Growth of Pinus sylvestris after the application of wood ash or P and K fertilizer to a peatland in southern Sweden

Sikström, Ulf; Almqvist, Curt; Jansson, Gunnar

doi:10.14214/sf.139

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(4 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Because wood ash contains considerable amounts of P, K, Ca, and Mg it has proved to be a good alternative to PK fertilizers on drained peatlands (Moilanen et al 2002(Moilanen et al , 2004Sikström et al 2010;Moilanen et al 2013). The long-lasting positive effects of wood ash on the nutrient status and growth of conifers have been reported in several studies, mostly carried out at N-rich site types (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization increased growth of Scots pine and financial performance of forest management in a drained peatland in Finland

Moilanen¹,

Hytönen²,

Hökkä³

et al. 2015

Silva Fenn.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

• All fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium improved the P and K status and the stem growth of Scots pine still 26 years from application.• Wood ash, containing more nutrients than other fertilizers, gave the strongest stand growth response and the highest net present value.• Ash fertilizer treatment outperformed other fertilizer treatments and control in net present value, regardless of the applied discount rate, 3%, 4% or 5%. AbstractThe long-term effects of fertilization on the needle nutrient concentrations, growth and financial performance of a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand was examined in a thick-peated drained peatland forest located in Central Finland. At the trial establishment in 1985, the trees were suffering from P and K deficiencies, but their N status was good. The fertilizer treatments were Control, PK (rock phosphate + potassium chloride), ApaBio (apatite phosphorus + biotite) and wood ash, applied both with and without N and replicated six times. All treatments containing phosphorus and potassium increased foliar P and K concentrations above the deficiency limits up to the end of the study period of 26 years. The effect of the fertilization on stand volume growth of Scots pine was strong and continued still at the end of the study period. The trees on ApaBio and PK plots grew nearly two-fold and those on Ash plots over two-fold compared with the control plots. In a thinning made at the end of the study period the total logging removal on fertilized plots was 1.5-2.2 times greater and included more saw logs than on the control plots. Ash fertilizer treatment outperformed other fertilizer treatments as well as the control. With a 5% discounted equivalent annual income (EAI) of Ash fertilizer treatment was statistically significantly (p = 0.009) almost three times higher than that of control. As a conclusion, fertilization (either using PK fertilizers or Ash) in N-rich drained peatlands is a financially feasible method of management.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization increased growth of Scots pine and financial performance of forest management in a drained peatland in Finland

Moilanen¹,

Hytönen²,

Hökkä³

et al. 2015

Silva Fenn.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When the nitrogen content in the peat was less than 1% of the dry weight, the increment was minimal. Sikström et al (2010) did not find significant yield differences between wood ash, 2.5 ton ha −1 , and commercial fertilizers after 26 years when similar amounts of P and K were added. Phosphorus was applied as raw phosphate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…Plot A6, which had the widest rings before that year, attained the smallest rings afterwards, as this plot was neither re-fertilized nor influenced by neighboring plots. The relative narrow annual rings in the middle of the 1980s were probably due to colder and wetter summers than normal (The Norwegian Meteorological Institute 1960-2010. Such relations reduce Figure 3.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Long-term effect of wood and peat ash on the growth ofPinus sylvestrison drained peatland

Haveraaen

2014

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of ash fertilization on height growth and volume production of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was studied on oligotroph peatland in southeast Norway. In the year 1944, plots 15 m × 15 m size were fertilized with 0, 4, 7, and 10 tons ha −1 of wood or peat ash. The area was treeless, but a satisfactory number of pine seedlings were present. All measurements were confined to the central inner plot, 10 m × 10 m area. Most plots were re-fertilized with 10 tons of wood ash ha −1 in the year 1993. Wood ash had higher content of nutrients, and generally, it had greater growth enhancement effect than peat ash. When the amount of ash was increased, volume production significantly increased for the age period 38-50 years and the total production at age 50 years. The mean annual increment during the first 50 years was about 6 m 3 ha −1 for the plots applied with 10 tons of ash ha −1 . Trees on plots fertilized with 7 or 10 tons in 1944 and replenished with 10 tons ha −1 at age 50 years (1993) had a mean annual increment of 14 m 3 ha −1 for the stand age period 51-68 years. Over time some tree roots from control plots and plots fertilized with 4 tons ha −1 have captured nutrients from richer plots. Such effect is to a smaller extent relevant for treatment 7 tons. It is concluded that the content of mineral nutrients of wood and peat ash makes these ashes well suited as fertilizers on peatland.

show abstract

“…Wood ash may therefore have potential as a fertiliser for cutaway peatlands where bottom peat is especially low in phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Long-term positive effects of wood ash on the growth of conifers on forested peatlands have been reported in many studies [23]- [26]. Often peat and wood are burned as a mixture resulting in mixed peat and wood ashes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Ash-Fertilization and Soil Preparation on Soil Respiration and Vegetation Colonization on Cutaway Peatlands

Silvan¹,

Hytönen²

2016

AJCC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As a result of several decades of peat extraction, the area of cutaway peatlands in Finland totals ca. 50,000 ha. Furthermore, some 2000 -3000 ha of peatlands are abandoned annually from active peat extraction. Forestry is considered to be their main after-use option. However, since cutaway peat is generally rich in nitrogen, but poor in phosphorus and potassium, soil amelioration measures are needed for successful vegetation and afforestation. Soil preparations bringing mineral soil into peat surface or recycling of ash containing P and K are alternative ways for soil amelioration. We studied the initial effects of soil preparation and ash fertilization on soil CO2-effluxes and colonisation of cutaway peat by vegetation. Oppositely to the previous studies, this study shows that carbon released from the residual peat may be so high that the ash-fertilized cutaway peatlands still act as sources of carbon even after afforestation. However, even though the CO2-effluxes following ash fertilization or soil preparation may occasionally exceed the carbon sequestration into growing tree stands, afforestation mostly compensates the CO2-effluxes if also we take into consideration the below-ground biomass. In conclusion, our study shows that although ash-fertilization enhances the CO2-effluxes into the atmosphere, it has beneficial effects on the environment by enabling rapid colonisation of vegetation on these sites which would remain vegetationless for decades without soil amelioration.

show abstract

Growth of Pinus sylvestris after the application of wood ash or P and K fertilizer to a peatland in southern Sweden

Cited by 22 publications

References 11 publications

Fertilization increased growth of Scots pine and financial performance of forest management in a drained peatland in Finland

Fertilization increased growth of Scots pine and financial performance of forest management in a drained peatland in Finland

Long-term effect of wood and peat ash on the growth ofPinus sylvestrison drained peatland

Impact of Ash-Fertilization and Soil Preparation on Soil Respiration and Vegetation Colonization on Cutaway Peatlands

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About