The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of fertiliser N on C stocks in trees (stems, stumps, branches, needles, and coarse roots) and soils (organic layer +0-10 cm mineral soil) by analysing data from 15 long-term (14-30 years) experiments in Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris stands in Sweden and Finland. Low application rates (30-50 kg N ha À1 year À1 ) were always more efficient per unit of N than high application rates (50-200 kg N ha À1 year À1 ). Addition of a cumulative amount of N of 600-1800 kg N ha À1 resulted in a mean increase in tree and soil C stock of 25 and 11 kg (C sequestered) kg À1 (N added) (''N-use efficiency''), respectively. The corresponding estimates for NPK addition were 38 and 11 kg (C) kg À1 (N). N-use efficiency for C sequestration in trees strongly depended on soil N status and increased from close to zero at C/N 25 in the humus layer up to 40 kg (C) kg À1 (N) at C/N 35 and decreased again to about 20 kg (C) kg À1 (N) at C/N 50 when N only was added.In contrast, addition of NPK resulted in high (40-50 kg (C) kg À1 (N)) N-use efficiency also at Nrich (C/N 25) sites. The great difference in N-use efficiency between addition of NPK and N at Nrich sites reflects a limitation of P and K for tree growth at these sites. N-use efficiency for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration was, on average, 3-4 times lower than for tree C sequestration. However, SOC sequestration was about twice as high at P. abies as at P. sylvestris sites and averaged 13 and 7 kg (C) kg À1 (N), respectively. The strong relation between N-use efficiency and humus C/N ratio was used to evaluate the impact of N deposition on C sequestration. The data imply that the 10 kg N ha À1 year À1 higher deposition in southern Sweden than in northern Sweden for a whole century should have resulted in 2.0 ± 1.0 (95% confidence interval) kg m À2 more tree C and 1.3 ± 0.5 kg m À2 more SOC at P. abies sites in the south than in the north for a 100-year period. These estimates are consistent with differences between south and north in tree C and SOC found by other studies, and 70-80% of the difference in SOC can be explained by different N deposition.
We review the consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services from the industrial-scale extraction of logging residues (tops, branches and stumps from harvested trees and small-diameter trees from thinnings) in managed forests. Logging residue extraction can replace fossil fuels, and thus contribute to climate change mitigation. The additional biomass and nutrients removed, and soils and other structures disturbed, have several potential environmental impacts. To evaluate potential impacts on ecosystem services and biodiversity we reviewed 279 scientific papers that compared logging residue extraction with non-extraction, the majority of which were conducted in Northern Europe and North America. The weight of available evidence indicates that logging residue extraction can have significant negative effects on biodiversity, especially for species naturally adapted to sun-exposed conditions and the large amounts of dead wood that are created by large-scaled forest disturbances. Slash extraction may also pose risks for future biomass production itself, due to the associated loss of nutrients. For water quality, reindeer herding, mammalian game species, berries, and natural heritage the results were complicated by primarily negative but some positive effects, while for recreation and pest control positive effects were more consistent. Further, there are initial negative effects on carbon storage, but these effects are transient and carbon stocks are mostly restored over decadal time perspectives. We summarize ways of decreasing some of the negative effects of logging residue extraction on specific ecosystem services, by changing the categories of residue extracted, and site or forest type targeted for extraction. However, we found that suggested pathways for minimizing adverse outcomes were often in conflict among the ecosystem services assessed. Compensatory measures for logging residue extraction may also be used (e.g. ash recycling, liming, fertilization), though these may also be associated with adverse environmental impacts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.