Effect of Timber Harvest Intensities and Fertilizer Application on Stocks of Soil C, N, P, and S

Author(s):Show less -

Menegale, Marcella L. C. ; Rocha, Jose Henrique T. ; Harrison, Robert ; Goncalves, Jose Leonardo de M. ; Almeida, Rodrigo F. ; Piccolo, Marisa de C. ; Hubner, Ayeska ; Arthur Junior, Jose Carlos ; Ferraz, Alexandre de Vicente ; James, Jason N. ; Michelsen-Correa, Stephani

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FORESTS; v. 7, n. 12 DEC 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 5

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the stocks of available P and S, total N, and oxidizable C at depth in an Oxisol cultivated with Eucalyptus in Brazil following different timber harvest intensities and fertilizer application over 12 years. The harvest regimes considered were (i) conventional stem-only harvest (all forest residues were maintained on the soil); (ii) whole-tree harvest (only litter was maintained on the soil-all slash, stemwood, and bark were removed); and (iii) whole-tree harvest + litter layer removal. The site was planted in 2004 considering three timber harvest intensities, some with and some without N and P fertilization. In 2012 the experiment was reinstalled, and all the treatments were reapplied in the each plot. From 2004 to 2016, nutrient accumulation and soil N, P, and S stocks were assessed in the 0-20 cm layer. Also in 2016, soil N, P, S, and oxidizable C stocks were measured to 2 m depth. For each treatment, the net balance of N, P, and S were calculated from soil stocks and harvest outputs during two forest rotations. A reduction in all nutrient stocks was observed in the 0-20 cm layer for all treatments. For N, this reduction was 20% smaller in the stem-only harvest treatment and 40% higher when no N fertilizer was applied, when compared to other treatments. Stem-only harvest treatment was observed to reduce the loss of N, P, and S due to harvest by 300, 30, and 25 kg.ha(-1), respectively, when compared to the whole-tree harvest + litter layer removal treatment. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/15876-1 - Forest residue management and nutritional deficiency in two growth rotation of eucalypt
• Grantee: José Henrique Tertulino Rocha
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 10/16623-9 - Ecological intensification of eucalyptus plantations by association of nitrogen fixing leguminous tree species
• Grantee: José Leonardo de Moraes Gonçalves
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants