Nutrient cycling and fertility management in temperate short rotation forest systems

Under most conditions, fertilizers will be required to maintain production of short rotation forestry (SRF) plantations. Information from fertilizer trials together with knowledge of general soil fertility in an area permits approximation of fertilizer requirements. Refining those approximations for specific plantations is important for the following three reasons: the need to assure high production; the need to minimize production costs; and the desire to limit off-site effects of fertilizer application. To meet those goals, requires understanding the behavior of fertilizer in soils including leaching, immobilization and, in the case of nitrogen, denitrification. Knowledge of nutrient cycling in SRF including nutrient removal at harvest, other nutrient losses, and natural inputs of nutrients, helps in achieving good fertilizer practices. Cropping strategies that minimize fertilizer use can lower costs and reduce off-site effects of fertilizing. This review summarizes current knowledge of nutrient cycling, cropping strategies and fertility management in temperate SRF plantations.