The Influence of Wood Harvesting on the Nutrient Status of Two Spruce Stands

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Abstract
Calculations are presented on the quantities of N, P, K, Mg and Ca in the soil and above-ground portions of two spruce-pulpwood stands on sites of average fertility in northern and southern Quebec. The magnitude of the depletions of these nutrients from the site, in full-tree and tree-length methods of logging, are compared with the available and total quantities of them in the soil. The ranges of values, from the literature, for the input of these nutrients in dust and precipitation, and the losses in leaching, are presented and discussed in relation to the logging losses.It is concluded that on both sites it is unlikely that full-tree logging will result in any reduction in growth, due to nutrient removal, during the second rotation of trees. However, nutrient depletion due to full-tree logging, particularly with respect to Ca, K and N, may require correction by means of fertilizers in forest ecosystems of marginal fertility. These are usually either dry sites with low reserves of organic matter and low exchange capacity or wet sites with excessive accumulations of organic matter. The need for further detailed studies of the nutrient cycle in different forest ecosystems is stressed.

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