Ehsan Sayyad, Seyed Mohsen Hosseini , Jamshid Mokhtari, Reza Mahdavi, Seyed Gholamali Jalali, Moslem Akbarinia, Masoud Tabari

Comparison of growth, nutrition and soil properties of pure and mixed stands of Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata

Sayyad E., Hosseini S. M., Mokhtari J., Mahdavi R., Jalali S. G., Akbarinia M., Tabari M. (2006). Comparison of growth, nutrition and soil properties of pure and mixed stands of Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata. Silva Fennica vol. 40 no. 1 article id 350. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.350

Abstract

Concerns about decline in soil fertility and long-term productivity of fast-growing plantations have promoted interest in using nitrogen-fixing trees in mixed species plantations. Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata were planted in five proportions (100P, 67P:33A, 50P:50A, 33P:67A, 100A) in Noor, Iran. After 7 years, the effects of species interactions on tree growth and nutrient concentration in live and senescent leaves and soil properties were assessed. Diameter at breast height and total height of individual Populus trees were positively affected by the presence of Alnus. Nitrogen concentrations in fully expanded and senescent leaves of Populus were higher in mixed plantations than monoculture plantations. The results of nutrition and nutrient return and growth indicated that mixed plantations of these two species were more productive and sustainable than their monoculture plantations. Within the framework of this experiment, it appeared that production was maximized when these two species were grown together in the relative proportions of 50% Populus and 50% Alnus.

Keywords
growth; nitrogen fixing trees (NFT); mixed plantations; nutrition; nutrient return

Received 21 December 2004 Accepted 19 December 2005 Published 31 December 2006

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