Eino Mälkönen

Effect of whole-tree harvesting on soil fertility.

Mälkönen E. (1976). Effect of whole-tree harvesting on soil fertility. Silva Fennica vol. 10 no. 3 article id 4944. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a14790

Abstract

This paper analyses the nutrient loses caused by whole-tree harvesting on the basis of the literature data. It has been considered that traditional stemwood harvesting does not lead to impoverishment of the soil because the nutrient content of the wood is quite low. The nutrient loss occurring in connection with heavy thinnings and whole-tree harvesting has been considered so great that it has to be compensated by fertilizer application. In comparison with harvesting unbarked stem timber, whole-tree harvesting has been found to increase the nutrient loss at the stage of final cutting as follows: N2 to 4 times, P 2 to 5 times, K 1.5 to 3.5 times and Ca 1.5 to 2.5 times. Depending on the conditions prevailing on the site, any one of these nutrients may be the limiting factor for tree growth during the next tree generation

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Keywords
logging; thinnings; nutrient losses; whole-tree harvesting

Published in 1976

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Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a14790 | Download PDF