Biomass and nutrient removals by conventional and whole-tree clear-cutting of a red spruce – balsam fir stand in central Nova Scotia

Abstract

Data are presented of biomass and nutrient removals by conventional and whole-tree clear-cutting of 0.5-ha blocks of an all-aged Picearubens – Abiesbalsamea stand in central Nova Scotia. The biomass yield from the conventional clear-cut plot was 105 200 kg dry weight•ha−1, and the removals of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were 98.2, 16.3, 91.7, 180.9, and 17.0 kg•ha−1 respectively. Biomass removals from the whole-tree clear-cut plot were 152 500 kg dry weight•ha−1, and the removals of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were 239.1, 35.2, 132.6, 336.5, and 36.9 kg•ha−1, respectively. These removals of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg from the whole-tree harvested plot, expressed as percentages of the quantities of these nutrients in the "total" pool within the exploitable soil horizons, were 5.0, 2.8, 1.0, 5.9, and 2.1%, respectively. However, when these removals were expressed relative to the quantities in the "available" soil pools, they were much larger, i.e., 500, 34, 184, 306, and 95% for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively.

Perspectives on the Potential Contribution of Swedish Forests to Renewable Energy Targets in Europe

“…Removal of logging residues substantially increases the amount of nutrients exported from sites [22][23][24][25]. This may have an impact on the growth of the next generation of trees [26][27][28], or on the remaining stand in the case of thinning, unless the removal of nutrients is compensated by fertilizer application [29,30].…”

The Fall River Long-Term Site Productivity study in coastal Washington: site characteristics, methods, and biomass and carbon and nitrogen stores before and after harvest.

“…Whole-tree harvesting removes more nutrients from the site than conventional harvesting (Boyle 1976, Egnell and Valinger 2003, Freedman et al 1981, Weetman and Webber 1972. Slash reduction and site preparation treatments such as piling and broadcast burning also affect site nutrient stores and microsite climate.…”

Harvest residue and competing vegetation affect soil moisture, soil temperature, N availability, and Douglas-fir seedling growth

“…Whole-tree harvesting clearly removes more total nutrients from the site than conventional harvesting (Kimmins, 1977;Freedman et al, 1981;Johnson et al, 1982;Egnell and Valinger, 2003), but the significance of greater biomass removals on both short-and longterm performance of the subsequent stand is not as clear. Retention of residual biomass affects long-term soil organic matter levels, which is a key element in sustaining site productivity (Powers et al, 1990;Vance, 2000).…”