Response of red oaks and white oak to thinning and fertilization in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas

Abstract

Thinning and fertilization tests with poletimber-size red oaks (northern red oak Quercus rubra L. and black oak Q. velutina Lam.) and white oak (Q. alba L.) were begun in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas in the spring of 1975. Fertilizer applications of N and P were broadcast at either 200 lbs N + 45 lbs P per acre or 400 lbs N + 45 lbs P per acre to individual red and white oaks that had received a thinning treatment 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 years before fertilization. For the 1975 and 1976 growing seasons diameter growth response for red oaks was 45 percent greater than controls for the 200 lb treatment and 69 percent greater for the 400 lb treatment. Response for white oak was about the same for both fertilizer treatments with 61 and 64 percent increases over the controls for the 200 and 400 lb treatments. The time interval between thinning and fertilizer application (0-4 years) did not significantly affect the diameter growth response to fertilization.

Citation

Graney, D.L.; Pope, P.E. 1978. Response of red oaks and white oak to thinning and fertilization in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas. In: Pope, Phillip E., eds. Proceedings of the central hardwood forest conference II. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University, Society of American Foresters, and St. Paul, MN: North Central Forest Experiment Station: 357-369.