Most seedlings and saplings of woody plants in the Russian Federation are
produced in the open ground in forest nurseries. In order to produce high
quality planting material it is necessary to support and preserve soil
fertility, which can be obtained by using organic wastes and organic-based
fertilizers. Our research is aimed at the assessment of the influence of
non-conventional organic fertilizers on fertility of podzols and on the
growth rate of seedlings and saplings of woody plants in forest nurseries.
Our research shows, that the application of non-conventional organic
fertilizers does not result in any accumulation of heavy metal salts in
podzols, but optimizes hydro physical and agrochemical properties of the
ploughed horizon. The efficiency of non-conventional organic fertilizers
depends on their composition, physical and chemical characteristics of the
original components, their doses applied and original fertility of soils. A
combined application of non-conventional organic fertilizers and sand results
in the optimization of practically all soil fertility parameters in middle
clay-loam soils, while application of non-conventional organic fertilizers
and clay is optimal for application on light soils. The optimal application
dose of non-conventional fertilizers depends on soil texture, woody species
and the fertilizer composition. An optimal application dose for Norway spruce
on a light clay-loam soil is 50-80 tons/ha, and on a middle clay-loam soil is
149-182 tons/ha. It is 50 tons/ha for Scots pine growing on a sandy loam
soil, and 100 tons/ha for the same species growing on a sandy soil or a light
clay-loam. For Siberian larch growing on a light clay-loam soil the dose of
fertilizer applied should be 150 tons/ha. It is recommended to apply composts
containing over 50% (by weight) of Category II wastes (substrate) for the
amelioration of light soils, and composts containing over 40% (by weight) of
Category I wastes (filler) for the amelioration of heavy soils. It would
allow for the optimization of soil properties and production of better
quality planting material in forest nurseries.
Background: Russia's boreal forests are a major source of timber as well as being a large terrestrial sink for carbon. Planted forests have played an important role in increasing the overall area of the Russian boreal forest. The total area of planted stands in republics and oblasts of the Middle Volga Region is about 3.2 million ha. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is the most widespread species in planted forests of the Middle Volga Region. As a result of its mass planting since the 1950s, the proportion of pine forests increased from 21 to 29 %. In order to justify the continued use of artificial regeneration to re-establish forests after harvest, more information is required on the growth and yield of planted and natural Scots pine forests. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to quantify and compare the productivity of planted Scots pine forests with that of natural forests in the Middle Volga Region. Methods: Data were obtained from seven representative forests in the republics and oblasts of the Middle Volga Region spanning the period between 1961 and 2007. The relationship between total standing volume and stand age was modelled for both planted and natural stands of Scots pine using the nonlinear Mitscherlich equation. Results: Planted Scots pine forests generally have a higher relative stand density than natural forests, due to the presence of natural regeneration in planted stands. Mean annual volume increment of planted Scots pine forests was 5.6-9.2 m
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