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Manipulating nutrient and water availability in a maritime pine plantation: effects on growth, production, and biomass allocation at canopy closure

Manipulation de la disponibilité en eau et éléments minéraux dans une plantation de pins maritimes: effet sur la croissance, la production, l’allocation de la biomasse à la fermeture du couvert

Annals of Forest Science volume 65, page 814 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

  • • We present here the results of a water and nutrient manipulation experiment in a five-year-old plantation of maritime pine in south-western France.

  • • Water and nutrient levels were manipulated in a factorial design with two levels of irrigation (control receiving only rainfall (C) and irrigated (I)) and three levels of fertilisation (control with no added nutrients (C), P-only (P) and annual addition of a complete nutrient mix (F)) in order to quantify growth limitations of plantation forest in this particular area.

  • • The treatments applied during five years increased aboveground biomass annual increment by 4% (I) to 58% (IF) with respect to the control (C). The fertilised plots had a slightly non-significant lower root-to-shoot ratio. The effect of irrigation was maximal in 2002, resulting in 6%, 7% and 12% higher growth rate on the F, C and P plots, respectively. A windstorm disturbed the experiment in 1999 and has affected preferentially the fertilised plots, with IF plots displaying 60% damage.

  • • The higher growth rate of fertilised and irrigated plots was attributed to both an increase (estimated at 5 to 15%) in the amount of light absorbed by the canopy, and an increase (estimated at 26% for IF plots) in the amount of above-ground biomass produced annually per unit leaf area.

Résumé

  • • Dans l’objectif de quantifier l’impact des facteurs limitant de la croissance du pin maritime dans le sud-ouest de la France, les apports d’eau et d’éléments minéraux sont manipulés selon un schéma expérimental factoriel à deux niveaux d’alimentation en eau (témoin recevant uniquement les pluies et irrigué) et à trois niveaux d’alimentation minérale (témoin, apport annuel de phosphore, apport annuel d’un mélange minéral complet).

  • • Les traitements appliqués pendant cinq ans ont entrainé une augmentation de l’accroissement annuel en biomasse aérienne allant de +4 % (I) à + 58 % (IF). Les arbres fertilisés ont un rapport biomasse aérienne sur racinaire légèrement mais non significativement supérieur à celui des arbres témoins. L’effet de l’irrigation a été maximal en 2002, avec des accroissements en biomasse aérienne plus élevés de 6 %, 7 %, 12 % pour les arbres fertilisés, témoins et fertilisés en P. Une tempête a endommagé le dispositif en 1999, affectant préférentiellement les arbres fertilisés avec 60 % des arbres touchés, contre 13 % pour les témoins.

  • • La plus forte croissance observée pour les placeaux fertilisés et irrigués a été attribuée à une augmentation d’une part de +5 à +15 % de la quantité de rayonnement absorbé par la canopée, et d’autre part de +26 % de la quantité de biomasse aérienne produite annuellement par unité d’indice foliaire.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UR1263 EPHYSE, INRA, F-33140, Villenave d’Ornon, France

    Pierre Trichet, Denis Loustau & Catherine Lambrot

  2. Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, P.O. Box 49, SE-230 53, Alnarp, Sweden

    Sune Linder

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  1. Pierre Trichet
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  2. Denis Loustau
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  3. Catherine Lambrot
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  4. Sune Linder
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Correspondence to Pierre Trichet.

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Trichet, P., Loustau, D., Lambrot, C. et al. Manipulating nutrient and water availability in a maritime pine plantation: effects on growth, production, and biomass allocation at canopy closure. Ann. For. Sci. 65, 814 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2008060

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Annals of Forest Science

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