO2] also reduced the chlorophyll concentration (fresh weight basis) of needles of unfertilized trees. Soluble protein concentration of needles was not affected by growth [CO2]. Elevated [CO2] decreased the Rubisco:chlorophyll ratio in unfertilized and fertilized trees. Starch concentration was significantly increased at elevated [CO2] only in 1-year-old needles of fertilized trees. Elevated [CO2] reduced needle N concentration on a dry weight or structural basis (dry weight minus starch) in unfertilized trees, resulting in an increase in needle C:N ratio. Fertilization had no effect on soluble protein, chlorophyll, Rubisco or N concentration of needles. The decrease in the relative proportions of Rubisco and N concentration in needles of unfertilized trees at elevated [CO2] indicates reallocation of N resources away from Rubisco to nonphotosynthetic processes in other plant parts. Acclimation occurred in a single branch exposed to high [CO2], despite the large sink of the tree. The responses of 1-year-old and current-year needles to elevation of growth [CO2] were similar.     

杨树刺槐混交林细根养分动态研究

对两树种细根在北京市潮白河沿河沙地加拿大杨 (2 7a生 )刺槐 (2 2a生 )混交林中的分解情况进行了研究 ,从细根养分循环角度探索了两树种混交协调生长的机理。结果表明 :(1)加拿大杨和刺槐林木细根的分解特点不同 ,杨树细根在分解前期的N、Ca、Mg元素浓度逐渐升高 ,P、K元素浓度则逐渐降低。刺槐细根分解过程中N、P、K元素浓度逐渐降低 ,杨树刺槐混交林细根混合分解中各元素含量变化介于两树种细根单独分解之间 ;(2 )细根的N、K、Mg年归还量以刺槐纯根最大 ,两树种混根次之 ,杨树纯根最小 ;(3)混交林中N素归还量的增加有利于改善杨树的N素状况 ,杨树细根的P素归还量大于刺槐细根 ,有利于改善刺槐的P素营养 ,混交林杨树与刺槐在细根N、P养分方面形成协调互补的关系     

Nutrient concentrations in roots, leaves and wood of seedling and mature sugar maple and American beech at two contrasting sites

Differences in sensitivity to soil conditions across tree species and developmental stage are important to predicting forest response to environmental change. This study was conducted to compare elemental concentrations in leaves, stems, and roots of (1) sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings vs. mature trees and (2) mature sugar maple vs. mature American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) in two sites that differ in soil base saturation and pH. Both sites are located in Huntington Forest, NY, USA; one site (hereafter ‘H’) has higher soil pH and Ca, Mg, and Mn concentrations than the other site (hereafter ‘L’). Sugar maple growth at H (14.8 cm² year⁻¹ per tree) was much greater than at L (8.6 cm² year⁻¹ per tree), but the growth of beech was not different between the two sites. Leaves, roots, and stem wood of mature beech trees and sugar maple seedlings and mature trees were sampled for nutrient analysis. Foliar Ca, K, and Al concentrations were positively correlated with soil elements, but Mn concentrations were negatively correlated. Sugar maple differed more than beech between sites in foliar K and Mn concentrations. Root Mg and P concentrations reflected soil chemistry differences, in contrast to foliar concentrations of Mg and P, which were indistinguishable between the sites. In sugar maple, seedlings differed more than in mature trees in nutrient concentrations in roots, especially for Mg and Mn. Although beech was not as responsive to nutrient availability as sugar maple in foliar and root nutrient concentrations, Ca and Mg concentrations in beech wood were higher in H (52% higher for Ca and 68% higher for Mg), while sugar maple did not differ between sites. Sugar maple regeneration failure on acidic soils in the same region is consistent with our finding that sugar maple seedlings were very sensitive to nutrient availability. This sensitivity could ultimately contribute to the replacement of sugar maple by American beech in regions of low pH and base cations if base cation leaching by anthropogenic deposition and tree harvesting continues.     

Nutrient retranslocation from the fine roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fraxinus mandshurica</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix olgensis</Emphasis> in northeastern China

Nutrient retranslocation in trees is important in nutrient budgets and energy flows in forest ecosystems. We investigated nutrient retranslocation in the fine roots of a Manchurian Ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) and a Larch (Larix olgensis) plantation in northeastern China. Nutrient retranslocation in the fine roots was investigated using three methods, specifically, nutrient concentration, the ratio of Ca to other elements (Ca/other elements ratio) and nutrient content. The method based on nutrient content proved most suitable when investigating nutrient retranslocation from fine roots of the two species. The nutrient-content-based method showed that there were retranslocations of N, P, K and Mg from the fine roots of Manchurian Ash, with retranslocation efficiencies of 13, 25, 65, and 38 %, respectively, whereas there were no Ca retranslocations. There were retranslocations of N, P, K, Ca and Mg from the fine roots of Larch, with retranslocation efficiencies of 31, 40, 52, 23 and 25 %, respectively.     

Nutrient Dynamics of Fine Roots in the Mixed Plantation of Poplar and Black Locust

The mixed plantation of poplar (Populus spp.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is one of the typical mixed stands with nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing species. Interaction between the two species in the mixed stand is harmonious and productivity is high, making this kind of mixed plantation a very successful pattern on poor sandy sites in north China. In this study, the fine root decomposition of the two species was investigated in the mixed plantation of 27-year-old Canadian poplar (P. canadansis) and 22-year-old black locust on sandy sites along the Chaobai River in Beijing. Mechanism of harmonious interaction between the two species was observed in the view of the nutrient cycle of fine roots. Results showed that: (1) the fine root decomposition of Canadian poplar and black locust trees was different. Concentrations of N, Ca and Mg gradually increased and those of P and K gradually decreased in the fine roots of poplar during the period of decomposition. Concentrations of N, P and K gradually decreased in the fine roots of black locust during decomposition. The speed of nutrient decomposition in mixed fine roots of the two species fell between the speed of the two pure samples. (2) During decomposition, the annual return amount of N, K and Mg in fine roots of black locust was highest, followed by the mixed fine roots of the two species, and then the fine roots of poplar. (3) The increased return amount of N in mixed fine roots could improve the N nutrient condition of poplar trees. The return amount of P in poplar fine roots was greater than that of black locust, which could improve the P nutrient of black locust trees. The interaction of mutual supplements of N and P nutrient cycle of fine roots between these two species formed. Translated from Scientia Silvae Sinicae, 2004, 4(4) (in Chinese)     

Biomass production,nutrient cycling and distribution in age-sequence Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolate) plantations in subtropical China

Biomass production and nutrient(N, P, K, Ca and Mg) accumulation, distribution and cycling were quantified in young, mature and over-mature(10-, 22-, and34-year old) Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolate(Lamb.) Hook] plantations in southern China. Total stand biomass of young, mature and over-mature stands was 38,104 and 138 t ha-1respectively. Biomass production increased significantly with age. Stem wood represented the highest percentage of stand biomass, accounting for 41,55 and 63 % in the young, mature and over-mature plantations respectively. Nutrients concentration was highest in live needles and branches, and lowest in stem wood. The plantations accumulated more N, followed by K, Ca, Mg,and P. Nutrient return amount, nutrient utilization efficiency, nutrient turnover time, the ratio of nutrient returnand uptake increased with stand age, which implies that young Chinese fir deplete soil nutrients to maintain growth,and efficiently utilize nutrients to decrease dependence on soil nutrients as they age. Harvesting young Chinese fir plantations would therefore lead to high nutrient loss, but prolonging the rotation length could improve soil recovery,and help sustain productivity in the long-term. Improved nutrient return through litterfall as stands get older may also be beneficial to nutrient pool recovery.     

Eucalyptus urophylla root growth, stem sprouting and nutrient supply from the roots and soil

Lack of information concerning root growth of trees limits our knowledge of plant development and fertilizer response. The objective of this work was to study root growth dynamics of an E. urophylla forest after harvesting and the supply of nutrients from the roots and the soil to the new sprouts originating from the stumps. About 7-year-old eucalypt trees were felled and the sprouts and roots were sampled at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 330 days after harvesting. The roots were separated into fine roots (<1 mm), medium roots (1–3 mm), coarse roots (>3 mm), and taproot. Nutrient supply to sprouts from the old roots and the soil was calculated based on the change in nutrient content of the roots with time and accumulation of nutrients in the sprouts. Fine, medium and coarse root biomass increased with time after harvesting. However, the increase was more pronounced with fine roots. Between harvesting and day 60 of the new growth, all nutrients allocated to the sprouts, excluding potassium, were supplied by the soil. K was the nutrient most dependent on root reserves for the initial growth of sprouts. The contribution of the old roots to N, P, Ca, and Mg accumulation in the sprouts increased between day 60 and 120. At 330 days after harvesting, about 9.2, 23.9, and 12.6% of the N, K, and Mg, respectively, that had accumulated in the sprouts were supplied by the roots, while all P and Ca were supplied by the soil.     

Nitrogen forms in bark, wood and foliage of nitrogen-fertilized Pinus sylvestris

Cycling of soluble non-protein N compounds is thought to be indicative of the N-nutritional status of trees. We determined the major N forms in bark, wood and foliage and estimated the dependence of prevalent N forms on N availability in Pinus sylvestris L. trees from northern Sweden. Trees subjected to severe N limitation and trees that had been fertilized with an average 64 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) for 25 years were analyzed. Bark and wood samples were collected by tangentially cryo-sectioning the trunk into 30-microm thick sections, from the bark to the functional xylem. Soluble amino compounds were extracted from the sections for analysis. Sap samples from twigs were obtained by centrifugation, and bark samples from twigs were obtained by tissue extraction. In both needles and bark, arginine dominated the amino-N pool. Because arginine concentrations in needles increased with N fertilization, arginine dominance of the amino-N pool in needles was higher in N-fertilized trees than in control trees. In bark, N fertilization resulted in a large increase in glutamine concentration, so that glutamine accounted for a larger proportion of the amino-N pool in bark in N-fertilized trees than in control trees. Glutamine dominated the amino-N pool in wood of control trees. Nitrogen fertilization resulted in an increased proportion of arginine in the wood amino-N pool. We conclude that the composition of the amino-N pools in bark, wood and foliage is highly sensitive to N supply. The composition of the amino-N pools can contribute to the regulation of tree N-nutritional status, which is mediated by shoot to root signalling by long-distance transport of amino compounds.     

贵州都匀马尾松种子园针叶DRIS营养诊断分析

通过对都匀1．5代无性系种子园20年生马尾松针叶中N、P、K、Ca、Mg、Cu、Zn、Fe、Mn、B等营养元素含量变化的测定和分析,初步筛选出N／P、K／N、Ca／N、Mg／N、N／Cu、zn／N、N／Fe、K／P、Ca／P、P／Mg、P／Cu、P／Zn、Fe／P、K／Ca、K／Mg、K／Cu、K／Zn、Fe／K、Ca／Mg、Ca／Cu、Ca／Zn、Fe／Ca、MgJCu、Zn／Mg、Fe／Mg、Zn／Cu、Fe／Cu、Fe／Zn共28对元素比值为重要参数,对贵州都匀马尾松种子园针叶作DRIS营养诊断分析。结果表明,该地区马尾松针叶内Mn含量过高,平均值为767．01mg／kg,而B含量较低,仅为12．95mg／kg,马尾松的需肥顺序为Cu〉P〉Zn〉Mg〉Ca〉N〉K〉Fe。     

Nutrient retranslocation within the foliage of Pinus sylvestris

During the period 1983-1987, retranslocation of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Fe, B and Al within the foliage of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was studied in sapling, pole-stage and mature stands in eastern Finland. Needle concentrations of the mobile nutrients N, P, and K varied seasonally because of retranslocation. In unfertilized plots, needle contents of N, P and K decreased 62-92% during senescence and needle dry weight decreased 19-51%. In some years, needle contents of Ca, Mn, Zn, Fe, B and Al increased during senescence. Retranslocation was more efficient from needles with greater dry weight. In the fertilized, pole-stage stand, needle dry weight did not decrease at senescence four years after fertilization and nutrient content decreased less than in the other years. In the mature stand, there were no clear differences in needle dry weight and nutrient changes during senescence between years or between unfertilized and fertilized plots.     

Allometry, biomass, and chemical content of Novel African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) Forests in Puerto Rico

The African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata, the most common tree in Puerto Rico, forms novel forest types with mixtures of native and other introduced tree species. Novel forests increase in area in response to human activity and there is no information about their biomass accumulation and nutrient cycling. We established allometric relationships and chemically analyzed plant parts of African tulip trees to determine the concentration and standing stock of chemical elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Mn, Al, Fe, Na), and ash. Trees ranged in diameter at breast height from 8 to 85 cm and in height from 8.8 to 28 m. The concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca in leaves of the African tulip tree were similar to those of the native pioneer Cecropia schreberiana and higher than those of mature forest tree species in Puerto Rico. The over bark wood volume of African tulip trees in nine forest stands where it was dominant ranged from 163 to 849 m³/ha. Aboveground biomass ranged from 60 to 296 Mg/ha, and N and P stocks ranged from 190 to 988 and 32 to 137 kg/ha, respectively. Novel forests on abandoned agricultural lands can store more biomass and elements than native and plantation forest stands of similar age.     

华山松针叶中矿质元素含量的地理变异

以１２年生的种源林为取材对象，在１９９１年４月３０日、７月３０日、１０月３０日及１９９２年１月３０日同时采当年和１年生针叶，测定Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｃａ和Ｍｇ浓度。结果表明，除Ｋ外，其它矿质元素浓度种源间存在极显著差异。地理变异呈纬向渐变型。极端温度与元素地理差异有密切关系，并构成主导自然选择压。元素浓度的季节动态与针叶生长节律循环相伴。南、北华山松已分化成两个营养能力显著不同的地理种群，但动态模式基本相似。