Fifty-four plots of young Pinus radiata D. Don plantations on abandoned agricultural land in Galicia (northwest Spain) were selected for nutritional diagnosis. Nutritional status was assessed by foliar analysis using the critical levels method. The relationships between foliar nutrient concentrations and the plantation's growth and survival and the topsoil physical and chemical properties were also analyzed. The most common deficiencies among plots were P and Mg. Foliar N concentrations were relatively high and generally they were above the critical level. Foliar N:P, N:K and N:Mg ratios were significantly unbalanced in 31, 44 and 17 out of 54 studied plots. Foliar P levels were significantly higher on sites with previous herbaceous land use and on soils with a finer texture, whereas foliar Mg levels were higher at low altitudes. Foliar nutrient levels were not significantly correlated with their respective soil levels except in the case of K. Foliar Ca and Mg concentrations correlated positively with topsoil pH. Growth correlated positively with foliar K and Mg concentrations and negatively with foliar N:P, N:K and N:Mg ratios. Percentage of dead and poor state plants were negatively correlated with foliar P, K and Ca levels and positively correlated with foliar N:P and N:Mg ratios. These results suggested that nitrogen may be in excess and may condition the uptake of other nutrients. Foliar N level was considered as an unfavorable parameter whereas foliar P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations were considered as favorable parameters for P. radiata establishment in Galicia.

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Aim of the study: To analyse the decline in aged holm oak coppice forests as regards above-ground and below-ground fractions and physiological features.Area of study: Centre of the Iberian Peninsula (Guadalajara province). Material and methods: 26 pairs of holm oak stools with different vigour but with similar site and structural characteristics within each pair were selected. Morphological (basal area, number of stools, maximum height) and physiological traits (leaf water potential, stomatal conductance) of the standing stools were assessed. Their aerial and underground parts were extracted and different size fractions of both their above and below-ground biomass were quantified. Linear mixed models were built to test the effect of 'Stool vigour' on the mean behaviour of the measured variables. Additionally, for the aerial part, linear regressions between the weights of the different size fractions and the basal area at breast height were performed using 'Stool vigour' as a fixed factor.Main results: For the same site, root depth, and number and diameter of shoots than good vigour stools, poor vigour stools displayed: lower predawn water potential, greater leaf mass per unit of area; lower total leaf area; lower above-ground biomass (in total as well as per fractions); lower fine roots biomass; lower proportion of leaf biomass and a greater proportion of biomass of both all roots and those with diameter 2-7 cm.Research highlights: The above-ground physiological and morphological characteristics of declined stools are interpreted as poorer adaptation to site conditions. Root system architecture was found to be relevant to explain this behaviour.Additional keywords: decay; stool; above-ground biomass; below-ground biomass; drought; global change.

Aim of study: We introduce the software ModERFoRest (Modelling Environmental Requirements for Forest Restoration), which is a tool to estimate the environmental requirements and environmental performance of the main forest tree species growing in Spain. Area of study: Two of their modules have been developed to be applied mainly in Spain, but the main section can be used elsewhere as long as the user provides with presence data and environmental information. Material and methods: ModERFoRest has been programmed in C++, also using the Armadillo library for algebraic computation. The application can be downloaded from the INIA website (https://www.inia.es/serviciosyrecursos/recursosinformaticos/modernforest/Paginas/ModERFoRest.aspx) where there are also more accessible resources (currently only in Spanish language). Main results: ModERFoRest provides three basic utilities, firstly, to select the optimal species to be used for forest restoration, at local or regional scale, among the 22 most important taxa or formations in Spain, based on ecological criteria and physiographic, climatic and edaphic information. Secondly, to explore the potential distribution areas of the species using the ecological niche models and algorithms developed throughout different projects on the autecology of the species over the last 55 years. Finally, the application provides the option of comparing different areas of the species ecologically, in order to obtain the most suitable reproductive material for the forest site under study. Research highlights: Users can also run not only recent but also future climate scenarios in order to simulate the distribution of ecological species and use the results in reforestation programmes and planning.

The results of applying three doses of coated slow release fertilizers OSMOCOTE 9-13-18 (1.5; 3.25 and 5 g/l) and OSMOCOTE 16-8-9 (3.25; 5 and 7 g/l) in producing Pinus halepensis seedlings are evaluated. Mixing the fertilizer in the growing media increased the salinity, but didn’t affect the germination and survival of the seedlings. N and P leach concentrations were correlated with the application rates, but K wasn’t. N, P and K shoot concentrations at lifting were correlated with the doses applied, although the relationship between K and doses was the weakest. Shoot growth responded significantly only to N doses. The relative N proportion in OSMOCOTE 9-13-18 was deficient, and OSMOCOTE 16-8-9 had a K deficient ratio, due to the dilution effect observed. The mineral nutrient uptake efficiency decreased in response to the dosis, but was higher than observed in liquid fertilizer injection methods.