The effect of stand age on the accumulation of nutrients in the aboveground components of an Aleppo pine ecosystem

Alifragis, D.; Smiris, P.; Maris, F; Kavvadias, Victor; Konstantinidou, Eleni; Stamou, N.

doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(00)00334-0

Cited by 28 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…To our knowledge, critical nutrient levels for Q. ilex have not been defined. However, as compared to critical levels suggested by Bonneau [8] for other woody species, and P and K concentrations reported in other studies [2,13,35,39], Q. ilex seedlings were probably limited by both nutrients in these degraded Mediterranean woodlands. According to Koerselman and Meuleman [26], N:P ratios above 16 and below 14 may indicate P and N limitation, respectively.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 43%

Nutrient status and field performance of tree seedlings planted in Mediterranean degraded areas

2006

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-In degraded Mediterranean woodlands, nutrients, in addition to water, may be the major factors controlling reforestation success. But information on nutritional status of planted seedlings is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and field performance of Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex seedlings planted on two characteristic Mediterranean forest soils developed from marl and limestone. We used root growth response to localized N and P enrichment, and foliar analysis as indicators of nutrient limitation. Vermiculite cores enriched with P showed higher root density than N-enriched and control cores, particularly on soils derived from marl. Three years after planting, seedlings showed low foliar P and K as compared to other species and adult trees. Principal Component Analysis conducted on foliar macronutrient concentration clearly separated species and soil type. Foliar K and Mg depended on soil type (higher on limestone and marl, respectively), whereas N, P and Ca concentration in leaves and needles differed between species (higher N and P in pine, higher Ca in oak). Survival and growth depended on species and site, but we found no effect of soil type on these variables, suggesting that seedling performance may not be strongly affected by nutrient status within the range of soils evaluated.foliar nutrient concentration / nutrient limitation / Pinus halepensis / Quercus ilex / reforestation Résumé -État nutritionnel et comportement de jeunes arbres plantés dans des terrains méditerranéens dégradés. Le succès des reboisements dans les forêts méditerranéennes dégradées peut être conditionné par la disponibilité en eau et en nutriments. Cependant, il existe peu d'information sur l'état nutritionnel des semis en reboisement. Nous avons évalué l'état nutritionnel et le développement en conditions de terrain des semis de Pinus halepensis et de Quercus ilex plantés dans deux types de sols caractéristiques des forêts méditerranéennes : les marnes et les calcaires. La réponse de la croissance des racines en des points enrichis en N et P et les analyses foliaires furent utilisées comme indicateurs de limitation nutritionnelle. Les carottes de vermiculite enrichies en P montrèrent une plus forte densité de racines que celles enrichies en N et celles des témoins, spécialement sur les marnes. Trois ans après la plantation, les semis présentèrent une faible teneur en P et K foliaire en comparaison avec d'autres espèces et arbres adultes. L'analyse en composantes principales de la concentration foliaire de macro nutriments, sépara clairement les espèces et le type de sol. La concentration foliaire de K et Mg dépendait du type de sol (respectivement plus grande sur le calcaire et la marne) alors que la concentration en N, P et Ca fut différente entre les espèces (plus importante en N et P chez les pins, et en Ca chez les chênes). La survie et la croissance dépendaient de l'espèce et du site de plantation, mais on n'a pas rencontré d'effet du type de sol sur ces variables, ce qui suggère que le développem...

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 43%

Nutrient status and field performance of tree seedlings planted in Mediterranean degraded areas

2006

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“…As stated by Mestre and Mestres (1949), new plantations of vineyards were fertilized with 2 m 3 -'formiguers', which would have required some 62,400 kg of biomass per hectare, assuming a density of 260 'formiguers' per hectare of vineyard. Data from Peñuelas et al (2007) for shrubland and from Alifragis et al (2001) and Maseyk et al (2008) for Pinus halepensis forests, suggest that 6,000 kg.ha -1 of biomass (branches and/or shrubs) would be available in shrubland and 4,000-5,000 kg.ha -1 of branches and 20,000-25,000 kg.ha -1 of shrubs in forests. Assuming these values, and furthermore to the complete clearance of the 600 ha transformed into vineyards, branches and shrubs would have been harvested from another 340-410 ha, which represents 21-26% of the forest and shrubland remaining after the process.…”

Section: Land Requirement Of 'Formiguers'mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Formiguers’, a historical system of soil fertilization (and biochar production?)

Olarieta

Padró

Masip

et al. 2011

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Abstract'Formiguers' are structures similar to charcoal-kilns that were used to burn piles of biomass with a soil cover in order to produce fertilizers for agricultural plots. Their use was widespread in Spain up to the 1960s and similar structures are still in use in India and Bhutan. Our objective was to study the effects of the 'formiguer' on its soil cover in terms of changes in nutrient availability. We built an experimental 0.5 m 3 -'formiguer' with 68 kg of plant material with a 12% moisture content and 550 kg of soil with a 16% moisture content. The content of organic carbon and mineral nitrogen decreased in the soil cover as a result of burning. After aerobic incubation all samples had a similar content of mineral nitrogen. Exchangeable potassium and total and labile phosphorus increased after burning as a result of the soil cover mixing with the ashes of the biomass as the 'formiguer' collapsed during burning in the first two cases, while mineralization of organic compounds produced the increase in labile phosphorus. This input of nutrients for the agricultural plots occurs at a net loss of 0.4-2.5 Mg organic C.ha -1 . Very small amounts of charcoal were produced and this may be the reason for their low occurrence in soils today. Burning of 'formiguers' required the harvest of vegetation from a considerable forest area (10-25 ha per hectare of agricultural land) and represented a significant disturbance of these systems.

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“…Furthermore, the possible differences of these two species in the capacity to take profit of nutrient pulse in different environmental circumstances as competing intensity and soil type are important to know the successional process of the Mediterranean forest. Competition for nutrients between tree saplings and between tree saplings and understory vegetation has been shown to be very important in different forest ecosystems, affecting the biomass concentrations (Alifragis et al 2001;Forrester et al 2003;Shujauddi and Kumar 2003).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a nutrient pulse supply on nutrient status of the Mediterranean trees Quercus ilex subsp. ballota and Pinus halepensis on different soils and under different competitive pressure

Sardans

Roda

Peñuelas

2006

Trees

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Nutrient availability is a key factor in Mediterranean ecosystems that affects the primary productivity and the community structure. The great variability of its natural availability is now increasing due to frequent fires, pollution events and changes in rainfall regime associated to climate change. Quercus ilex ssp. ballota and Pinus halepensis are the most abundant tree species in the NW Mediterranean basin. They frequently compete in the early and middle successional stages. We investigated the effects of N and P pulse supplies on nutrient uptake capacity in these two species in an after-fire field area and in nursery conditions on different soil types and competing conditions. In the field, N fertilisation had weak effects on nutrient concentration and mineralomass likely as a consequence of this nutrient not being limiting in this field site whereas P fertilisation increased the P mineralomass and the Mg, S, Fe, K and Ca concentrations and mineralomass in the different biomass fractions of both species 1 and 3 years after fertilisation application. In the nursery experiments, P fertilisation increased the mineralomass and concentrations of P, Mg, S, Fe, K and Ca in all biomass fractions including the roots in both species and in different soils and competition conditions. The increment of nutrient mineralomass was due to both the increase of growth and of nutrient concentrations. Both species were able to absorb significant amounts of the P applied by fertilisation (between 5 Communicated by R. Häsler J. Sardans ( ) · J. Peñuelas and 20%) in short time (18 months). Competing vegetation decreased the positive effects of P fertilisation, and in many cases the negative effect of competing vegetation on nutrient mineralomass was stronger when P availability was increased by fertilisation. Q. ilex subsp ballota showed a greater competitive ability for P than the more pioneer species Pinus halepensis in the field but not in the nursery conditions. Pinus halepensis had greater nutrient mineralomass in calcareous than in siliceous soils. Q. ilex subsp. ballota had a higher root biomass allocation and root nutrient allocation than P. halepensis, but both species showed a high capacity to increase their nutrient uptake when its availability increased by fertilisation, thus assuring a great nutrient reserve for future growth periods and contributing to retain nutrients in the ecosystem.

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The effect of stand age on the accumulation of nutrients in the aboveground components of an Aleppo pine ecosystem

Cited by 28 publications

References 24 publications

Nutrient status and field performance of tree seedlings planted in Mediterranean degraded areas

Nutrient status and field performance of tree seedlings planted in Mediterranean degraded areas

‘Formiguers’, a historical system of soil fertilization (and biochar production?)

Effects of a nutrient pulse supply on nutrient status of the Mediterranean trees Quercus ilex subsp. ballota and Pinus halepensis on different soils and under different competitive pressure

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