Premium
Nutrient Returns from Field‐Drying of Logging Residue
Author(s) -
Johnson James E.,
Smith David W.,
Stuart William B.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1985.00472425001400030011x
Subject(s) - nutrient , logging , environmental science , residue (chemistry) , twig , clearcutting , agronomy , horticulture , chemistry , forestry , biology , ecology , geography , biochemistry
Increasing interest in utilizing logging residue for fuel has caused concern over additional nutrient removals from the site. On‐site drying of the residue may have an ameliorative effect due to nutrient returns during the drying process. To determine nutrient returns from field‐dried logging residue, four red maple ( Acer rubrum L.) and chestnut oak ( Quercus prinus L.) trees were felled and skidded into a 2‐ha clearcut area. Twig and leaf samples were collected immediately after cutting and after 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks of field‐drying. Declines in both P and K concentrations in the leaves and twigs were noted over the drying period. When nutrient returns were computed on a kg ha −1 basis the following returns were observed after 16 weeks of drying: N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were 37, 2, 34, 20, and 2 kg ha −1 , respectively. These amounts are similar to those cycled annually in litter‐fall in Appalachian mixed oak stands, which indicates that from a nutrient conservation standpoint, summer logging followed by field‐drying may be comparable to winter (leaf‐off) logging in these stands.