Forest Fertilizer Applications in the Southeastern United States from 1969 to 2016

Abstract

This study presents forest fertilization and carbon sequestered from fertilization in the southeastern United States in the context of newly available silviculture management information. Maximum annual fertilized forest area in the southeastern United States occurred in 1999 when 1.58 million acres were fertilized. Since then, the fertilized area has generally declined, and in 2016, 589,000 acres were fertilized. This decline is likely related to new research and changes in economic conditions. Recent research has determined that lower, more frequent nutrient doses gave the same biological response as larger, less frequent doses; improved our understanding and use of urease inhibitors; and quantified the upper limit to pine productivity in the southeast United States. All of these factors combined with economic concerns including the continued low number of housing starts, a large inventory of stands with trees that are already sawtimber size, and low sawtimber prices influence forest managers' decisions about fertilization. However, fertilization increases carbon sequestration in forests, and carbon markets that recognize this contribution to sequestration are developing and may provide additional income to forest managers and, ultimately, increase the area fertilized.