Removal of nutrients due to biomass harvest of Eucalyptus urograndis in different soils: macronutrients

Abstract

Intensive management of forest stands can increase biomass production, as well as increase the removal of nutrients from the site. This study therefore sought to simulate different harvest intensities and to calculate the nutrient-use efficiency of Eucalyptus urograndis in different types of soil. The study was carried out in a plantation of seven-year-old hybrid E. urograndis in the city of Telêmaco Borba, Paraná, Brazil. The study site included two sub areas with sandy soil and clayey soil (Cambisols Inceptisol and Ferralsols Oxisols, respectively). Using biomass and nutrients stock data, nutrient removal was simulated under five different harvest scenarios. Nutrient-use efficiency was obtained from the relation between the amount of biomass and nutrients of each tree component. Harvesting the whole tree resulted in the removal of approximately 61% of the nutrients from the site in sandy soil, while in clayey soil 57% of the nutrients were removed. With harvesting of only the commercial stemwood, only 22% of the nutrients were removed from the sandy soil, and 21% from the clayey soil. Stemwood was the component that had the highest nutrient-use efficiency values for all the analyzed nutrients. In conclusion, to achieve nutritional sustainability of E. urograndis stands, the best harvesting system involves the removal of only commercial stemwood. For the production of stemwood, sandy soils have a greater biological efficiency of calcium and magnesium when compared to clayey soil.

Keywords

• clayey soil
• forest nutrition
• harvest intensity
• nutrient use efficiency
• sandy soil