Abstract
A study of an aspen and mixed hardwood forest in northern Wisconsin indicates that harvesting leaves and branches in addition to tree stems increases nutrient drain on the forest. The amounts of recyclable nutrients lost with conventional and intensive harvesting systems were studied on a 5-acre site. With a conventional method, removing only tree stems and stem bark and leaving tops, 23-59% of the nutrients in the entire tree are removed. With intensive harvesting, removing the entire above-ground portion of the tree, nutrient losses increase from 150-300% more than with conventional harvesting. Though leaves and branches contribute a small portion to the mass of the tree, they are the richest in nutrients. Intensifying harvesting, though it leaves a cleaner site and can increase fiber yield 20%, could deprive the soil of nutrients and make fertilization necessary. It must be considered whether it is wise to use oil, a nonrenewable resource, to make fertilizer to perpetuate trees, a renewable resource. Analysis of the nutrients in the soil and in the trees showed that trees contained 58% of the potassium and 30% of the calcium at the site, indicating that removing the entire above-ground portion of the tree could cause a severemore » depletion of these nutrients for successive tree generations.« less
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Conventional harvest removed 23–59% of tree nutrients.
Verbatim
e0“With a conventional method, removing only tree stems and stem bark and leaving tops, 23-59% of the nutrients in the entire tree are removed”
e1“aspen and mixed hardwood forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Intensive harvest caused 150–300% more nutrient loss than conventional harvest.
Verbatim
e0“With intensive harvesting, removing the entire above-ground portion of the tree, nutrient losses increase from 150-300% more than with conventional harvesting”
e1“aspen and mixed hardwood forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaves and branches were the most nutrient-rich tree parts.
Verbatim
e0“Though leaves and branches contribute a small portion to the mass of the tree, they are the richest in nutrients”
e1“aspen and mixed hardwood forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Intensive harvest could increase fiber yield by 20%.
- Taxon
- aspen and mixed hardwood foreste1
- Treatment
- Intensifying harvestinge0
- Outcome
- fiber yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 20%e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Intensifying harvesting, though it leaves a cleaner site and can increase fiber yield 20%”
e1“aspen and mixed hardwood forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Trees contained 58% of site potassium.
Verbatim
e0“trees contained 58% of the potassium and 30% of the calcium at the site”
Claim · model-written summary
Trees contained 30% of site calcium.
Verbatim
e0“trees contained 58% of the potassium and 30% of the calcium at the site”