Response of a rising 2-year-old natural Piedmont upland stand to fertilization |
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Authors: | Bryan J Berenguer Jamie L Schuler Daniel J Robison Mathew H Gocke Emrys Treasure |
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Institution: | (1) Hardwood Research Cooperative, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University, Box 8008, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;(2) School of Forest Resources, University of Arkansas, P.O. Box 3468, Monticello, AR 71656, USA |
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Abstract: | Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with little or no silvicultural
intervention in the early stages of stand development. Fertilizer was applied to a young naturally regenerating stand in order
to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient addition as a silvicultural tool in recently clearcut stands and to better understand
the ecological relationships between site fertility and stand development. The study was installed on a rising 2-year-old
naturally regenerated mixed pine-hardwood stand in the Hill Demonstration Forest in the Piedmont region (Durham County) of
North Carolina. Fertilizer treatments were control, N, N + P, and N + P + K (at 200 kg N per ha, 50 kg P per ha and 100 kg K
per ha). On a whole stand basis, increased growth rates were observed for trees on N + P and N + P + K plots. Fertilizer treatments
did not affect total stand density, but the density of loblolly pine significantly decreased in N + P plots compared to the
Control. The density of stems of stump origin also increased in plots receiving N + P. Density of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) significantly increased and hickory (Carya spp.) density decreased with the application of N + P. Dominant hardwood species with the exception of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) responded with an increase in height to only N + P fertilizer treatments. Yellow-poplar increased in groundline diameter,
height and mean tree volume index with the application of N + P. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) responded to N + P + K fertilizer treatment with an increase in height, diameter and volume index over the Control. There
was no growth response among treatments for the 16 largest trees per species per plot, with the exception of red oak (Quercus rubra) which responded with an increase in height in N + P plots. Projected growth responses were modeled on a whole stand level
and indicate that the use of N + P fertilizer may be an effective silvicultural instrument to increase growth, accelerate
stand development, and shorten rotation length. |
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Keywords: | Mixed hardwoods Productivity Composition Regeneration |
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