Abstract
Healthy forests are essential for life on earth. Their multiple benefits include sustainable production of wood and other products, soil protection, air and water purification, wildlife habitat, noise control, various types of recreation, but also climate regulation and CO2 storage. Owing to man-made influences, forests have been endangered since a long time. In various parts of the world these adverse impacts are now representing a risk for human life. For example, the still increasing destruction of tropical and subtropical forests leads to detrimental soil erosion problems and great losses of soil fertility including soil C. Furthermore, atmospheric pollution brought about forest declines in Europe, North America and elsewhere. In order to overcome these and related problems a variety of efforts have been established. In commercial forests of the temperate/boreal zones forest management practices including fertilization regimes focusing on sustainably increasing yields have been utilized for several centuries. However, new management strategies are under research and/or have been implemented in these forest ecosystems to mitigate the so called new types of forest damage. As these declines are frequently associated with nutritional disturbances fertilizer applications have proven useful when conducted properly. Agro-forestry is one approach to reduce the further deterioration of tropical/subtropical forests. Also rehabilitation of devastated land ist partly concentrated on afforestation. With the ever increasing demands of a fast growing human population and increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, proper multi-purpose forestry on a permanent or short rotation basis or in the wide realm of agro-forestry is essential for mankind. In many cases adequate forest management will only be possible when soil fertility is restored and/or maintained through fertilization/manuring considering the demand of a specific forest stand/system under specific site conditions.
Clearly, also the potential to increase the CO2 storage capacity of forests is often limited by insufficient nutrient availability. However, in general this site specific limitation can be overcome easily by proper nutrient supplementation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
BAULE, H. and FRICKER, C. (1967): Die Duengung von Waldbaeumen. 259 p.
BOOMSMA, D.W. and HUNTER, I.R. (1990), Forest Ecology and Management, 30: 455–476.
BURLEY, J. (1987): A decade of development. In: Stepler, H.A. and Nair, P.K.R. (eds.), Agroforestry. ICRAF, Nairobi: 273–287.
EVANS, I. (1982): Plantation forestry in the tropics. Oxford.
FAO (1974): Shifting cultivation and soil conservation in Africa. Soils Bulletin 24, Rome.
FOELSTER, H. (1986): Nutrient loss during forest clearing. In: Lal, R., Sanchez, P.A. and Cummings, R.W., Land clearing and development in the tropics. 450 p.
HERBERT, M.A. (1983), S. Afr. For. J., 124: 4–12.
HERBERT, M.A. and SCHOENAU, A.P.G. (1989): Fertilizing commercial forest species in Southern Africa: Research progress and problems. Symposium “Mineralstoffversorgung tropischer Waldbaeume”, July 13, 1989, Bayreuth, FRG.
HUXLEY, P.A. (1983): The role of trees in agroforestry: some comments. In: Huxley, P.A., Plant research and agroforestry. 617 p.
HUETTL, R.F. (1986), The Fertil. Soc., 250, 1–40.
HUETTL, R.F. (1990): Fertilization in multi-purpose forestry and its role in mitigating the decline of the worlds's forest resources. 10th World Fertilizer Congress of CIEC, 21–27 October 1990, Nicosia, Cyprus (plenary paper; proceedings in press).
HUETTL, R.F., ed., (1991): Forest fertilization and tree growth. Fertilizer Research (special issue), 140 p.
HUETTL, R.F. (1992b): Mg deficiency — a' new' phenomenon in declining forests — symptoms and effects, causes, recouperation. Springer Verlag (in press).
JUO, A.S.R. (1989), Agric., 25: 145–163.
JUO, A.S.R. and KAMPRATH, E.J. (1979), Soil Soc. Am. J., 43: 35–38.
KANG, B.T., WILSON, G.F. and SIPKENS, L. (1981): Plant and Soil, 63: 165–179.
KANG, B.T., WILSON, G.F. and LAWSON, T.L. (1984): Alley croping: A stable alternative to shifting cultivation. Ibadan, Nigeria, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
KANG, B.T. and JUO, A.S.R. (1986): Effect of forest clearing on soil chemical properties and crop performance. In: Lal, R., Sanchez, P.A. and Cummings, R.W. (eds.), Land clearing and development in the tropics. 450 p.
KANG, B.T., REYNOLDS, L. and ATTA-KRAH, A.N. (1990): Alley farming. In: Brady, N.C. (ed.), Advances in Agronomy.
KAUPENJOHANN, M. and ZECH, W. (1988): Potash Review, 11, 5: 37–41.
KIRA, T. and SHIDEI, T. (1967), Jap. J. Ecol., 17: 70–87.
KYUMA, K., TULAPHITAK, T. and PAIRINTRA, C. (1985), Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 31: 227–238.
LAL, R. (1986): Deforestation and soil erosion. In: Lal, R., Sanchez, P.A. and Cummings, R.W. (eds.), Land clearing and development in the tropics. 450 p.
LUNDGREN, B. (1978), Reports in forest ecology and forest sils No. 31; Swedish Univ. Agric. Sci., Uppsala, Sweden. 426 p.
MALVOS, C. and BAILLY, C. (1979): Mimeograph translation, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical. Nogent-sur-Marne, France. 43 P.
NAIR, P.K.R. (1984): Soil productivity and aspects of agroforestry. 85 p.
NYE, P.H. and GREENLAND, P.J. (1960): The soil under shifting cultivation. Techn. Comm. No. 51. Harpenden: Commonwealth Bureau of Soils. 156 p.
OLDEMAN, R.A.A. (1983): The design of ecologically sound agroforests. In: Huxley, P.A. (ed.). Plant research and agroforestry. 617 p.
OKALI, C. and SUMBERG, J.E. (1985): Agric. Syst., 18: 39–59.
REHFUESS, K.E. (1986): Standorts- und ernaehrungskundliche Untersuchungen zur Erzeugung von Biomasse mit schnellwachsenden Baumarten. Unveroeffentlichter Exkursionsfuehrer, Lehrstuhl fuer Bodenkunde der Universitaet Muenchen.
SCHEIFELE, M. (1983), Allg. Forstz., 35: 1461–1463.
SCHOENAU, A.P.G. (1983), S. Afr. For. J., 125: 385–397.
STEINLIN, H. (1989): Universitaetsblaetter, 105: 1–62.
STEPPLER, H.A. and NAIR, P.K.R. (1987): Agroforestry — a decade of development. ICRAF, Nairobi.
TAMM, C.O. (1985), K. Skogs- o. Lantbr. akad. tidskr. Suppl., 17: 9–29.
TULAPHITIAK, T., PAIRINTRA, C. and KYUMA, C. (1985), Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 31: 239–249.
UEXKUELL, H.R. and MUTERT, E. (1988), Kali-Briefe (Buentehof), 19: 185–198.
WEBB, L. J. (1977): Ecological considerations and safeguards in the modern use of tropical lowland rainforests as a source of pulpwood: example in the Modang Area Papua New Guinea. Office of Environment and Conservation, Papua. New Guinea. 36 p.
WEISGERBER, H. and HIEGE, W. (1989): Short rotation forest biomass plantations in the Federal Republic of Germany. In: Hummel, P.C., Palz, W. and Grassi, G. (eds.), Biomass forestry in Europe: a strategy for the future: 325–372.
WENGLER, K.F. (1985): Forestry handbook. 1335 p.
WILL, G. (1985), FRI (Forest Research Institute, Rotorua, New Zealand), Bulletin No. 97: 47–50.
WRI (WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE) (1988): World resources 1988–89. 372 p.
WRI (1990): Preserving the global environment: 23 p.
ZECH, W. (1983), Série GTZ No. 154. 384 p.
ZECH, W. (1986): Mineral nutrition of forest plantations near Téné. Sanjoue. Seguie and Mopsi in Ivory Coast. Sodefor-, Internat. Report. 35 p.
ZECH, W. and DRECHSEL, P. (1990): Mineral deficiencies of tropical trees and their identification by foliar analysis: a review. Plant and Soil (in press).
ZOETTL, H.W. (1989): Wachstum und Ernaehrungszustand von Koniferenplantagen in Suedbrasilien. Symposium “Mineralstoffversorgung tropischer Waldbaeume”, July 13, 1989, Bayreuth, FRG.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huettl, R.F., Zoettl, H.W. Forest fertilization: Its potential to increase the CO2 storage capacity and to alleviate the decline of the global forests. Water Air Soil Pollut 64, 229–249 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00477104
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00477104