Plant growth, biomass production and nutrient accumulation by slash/mulch agroforestry systems in tropical hillsides of Colombia

Planted fallow systems under ‘slash and mulch’ management were compared with natural fallow systems at two farms (BM1 and BM2) in the Colombian Andes. The BM1 site was relatively more fertile than the BM2 site. Planted fallow systems evaluated included Calliandra calothyrsus CIAT 20400 (CAL), Indigofera constricta (IND) or Tithonia diversifola (TTH). During each pruning event slashed biomass was weighed, surface-applied to the soil on the same plot and sub-samples taken for chemical analyses. While Indigofera trees consistently showed significantly greater (p < 0.05) plant height and collar diameter than Calliandra trees at both study sites, only collar diameter in Indigofera was significantly affected at all sampling times by differences between BM1 and BM2. After 27 months, TTH presented the greatest cumulative dry weight biomass (37 t ha^–1) and nutrient accumulation in biomass (417.5 kg N ha^–1, 85.3 kg P ha^–1, 928 kg K ha^–1, 299 kg Ca ha^–1 and 127.6 kg Mg ha^–1) among planted fallow systems studied at BM1. Leaf biomass was significantly greater (P < 0.05) for CAL than IND irrespective of site. However, CAL and IND biomass from other plant parts studied and nutrient accumulation were generally similar at BM1 and BM2. At both sites, NAT consistently presented the lowest biomass production and nutrient accumulation among fallow systems. Planted fallows using Calliandra and Indigofera trees had the additional benefit of producing considerable quantities of firewood for household use. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of nurse trees,spacing, and tree species on biomass production in mixed forest plantations

Growing concern about increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and resulting global climate change, has spurred a growing demand for renewable energy. In this study, we hypothesized that a nurse tree crop may provide additional early yields of biomass for fuel, while in the longterm leading to deciduous stands that are believed to better meet the demands for other ecosystem services. Ten different species combinations were planted, with two different stocking densities, at three different sites in Denmark. Significant differences, with regard to biomass production, were observed among the different sites (P?P??1?yr^?1 more biomass. The additional biomass production was similar to what was obtained in stands with conifers only (Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and Japanese larch), which produced 4.9–6.1?t ha^?1yr^?1 more biomass than the pure beech stands. No effects of initial planting density (P?=?.19), or of initial weeding (P?=?.81), on biomass production were observed. Biomass production of the broadleaved crop was in most cases reduced due to competition. However, provided timely thinning of nurse trees, the qualitative development of the trees will allow for long-term timber production.     

Mangrove forest productivity and biomass accumulation in Hinchinbrook Channel,Australia

Data on stand structure and rates of photosynthesis were used to estimate net canopy carbon fixation and carbon accumulation as living biomass in mangrove forests in Hinchinbrook Channel, Australia. Total annual canopy net carbon fixation was estimated to be about 29tCha–1yr–1. This equates to about 204,000tCyr–1 for all mangrove forests in Hinchinbrook Channel. Of this, only about 12% was stored as living plant biomass. Although it is not yet possible to present a robust carbon balance for mangrove trees, the remainder is presumably lost through plant respiration, litter fall, root turnover and exudation of organic compounds from roots.     

Trends in bole biomass accumulation, net primary production and tree mortality in Pseudotsuga menziesii forests of contrasting age

Although it is generally accepted that the rate of accumulation of biomass declines as forests age, little is known about the relative contributions to this decline of changes in net primary production (NPP) and tree mortality. We used 10-15 years of observations of permanent plots in three small watersheds in and near the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, to examine these issues. The three watersheds are of similar elevation and potential productivity and support young (29 years at last measurement), mature (approximately 100 years) and old (approximately 400 years) forest dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. Accumulation of tree bole biomass was greatest in the young stand, reaching approximately 7 Mg ha-1 year-1 in the last measurement interval. Bole biomass accumulation was relatively constant (approximately 4-5 Mg ha-1 year-1) in the mature stand, and there was no net accumulation of bole biomass in the old-forest stand. The NPP of boles increased with time in the young stand, from approximately 3 to approximately 7 Mg ha-1 year-1, but was nearly constant in the mature and old-forest stands, at approximately 6 and 3-4 Mg ha-1 year-1, respectively. Mortality increased slowly in the young stand (from < 0.1 to 0.3 Mg ha-1 year-1), but fluctuated between 1-2 and 2-6 Mg ha-1 year-1 in the mature and old-forest stands, respectively. Thus, declining biomass accumulation with stand age reflects, in approximately equal amounts, both decreasing NPP and increasing mortality.     

Nutrient use efficiency and biomass production of tree species for rotational woodlot systems in semi-arid Morogoro,Tanzania

Frequent nutrient removals accompanying wood and crop harvests from rotational woodlot systems may contribute to declining site productivity and sustainability because of soil nutrient depletion. However, selecting for nutrient-efficient tree species may well sustain productivity under this system. To test this hypothesis, a randomized complete block experiment was adopted to assess effects of five tree species on soil nutrients status, nutrient use efficiency and wood yield in semi-arid Tanzania. After 5 years rotation, top soils under Gliricidia sepium (Jaqua), Acacia polyacantha Willd. and Acacia mangium Willd. were the most fertile with soil organic carbon and exchangeable cation status raised close to those in natural Miombo systems. Soil inorganic N and extractable P levels reached sufficiency levels for subsequent maize culture. Wood productivity in tree fallows averaged three times higher than that of Miombo woodlands indicating the high potential of the woodlot system to supply fuelwood, and consequently relieve harvesting pressures on the natural forests. Acacia crassicarpa A. Cunn. ex Benth. produced the most wood (51 Mg ha⁻¹) at low nutrient “costs” presumably due to high nutrient use efficiency. Wood yield of this species was 42 and 120% greater than that of A. polyacantha and A. nilotica, respectively, but contained comparatively less nutrients (42–60% less for P, K, and Ca). Gliricidia sepium and A. polyacantha returned the largest amount of nutrients through slash at harvests. Of all test species, A. crassicarpa exhibited the most promise to sustain wood production under rotational woodlot systems due to relatively high productivity and low nutrient export at harvest.     

不同林龄杉木林乔木层的养分积累分配特征

为弄清不同林龄杉木人工林的养分积累分配特征,为人工林丰产的经营管理提供科学依据。利用会同杉木林7、11、16、20和25年生时测定的林分乔木层生物量和杉木体内养分含量数据,对7、11、16、20和25年生不同林龄杉木林乔木层的养分积累分配特征进行研究。结果表明:N、P、K、Ca、Mg在同一林龄杉木各器官中的含量均为:树叶>枝>皮>根>干。不同林龄时,同一营养元素在相同器官的含量不一样。林分11年生以前,各器官养分含量随林龄增加而增加,11年生以后则随林龄增加而下降。积累在乔木层的各元素量多少排序是:N>Ca>K>Mg>P,各养分元素积累量随着林龄增加而增加。养分积累量在不同器官分配上:叶>枝>皮>干>根。各器官养分积累量随着林龄的增加而增加,其养分积累增加的速率,皮>干>根>枝>叶。各器官的养分积累量分配比例随林龄变化而变化。研究显示:不同林龄的林分乔木层养分积累和分配主要受不同林龄时生产量、不同器官的生产量和杉木体内养分含量控制,而且杉木生长规律和不同生育阶段对养分的需求也影响养分积累和分配过程。     

Effects of soil temperature on biomass production and allocation in seedlings of four boreal tree species

One-year old seedlings of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) were subject to seven soil temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C) for 4 months. All aspen seedlings, about 40% of jack pine, 20% of white spruce and black spruce survived the 35 °C treatment. The seedlings were harvested at the end of the fourth month to determine biomass and biomass allocation. It was found that soil temperature, species and interactions between soil temperature and species significantly affected root biomass, foliage biomass, stem biomass and total mass of the seedling. The relationship between biomass and soil temperature was modeled using third-order polynomials. The model showed that the optimum soil temperature for total biomass was 22.4, 19.4, 16.0 and 13.7 °C, respectively, for jack pine, aspen, black spruce and white spruce. The optimum soil temperature was higher for leaf than for root in jack pine, aspen and black spruce, but the trend was the opposite for white spruce. Among the species, aspen was the most sensitive to soil temperature: the maximum total biomass for aspen was about 7 times of the minimum value while the corresponding values were only 2.2, 2.4 and 2.3 times, respectively, for black spruce, jack pine and white spruce. Soil temperature did not significantly affect the shoot/root (S/R) ratio, root mass ratio (RMR), leaf mass ratio (LMR), or stem mass ratio (SMR) (P>0.05) with the exception of black spruce which had much higher S/R ratios at low (5 °C) and high (30 °C) soil temperatures. There were significant differences between species in all the above ratios (P<0.05). Aspen and white spruce had the smallest S/R ratio but highest RMR while black spruce had the highest S/R but lowest RMR. Jack pine had the highest LMR but lowest SMR while aspen had the smallest LMR but highest SMR. Both LMR and SMR were significantly higher for black spruce than for white spruce.     

Dry matter production and nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems of mandarin grown in association with Albizia and mixed tree species

A study on dry matter production and nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems of mandarin grown in association with N₂-fixing Albizia and mixed tree species (non-N₂-fixing) was carried out in the Sikkim Himalaya. A site with Albizia was referred asAlbizia-mandarin stand and the other site with mixed tree species as mandarin stand. The stand total biomass, net primary productivity and mandarin fruit production was higher under the influence of Albizia. Agronomic yield of crops remained nearly the same in both the stands. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of different components of Albizia were higher than those of mixed tree species, whereas their back translocation from leaf to branch before abscission was lower inAlbizia. The mandarin-based agroforestry is a highly nutrient-exhaustive system evaluated in terms of nutrient exit through the removal of agronomic yield. This system, under the influence of Albizia, was more productive with faster rates of nutrient cycling. Nutrient use efficiency increased under the influence of Albizia, in contrary to the hypothesis that efficiency should decrease with increasing rate of uptake. The poor nutrient conservation of Albizia, and malleability of nutrient cycling under its influence make it an excellent association which promotes higher availability and faster cycling of nutrients.Albizia should be utilised more extensively in the management of mandarin-based agroforestry systems.     

Functional relationships of nodulation response and biomass production at nursery stages of two fast-growing, leguminousmultipurpose tree species in Bangladesh: Albizia saman and Leucaena leucocephala

This study was carried out to assess the relationship of the status of nodulation （i.e., the number of nodules, their shape and size） in root and biomass production of plant growth parameters （i.e., number of leaves, root and shoot lengths, root biomass and shoot biomass） in Albizia saman and Leucaena leucocephala. The assessment started 60 days after seeding. The study revealed that nodulation response and biomass production in both species showed significant dif- ferences over time （p 〈 0.05） in all variables except in the root-shoot ratio （oven-dry） of L. leucocephala. The study also showed significant differences （p 〈 0.05） in nodule formation and biomass production at the end of the study period be- tween the two species except in the number of nodules and leaves and the green root-shoot ratio. There were strong pos- itive correlations between nodule formation and biomass production, i.e., the number of nodules and the age of plants, the number of nodules and leaves, as well as the number of nodules and biomass （root biomass and shoot biomass） in both species. The results obtained using principal component analysis （PCA） and correlation coefficients of the different characteristics of nodulation and biomass production were similar in both species. The PCA showed that shoot biomass （shoot green weight and shoot oven-dry weight） is positively correlated with PC1 （with an eigenvalue of 7.50） and root length is positively correlated with PC2 （with an eigenvalue of 0.19） in the case of A. saman. In the case of L. leucocephala, the PCA revealed that root biomass （root green weight and root oven-dry weight）, shoot biomass and shoot length are also positively correlated with PC1, while nodule formation and the number of leaves are positively correlated with PC2 （with an eigenvalue PC1 of 6.92 and PC2 of 0.49）.     

Growth,biomass, carbon and nutrient pools in Gmelina arborea established in pure and mixed forest stand production systems in Mexico

New Forests - Melina (Gmelina arborea) is a fast-growing tree species that is widely used throughout the world for various purposes. The aims of this research were to evaluate the biomass...     

Nitrogen accretion in soil and biomass production by three Prosopis species

Trunk circumferences and canopy diameters of Prosopis glandulosa, P. chilensis and P. alba, and soil nitrogen under and between the trees were measured in a seven-year-old plantation at the University of California, Riverside. P. glandulosa had the smallest biomass of the three species. However, the nitrogen concentration of the soil under P. glandulosa was higher than under the other two species. Presumably more nitrogen is cycled through the leaves of this species rather than invested in wood production, where it would be sequestered. The soil nitrogen accumulation under P. glandulosa was significantly higher (total and subsurface) than that measured in soil taken between trees. The soil nitrogen content under P. chilensis and P. alba was not significantly different than that between the trees. These results indicate that the choice of woody legume in an agroforestry system will depend on its intended use. The most efficient nutrient cycling is not necessarily associated with the best biomass production.     

Mycorrhizal dependency of micropropagated argan tree (Argania spinosa): I. Growth and biomass production

The influence of V.A. mycorrhization was studied on two clones of in-vitro micropropagated plantlets ofArgania spinosa, a slow-growing tree of great importance in agroforestry systems in the semi-arid and arid zones of southwestern Morocco. Inoculation increased total shoot length, stem girth and biomass of the plants, when cultivated in controlled conditions with a phosphorus fertilization of 31 mgP·kg^–1 added to a substrate already containing 13.5 mg·kg^–1 available P (Olsen). The positive effect increased with time and, after 6 months, the above-ground dry matter production was 5 to 6 times higher for inoculated plants. The Relative Mycorrhizal Dependency Index, calculated on total dry matter, reached 77–78% at the end of experiment. Calculated on above-ground dry matter, the R.M.D.I. was 81–83%, placing the argan tree among the plants most dependent on mycorrhizal symbiosis. The root/shoot ratio was markedly (40–50%) reduced by inoculation, demonstrating the higher efficiency of a mycorrhizal root system.

---

Résumé L'influence de la mycorhization V.A. a été étudiée chez l'arganier (Argania spinosa), arbre à croissance lente très important pour les systèmes agroforestiers des zones arides et semi-arides du Sud-Ouest marocain. Chez les plantules issues de micropropagation in vitro et cultivées en conditions contrôlées sur un substrat contenant 13.5 mgP·kg^–1 (Olsen) auquel on rajoute 31 mgP·kg^–1 par la fertilisation, l'inoculation accroit la longueur totale des axes, le diamètre au collet et la biomasse des plantes issus de multiplication in vitro. L'effet bénéfique augmente avec le temps et, après 6 mois, la matière sèche des parties aériennes était 5 à 6 fois plus élevée chez les plantes inoculées que chez les témoins non inoculés. L'Indice de Dépendence Mycorhizienne Relative, calculé sur la matière sèche totale, atteint 77–78% à la fin de l'expérience. Calculé sur la matière sèche des seules parties aériennes, l'I.D.M.R. est de 81–83%, situant l'Arganier parmi les plantes les plus dépendantes de la symbiose mycorhizienne. Le rapport racines/parties aériennes est nettement réduit (de 40 à 50%) par l'inoculation, mettant en évidence la meilleure efficacité d'un système racinaire mycorhizé.

     

Agroforestry on alkali soils: Effect on some management practices on initial growth,biomass accumulation and chemical composition of selected tree species

This field study started in July 1982 on a typical alkali soil (Aquic Natrustalf, ESP 99.7) examined the growth responses to some management practices in a unified system planned to establish agroforestry. The planting of 3 salt tolerant tree species with two methods: on flat natural surface (FSPB) without rainwater conservation and on ridges (0.6 m high, 1.5 m at top and 2.5 m at base) having parallel trenches of the same section to store 300 mm of monsoon rainwater; constituted the main plot treatments. The tree planting with and without forage grassDiplachne fusca linn. in the inter-row space and planting in shallow (15 × 60 cm) and deep (15 × 180 cm to cross hard pan) augerholes filled with amendment treated soil (2 kg gypsum, 8 kg FYM, 50 g N, 10 g zinc sulphate and original soil) formed the sub and sub-plot treatments replicated 4 times in a split-split plot design.The mean plant height ofEucalyptus tereticornis smith;Acacia nilotica L; andParkinsonia aculeata L. in 2 years period was 273 and 328, 240 and 240 and 211 and 199 cm respectively with and without rainwater conservation. The corresponding height of the 3 tree species was 314 and 287, 250 and 231 and 207 and 203 cm with and without grass in the inter-row space. Similarly the plant height was 247 and 354, 182 and 298, 172 and 238 in shallow and deep augerholes respectively. The tree height and basal diameter differences with and without rainwater conservation and grass growth remained non-significant but deep augerhole planting was markedly superior to the shallow augerhole planting. The 2 year biomass accumulation also followed the same trend. The grass competed with trees for moisture during hot dry summer months and increased plant mortality particularly in the shallow augerholes and more so on ridges. The plant roots, essentially, remained confined to the amended soil of the augerholes in FSPB but proliferated in the loose soil of ridges or grass and submergence ameliorated surface soil of trenches.Acacia nilotica accumulated low sodium and had the lowest Na:Ca and Na:K ratio. It was found more promising than eucalyptus and parkinsonia as it experienced low mortality and had better chemical constitution to tolerate adverse alkali soil environment. The rainwater conservation system needed further evaluation before drawing final conclusions.     

Colonisation of clearfelled coupes by rainforest tree species from mature mixed forest edges, Tasmania, Australia

Mixed forest, containing a eucalypt overstorey and an understorey of rainforest tree species, accounts for approximately 20% (195,000 ha) of Tasmania's wet eucalypt forest. In wood production areas it is typically clearfelled, burnt and then sown with eucalypt seed. This management removes virtually all standing seed sources within the coupe, so that recolonisation of coupes by rainforest tree species depends largely on seed sources located at the coupe edges. We quantified the influence of mature mixed forest edges on rainforest regeneration following clearfelling by modelling the change in the density of the regeneration of the four dominant rainforest tree species (Nothofagus cunninghamii, Atherosperma moschatum, Phyllocladus aspleniifolius and Eucryphia lucida) with increasing distance from forest edge. We also assessed the influence on rainforest tree regeneration of prevailing wind direction, age of regeneration, characteristics of the mature edge vegetation and of the competing regenerating vegetation within the coupe. Distance from edge and age of coupe were highly significant (p < 0.01) effects in each of the species models. We found that the abundance of regeneration declined with increasing distance from edge for all four rainforest tree species, and with the exception of A. moschatum regeneration, increased with coupe age up to the age of 15 years. The abundance of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida, which are species with restricted seed dispersal, declined most steeply with increasing distance from the edge. A. moschatum, which is a species with the potential for long distance seed dispersal by wind, was more abundant than N. cunninghamii and E. lucida at distances greater than 20 m from coupe edges. More than 500 seedlings ha⁻¹ were present at all distances from coupe edge for P. aspleniifolius, reflecting its capacity to germinate after disturbance from soil-stored and bird-dispersed seed. There were no significant differences in seedling density upwind or downwind of coupe edges, although the potential for dense regeneration of N. cunninghamii and E. lucida and for long distance dispersal of A. moschatum appeared to be greatest downwind of edges. Other variables that significantly affected the abundance of regeneration were the height of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (N. cunninghamii model), the cover of rainforest tree species in the edge vegetation (A. moschatum model) and the cover of competing eucalypt regeneration within the coupe (P. aspleniifolius model). The proportion of rainforest tree species that regenerated vegetatively was small (3.1%). We concluded that management which maintains mature mixed forest edges, or patches of mature forest within coupes, is likely to result in greater levels of rainforest regeneration and a more rapid shift towards pre-harvest composition following logging. We use our results to demonstrate that variable retention harvesting systems, such as aggregated retention or stripfelling, which reduce the distance to rainforest seed source, would result in a greater abundance of rainforest regeneration over a larger proportion of the coupe than current clearfell, burn and sow silviculture.     

Species-specific prediction models to estimate browse production of seven shrub and tree species based on semi-destructive methods in savannah

Browse shrubs and trees, in spite of their significant role in livestock production in arid and semi-arid zones, are often omitted from pasture potential assessments because of the lack of methodology, the difficulty in calculation or method application and because it is usually a long and tedious task. For an accurate estimation of the carrying capacity of rangelands the shrub and tree fodder component has to be taken into account in order to avoid under estimation of the potential phytomass available for browsing. In this study, a semi-destructive method was used to develop fodder prediction equations of seven shrub and tree species based on multiple explanatory variables at four different locations in Burkina Faso (Taffogo, Safané, Nobéré, Dano and Sokouraba). The physical characteristics (explanatory variables) and the leaf weight (response variable) of the plants were measured or calculated and the non collinear explanatory variables correlated with the response variable. More than 50 % of the observed variation in fodder was explained by the basal area and/or the crown cover for all the target species except Ficus sur at Sokouraba and both Acacia seyal and Balanites aegyptiaca at Safané. The prediction equations were species-specific and equations developed for the same species in different sites were different. These results suggest that many local species-specific fodder prediction equations have to be developed to get an accurate fodder prediction in a large scale, and practitioners of rangelands management may be cautious about applying general species-specific prediction equation tables.     

Intensive tree planting facilitates tropical forest biodiversity and biomass accumulation in Kibale National Park, Uganda

The extensive area of degraded tropical land and the calls to conserve forest biodiversity and sequester carbon to offset climate change demonstrate the need to restore forest in the tropics. Deforested land is sometimes replanted with fast-growing trees; however, the consequences of intensive replanting on biomass accumulation or plant and animal diversity are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine how intensive replanting affected tropical forest regeneration and biomass accumulation over ten years. We studied reforested sites in Kibale National Park, Uganda, that were degraded in the 1970s and replanted with five native tree species in 1995. We identified and measured the size of planted versus naturally regenerating trees, and felled and weighed matched trees outside the park to calculate region-specific allometric equations for above-ground tree biomass. The role of shrubs and grasses in facilitating or hindering the establishment of trees was evaluated by correlating observed estimates of percent cover to tree biomass. We found 39 tree species naturally regenerating in the restored area in addition to the five originally planted species. Biomass was much higher for planted (15,675 kg/ha) than naturally regenerated trees (4560 kg/ha), but naturally regenerating tree regrowth was an important element of the landscape. The establishment of tree seedlings initially appeared to be facilitated by shrubs, primarily Acanthus pubescens and the invasive Lantana camara; however, both are expected to hinder tree recruitment in the long-term. Large and small-seeded tree species were found in the replanted area, indicating that bird and mammal dispersers contributed to natural forest restoration. These results demonstrate that intensive replanting can accelerate the natural accumulation of biomass and biodiversity and facilitate the restoration of tropical forest communities. However, the long-term financial costs and ecological benefits of planting and maintaining reforested areas need to be weighed against other potential restoration strategies.     

Biomass and nutrient accumulation in young Prosopis juliflora at Mombasa,Kenya

The biomass of a six-year-old plantation of Prosopis juliflora was determined using simple linear regressions of (y) the tree components: stem (over bark), large branches, small branches and leaves on (x), diameter at the base of the trees. Similar regressions were used to estimate height and volume produced by both stem and large branches. Macronutrient concentrations in the different tree components were determined and multiplied by the appropriate total dry weights to obtain total contents per hectare. The total stem volume (at age 6) was 209 m³/ha and large branch volume was 75 m³/ha. Total biomass was 216 tons/ha. Over 77% of the total biomass was accounted for by stem and large branches. Nevertheless, the leaves plus small branches (making 22.6% of the biomass) contained over 50% of the total pool of the individual nutrients N, P, K and Mg. The implications of this finding on site depletion due to total tree use as fuelwood and folder is discussed.     

Litter production, seasonal pattern and nutrient return in seven natural forests compared with a plantation in southern China

The amount and pattern of litterfall and its nutrient returnwere studied in seven natural forests of Schima superba Gardn.and Champ. (SCS), Castanopsis fabri Hance (CAF), Tsoongiodendronodorum Chun (TSO), Cinnamomum chekiangense Nakai (CIC), Altingiagracilipes Hemsl. (ALG), Castanopsis carlesii (Hemsl.) Hayata(CAC) and Pinus massoniana D. Don (PIM), and compared with thatof an adjacent 29-year-old plantation of Chinese fir (Cunninghamialanceolata Lamb.) (CUL) in Jianou, Fujian, China. Mean annualtotal litterfall over 3 years of observations varied from 4.63Mg ha^–1 in the CUL to 8.85 Mg ha^–1 in the PIM; ofthis litterfall, the leaf contribution ranged from 62 to 73per cent. Litterfall in the CAF, ALG and CAC showed an unimodaldistribution pattern, while for the five other forests, thelitterfall pattern was multi-peak. The rank order of the eightforests, according to nutrient return mass with the exceptionof P, was different from the order when rank was according tototal mass of litterfall. The highest annual N, K and Ca returnsfrom total litterfall were noticed in the TSO, the CAF and theCUL, respectively. The amounts of P and Mg potentially returnedto the soil were the highest in the PIM. The leaf fraction providedgreater potential returns of N, P, K, Ca and Mg to the soilthan other litter fractions. The results of this study demonstratethat natural forests have a greater capability for maintainingsite productivity than the monoculture coniferous plantation,due to higher amount of above-ground litter coupled with greaternutrient returns; therefore conservation of natural forestsis recommended as a practical measure in forest management torealize sustainable development of forestry in mountainous areasof southern China.     

Manipulating nutrient and water availability in a maritime pine plantation: effects on growth, production, and biomass allocation at canopy closure

? We present here the results of a water and nutrient manipulation experiment in a five-year-old plantation of maritime pine in south-western France.

? Water and nutrient levels were manipulated in a factorial design with two levels of irrigation (control receiving only rainfall (C) and irrigated (I)) and three levels of fertilisation (control with no added nutrients (C), P-only (P) and annual addition of a complete nutrient mix (F)) in order to quantify growth limitations of plantation forest in this particular area.

? The treatments applied during five years increased aboveground biomass annual increment by 4% (I) to 58% (IF) with respect to the control (C). The fertilised plots had a slightly non-significant lower root-to-shoot ratio. The effect of irrigation was maximal in 2002, resulting in 6%, 7% and 12% higher growth rate on the F, C and P plots, respectively. A windstorm disturbed the experiment in 1999 and has affected preferentially the fertilised plots, with IF plots displaying 60% damage.

? The higher growth rate of fertilised and irrigated plots was attributed to both an increase (estimated at 5 to 15%) in the amount of light absorbed by the canopy, and an increase (estimated at 26% for IF plots) in the amount of above-ground biomass produced annually per unit leaf area.