Aboveground biomass and nitrogen in four short-rotation woody crop species growing with different water and nutrient availabilities

Abstract

We quantified the effect of water and nutrient availability on aboveground biomass and nitrogen accumulation and partitioning in four species from the southeastern United States, loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda), slash pine ( Pinus elliottii), sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua), and sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis). The 6-year-old stands received five levels of resource input (control, irrigation with 3.05 cm water week −1, irrigation + 57 kg N ha −1 year −1, irrigation + 85 kg N ha −1 year −1, and irrigation + 114 kg N ha −1 year −1). Irrigation significantly increased foliage, stem, and branch biomass for sweetgum and sycamore, culminating in 103% and 238% increases in total aboveground biomass. Fertilization significantly increased aboveground components for all species resulting in 49, 58, 281, and 132% increases in total aboveground biomass for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Standing total aboveground biomass of the fertilized treatments reached 79, 59, 48, and 54 Mg ha −1 for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Fertilization increased foliar nitrogen concentration for loblolly pine, sweetgum, and sycamore foliage. Irrigation increased total stand nitrogen content by 6, 14, 93, and 161% for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Fertilization increased total nitrogen content by 62, 53, 172, and 69% with maximum nitrogen contents of 267, 212, 237, and 203 kg ha −1 for loblolly pine, slash pine, sweetgum, and sycamore, respectively. Growth efficiency (stem growth per unit of leaf biomass) and nitrogen use efficiency (stem growth per unit of foliar nitrogen content) increased for the sycamore and sweetgum, but not the loblolly or slash pine.