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Fate of Urea Fertilizer Added to a Boreal Forest Pinus banksiana Lamb. Stand
Author(s) -
Morrison I. K.,
Foster N. W.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1977.03615995004100020055x
Subject(s) - fertilizer , outwash plain , environmental science , pinus <genus> , scots pine , growing season , volatilisation , taiga , urea , vegetation (pathology) , human fertilization , agronomy , chemistry , ecology , botany , biology , geography , physical geography , medicine , glacier , organic chemistry , pathology
Distribution of N in various components of a 45‐year‐old, relatively pure Pinus banksiana (jack pine) ecosystem on a sandy outwash site, was estimated at various times during the first three growing seasons following fertilization with 300‐kg urea‐N/ha. At the end of the third growing season, N, equivalent to that applied, was distributed as follows: in trees, 23%, in ground vegetation, 1%, in soil organic layers, 26%; and in mineral soil, 10%. An estimated 30% was lost into the atmosphere through volatilization, while the remaining 10% was unaccounted for. Negligible nitrification suggested little likelihood of ground‐water contamination following urea fertilization.