Response of Japanese Honeysuckle to Fertilization

Abstract

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) responded to increasing levels of nitrogen fertilizer with substantially increased vegetation yields and crude protein contents in leaves, but fruit yields declined. Fertilization with P205 also increased the crude protein contents of leaves. Ash, calcium, and phosphorus contents of leaves declined as levels of nitrogen were increased, but calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium all responded positively to PsO5. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 39(4):769-775 Japanese honeysuckle is one of the most valuable plants to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) throughout the southeastern United States. It has been found to be the most important year-round food item in the diet of deer in sections of Alabama (Sheldon and Causey 1974) and is especially favored by deer farther north during periods of deep snow (Handley 1945). Its evergreen or tardily deciduous foliage provides much of the total winter forage eaten by deer in the Southern Appalachian, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions of the southeast (Harlow and Hooper 1971). In addition, its fruit and dense vegetative growth furnish food and cover for many other species of mammals and birds (Jackson 1974). Because of these desirable characteristics Japanese honeysuckle has considerable potential for wildlife habitat management, especially for deer in even-aged southern pine (Pinus sp.) forests (Sheldon and Causey 1974). This paper evaluates the response of Japanese honeysuckle to several rates and combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers. Japanese honeysuckle responds very well to cultivation (Segelquist et al. 1971) and has been subjected to a variety of fertilizers (Brunett 1967, P-R Job Completion Rep., Proj. W29-R-14, Louisiana Wildl. Fish. Comm., New Orleans, Craft and Haygood 1972). However, none of these studies has indicated precisely how the yield and nutritive quality of honeysuckle are related to the major plant nutrients. The use of intensive management practices, i.e., fertilized Japanese honeysuckle plantings, to improve wildlife habitat may not be justified presently, at least on a large scale basis, but with increasing efforts to produce more timber on a shrinking commercial forest-land base (Seaton et al. 1973: 7) the need may become greater, especially in the South. Recent projections indicate that timber production in the South must be more than doubled by the year 2000 to meet projected demands (Squires 1969:37). Substantial amounts of money and effort are being expended to see that these goals are attained (Wheeler 1974, Weitzman 1974, White 1974). Even-aged silviculture for both pine and hardwood is one of the principal techniques being advocated to accomplish this increase. The consequences of intensive even-aged management are difficult to predict, but the optimistic pronouncement that there will be an abundance of game in future southern forests (Wheeler 1970:145) should be tempered with the acknowledgment that it is possible, through intensive timber management, to create tree mono1 The study was financed in part by Federal Aid in Fish and Wildlife Restoration, Arkansas Project W-53-R. 2 In cooperation with the School of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas 75961. J. Wildl. Manage. 39(4):1975 769 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.186 on Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:29:33 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 770 HONEYSUCKLE RESPONSE TO FERTILIZATION * Segelquist and Rogers cultures with limited mast-producing capability and little understory vegetation of value to wildlife. It may be necessary to resort to equally intensive habitat management practices to maintain deer and other species of wildlife at desired levels in these forests, and fertilized Japanese honeysuckle plantings may provide the biologist with such an alternative.