Authors:
Noora Huotari, Jyrki Hytönen, Eila Tillman-Sutela, Jorma Issakainen and Eero Kubin
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
biotite, peat-ash, pk-fertilizer, scots-pine, wood-ash
Summary:
Theme VII. Ecology and management on forested peatlands
SUMMARY
We studied the effects of fertilization on the biomass production and density of downy birch stands in a cut-away peatland. Six treatments of peat-ash, wood-ash, biotite, or PK-fertilizer were used in different mixtures. The biomass and the stem quantity were measured 10 years after fertilization. Ash fertilization increased the stand density more than 2-fold compared to the PK-fertilized areas, and 6-fold compared to the unfertilized area. The leafless above-ground biomass was greatest, 22-23 t ha-1, in the areas where wood-ash, mixed-ash or peat-ash + biotite was applied. Areas fertilized with peat-ash or Forest PK-fertilizer resulted in biomass of 17 t ha-1, whereas the biomass in the unfertilized area was 5 t ha-1. Downy birch comprised the major part of the tree biomass in all the fertilized areas, whereas in the unfertilized areas the biomass was mainly formed by Scots pines.