Summary
Published in Forest Ecology and Management 320: 1-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.02.017
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh., hereafter SM) dieback has been of concern in many stands of northeastern North America for decades. In acidic, base-poor forest soils, this phenomenon has often been attributed to calcium (Ca) deficiency. Corrective measures such as dolomitic lime addition (CaMg(CO3)2) have been tested to restore SM vitality in these ecosystems. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of Ca addition alone on SM. Furthermore, liming experiments have showed that the Mg content of lime could induce a nutritional antagonism which hinders potassium (K) uptake. This may have limited the response of SM to dolomitic lime application. To address these issues, two calcium fertilizers with negligible Mg content (CaCO3 and CaSO4.2H2O) were applied at rates of 1, 2 and 4 t Ca ha-1 on SM trees. After 7 years, foliar Ca nutrient concentrations of treated trees increased in both Ca treatments, reaching published concentration ranges for healthy SM trees. These increases were greater than those observed after a similar period in two nearby experiments in which CaMg(CO3)2 and CaCO3 were used at comparable or lower doses. Also, no nutrient antagonism was detected in the present study. Tree crown vigor and basal area growth were improved by the Ca treatments, but the magnitude of the growth response for trees treated with the CaCO3 fertilizer was far less than in the other nearby experiment where CaCO3 was also used. This strongly suggests that Mg nutrition is not a limiting factor in this ecosystem. The comparatively lower growth response of trees to Ca treatments in this study is unclear, but better growth conditions at the studied site, compared to the two other nearby experiments, may have played a role in this phenomenon. Long-term monitoring of these experiments seems warranted to clarify these issues.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Ecosystems and Environment, Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
MOORE, Jean-David and Rock OUIMET
Year of publication :
2014
Format :
Paper
How to get the publication :
ISSN
0378-1127
Keywords :
érable, érablière, amendement, fertilisation, écosystèmes et environnement, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements feuillus, acer saccharum, calcium, article scientifique de recherche forestière, sugar maple, fertilization, forest soil, silviculture and yield of natural forests – hardwood stands
