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Source-driven remobilizations of nutrients within stem wood in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

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Abstract

Nutrient remobilizations in tree ligneous components have been little studied in tropical forests. A complete randomized block design was installed in Brazilian eucalypt plantations to quantify the remobilizations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na) within stem wood. Three treatments were studied: control with neither K nor Na addition (C), 3 kmol ha−1 K applied (+K), and 3 kmol ha−1 Na applied (+Na). Biomass and nutrient contents were measured in the stem wood of eight trees destructively sampled at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years after planting in each treatment and annual rings were localized on discs of wood sampled every 3 m in half of the trees. Chemical analyses and wood density measurements were performed individually for each ring per level and per tree sampled. Nutrient remobilizations in annual rings were calculated through mass balance between two successive ages. Our results show that nutrient remobilizations within stem wood were mainly source-driven. Potassium and Na additions largely increased their concentration in the outer rings as well as the amounts remobilized in the first 2 years after the wood formation. The amount of Na remobilized in annual rings was 15 % higher in +Na than in +K the fourth year after planting despite a 34 % higher production of stem wood in +K leading to a much higher nutrient sink. A partial substitution of K by Na in the remobilizations within stem wood might contribute to enhancing Eucalyptus grandis growth in K-depleted soils.

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Acknowledgments

We are particularly grateful to Eder Araujo da Silva (http://www.floragroapoio.com.br) for his contribution to this study. We thank FAPESP, CIRAD, and USP-COFECUB (Project 22193PA) for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Engineer Department, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, CEP 74690-900, Brazil

    Carlos Roberto Sette Jr.

  2. Forest Science Department, ESALQ, University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, SP, CEP 13418-900, Brazil

    Carlos Roberto Sette Jr., Mario Tomazello Filho, Rildo M. Moreira & Jean-Pierre Bouillet

  3. Ecologie Fonctionnelle & Biogéochimie des Sols & Agro-écosystèmes, UMR 111, CIRAD, 34060, Montpellier, France

    Jean-Paul Laclau & Jean-Pierre Bouillet

  4. Ciência Florestal, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, CEP 18610-307, Brazil

    Jean-Paul Laclau

  5. UR Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers, INRA, 54280, Champenoux, France

    Jacques Ranger

  6. University of Taubaté, Taubaté, Brazil

    Julio Cesar Raposo Almeida

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  1. Carlos Roberto Sette Jr.
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  2. Jean-Paul Laclau
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  3. Mario Tomazello Filho
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Correspondence to Jean-Paul Laclau.

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Communicated by T. Grams.

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Sette, C.R., Laclau, JP., Tomazello Filho, M. et al. Source-driven remobilizations of nutrients within stem wood in Eucalyptus grandis plantations. Trees 27, 827–839 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0837-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0837-x

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