Pre-harvest soil acidification, liming or N fertilization did not significantly affect the survival and growth of young Norway spruce

Abstract

Acidification, liming, and N fertilization affect a number of soil properties. Such changes may have an impact on forest regeneration and yield. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival and growth of Picea abies (L.) Karst. planted on plots that had been acidified (in 12 annual treatments totalling 600 or 1200 kg S ha-1 in the form of elemental sulphur), limed (12 x 500 = 6000 kg lime ha-1 in the form of CaCO3) or N-fertilized (3 x 200 = 600 kg N ha-1 in the form of urea) prior to harvest. Trees growing on plots treated with a combination of the N plus the lower S application were also tested. None of the treatments, applied in three replicate stands, significantly influenced either survival or growth of Picea abies trees during the first 11 growing seasons after planting.