Decision support tool for sustainable management of chemical forest soil fertility

Abstract

The demand for fuel-wood is increasing. Up to now little attention has been paid to harvesting residues, which have been considered as waste and left on the soil after harvesting. But now, interest in harvesting residues is increasing. However it has been shown that these thin branches have a greater nutrient concentration than trunks, and, although they represent a small proportion of forest biomass, they can contain a significant fraction of the ecosystem nutrients. Exporting them can be harmful, especially on acid soils where recycled organic matter is the main source of nutrients.