Growth response to fertilizer in a young aspen-birch stand

Abstract

A thinned aspen-birch-red maple stand was fertilized with N, P, and N plus P, both with and without lime (L). Overall, treatments with N increased height growth by an average of 79 percent, and volume growth by 69 percent, over treatments without N. Lime tended to increase both average height and volume growth over each corresponding treatment without lime. The amount of growth response and the treatment that produced the greatest response differed among species. Bigtooth aspen and paper birch generally responded better than quaking aspen and red maple. Bigtooth aspen and paper birch responded strongly to N and combinations of N and P. Bigtooth aspen was the only species to respond significantly to P alone. Bigtooth aspen trees treated with NP and L grew nearly seven times as much in volume as the control trees. The volume growth of paper birch treated with NL was nearly twice that of the control. Depending on the duration of these growth responses, fertilizer treatment should substantially reduce the time required to produce merchantable size trees, particularly of bigtooth aspen and paper birch. The lesser response by quaking aspen and red maple suggests that fertilization of these species may not be practical.

Citation

Czapowskyj, Miroslaw M.; Safford, Lawrence O. 1978. Growth response to fertilizer in a young aspen-birch stand. Research Note NE-274. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 6 p.