Mikko Moilanen, Jyrki Hytönen, Hannu Hökkä, Anssi Ahtikoski. (2015). Fertilization increased growth of Scots pine and financial performance of forest management in a drained peatland in Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 3 article id 1301. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1301

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; stand growth; peatlands; needle nutrients; P deficiency; K deficiency

Highlights: 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%.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The 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.

Moilanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Natural resources and bioproduction, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland E-mail: mikko.moilanen@luke.fi
Hytönen, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Natural resources and bioproduction, Silmäjärventie 2, FI-69100 Kannus, Finland E-mail: jyrki.hytonen@luke.fi
Hökkä, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Natural resources and bioproduction, Eteläranta 55, FI-96301 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: hannu.hokka@luke.fi
Ahtikoski, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Natural resources and bioproduction, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland E-mail: anssi.ahtikoski@luke.fi

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles
Send to email

Norrlin J. P., (1923) Lectio praecursoria (the opening presentation) o.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 23 no. 2 article id 7101 (remove) | Edit comment

Räisänen M., Repo T. et al. (2009) Cold acclimation of Norway spruce roots and shoo.. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 2 article id 208 (remove) | Edit comment

Mallik A. U., Bell F. W. et al. (2002) Effectiveness of delayed brush cutting and herbi.. Silva Fennica vol. 36 no. 2 article id 541 (remove) | Edit comment

Rossi S., Morin H. et al. (2013) Spatially explicit structure of natural stands d.. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 3 article id 973 (remove) | Edit comment

Päivänen J., (1969) The bulk density of peat and its determination. Silva Fennica vol. 3 no. 1 article id 4783 (remove) | Edit comment

Kellomäki S., Hari P. (1976) Rate of photosynthesis of some forest mosses as .. Silva Fennica vol. 10 no. 4 article id 4953 (remove) | Edit comment

Laitakari E., (1927) Morphological study of Scots pine root system Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 33 no. 1 article id 7210 (remove) | Edit comment

Aaltonen V. T., (1936) Norway spruce as competitor in the sites typical.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 42 no. 8 article id 7325 (remove) | Edit comment

Kellomäki S., Hänninen H. et al. (1988) Model computations on the impacts of the climati.. Silva Fennica vol. 22 no. 4 article id 5362 (remove) | Edit comment

Runeckles V. C., Palmer K. T. et al. (1981) Effects of field exposures to SO2 on Douglas fir.. Silva Fennica vol. 15 no. 4 article id 5137 (remove) | Edit comment

Vettenranta J., (1996) Effect of species composition on economic return.. Silva Fennica vol. 30 no. 1 article id 5574 (remove) | Edit comment

Lähde E., Oksanen A. (1969) Morphological, gravimetric, and photometric char.. Silva Fennica vol. 3 no. 4 article id 4808 (remove) | Edit comment

Aalto M., Korpinen O.-J. et al. (2019) Feedstock availability and moisture content data.. Silva Fennica vol. 53 no. 4 article id 10147 (remove) | Edit comment

Luangjame J., (1990) Salinity effects in Eucalyptus camaldulensis and.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 0 no. 214 article id 7661 (remove) | Edit comment

Sánchez-Osorio I., Domínguez L. et al. (2015) Antennal response of Prinobius myardi to .. Silva Fennica vol. 49 no. 3 article id 1305 (remove) | Edit comment

Sabalinkiene G., Danusevicius D. et al. (2017) Differentiation of European roe deer populations.. Silva Fennica vol. 51 no. 3 article id 1743 (remove) | Edit comment

Steinke L. R., Premoli A. C. et al. (2008) Adaptive and neutral variation of the resprouter.. Silva Fennica vol. 42 no. 2 article id 251 (remove) | Edit comment

Follow @SilvaFennica