Effect of biochar amendment on the properties of growing media and growth of containerized Norway spruce, Scots pine, and silver birch seedlings

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Egle Köster ◽  
Jukka Pumpanen ◽  
Marjo Palviainen ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
Kajar Köster

Common practices and several studies have demonstrated the positive effect of biochar amendment on climate change mitigation, soil properties, and plant growth. We performed a greenhouse experiment to assess the potential of wood biochar to improve the properties of the growing media and the growth of seedlings in boreal tree species. We added willow biochar (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) to raw peat and measured the growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings. In addition, the co-effect of biochar amendment with 0%, 50%, and 100% fertilization was estimated. We found that using up to 10% of biochar did not reduce the water retention capacity of the growing media significantly. Moreover, biochar amendment significantly increased carbon, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations and had a significant liming effect on the growing media. The biochar amendment increased the aboveground growth of spruce seedlings and root biomass, as well as the root collar diameter, of birch seedlings. Biochar amendment did not affect the quality of seedlings, estimated by the Dickson’s quality index, for spruce and pine, while the quality of birch increased. Based on our results, biochar has potential in forest seedling production.

2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 399-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Moser ◽  
Marek Metslaid ◽  
Lorenz Walthert ◽  
Ulrich Wasem ◽  
Thomas Wohlgemuth

Regeneration potential of different Scots pine and Norway spruce provenances under variable drought Rising temperatures will lead to extended periods of summer drought, which may challenge the persistence of Scots pine and Norway spruce in dry alpine valleys where these species play an important role in the protection against natural hazards. We tested whether the natural regeneration of the two species in the Rhine valley near Chur, Switzerland, might be limited under future climatic conditions and we compared the performance of autochthonous provenances with that of seedlings originating from regions with already drier summer climate such as the Rhone valley, continental Eastern Europe or the Mediterranean basin. Seeds of Scots pine and Norway spruce were sown repeatedly in forest clearings at three south-exposed sites in the Rhine valley near Chur, Switzerland. Soil moisture was manipulated to a minor extent with throughfall reduction roofs. In both species, regeneration success was primarily driven by the weather conditions during the three months following seed sowing: the seedlings having emerged in the rainy spring of 2013 had a higher survival rate and accumulated up to five times more aboveground biomass than the seedlings emerging in the dry spring of 2011. In years with an average or even positive water balance, Scots pine seedlings were able to establish at all sites. In Norway spruce, by contrast, establishment rate exceeded 10% of viable seeds only at the site with the highest water retention capacity. In years with a positive water balance during spring, the seedlings from the Rhine and Rhone valleys outperformed those from most Mediterranean and Eastern European provenances, while no differences between provenances were found in the dry spring of 2011. We suggest that periodical regeneration of Scots pine will be likely in the Rhine valley even under future climatic conditions, whereas the establishment of Norway spruce may remain an exceptional event in dry, south-exposed clearings.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 943
Author(s):  
Katri Nissinen ◽  
Virpi Virjamo ◽  
Antti Kilpeläinen ◽  
Veli-Pekka Ikonen ◽  
Laura Pikkarainen ◽  
...  

We studied the growth responses of boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings to simulated climate warming of an average of 1.3 °C over the growing season in a controlled field experiment in central Finland. We had six replicate plots for elevated and ambient temperature for each tree species. The warming treatment lasted for the conifers for three growing seasons and for the birch two growing seasons. We measured the height and diameter growth of all the seedlings weekly during the growing season. The shoot and root biomass and their ratios were measured annually in one-third of seedlings harvested from each plot in autumn. After two growing seasons, the height, diameter and shoot biomass were 45%, 19% and 41% larger in silver birch seedlings under the warming treatment, but the root biomass was clearly less affected. After three growing seasons, the height, diameter, shoot and root biomass were under a warming treatment 39, 47, 189 and 113% greater in Scots pine, but the root:shoot ratio 29% lower, respectively. The corresponding responses of Norway spruce to warming were clearly smaller (e.g., shoot biomass 46% higher under a warming treatment). As a comparison, the relative response of height growth in silver birch was after two growing seasons equal to that measured in Scots pine after three growing seasons. Based on our findings, especially silver birch seedlings, but also Scots pine seedlings benefitted from warming, which should be taken into account in forest regeneration in the future.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 724-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pumpanen ◽  
J. Heinonsalo ◽  
T. Rasilo ◽  
J. Villemot ◽  
H. Ilvesniemi

Author(s):  
Kun Sha ◽  
Ping Qian ◽  
Li-Jun Wang ◽  
Zhan-hui Lu ◽  
Li-Te Li

In this study, quality of Man-tou, the Chinese traditional steamed bread during storage was studied. Values for water retention capacity, total water solubles, soluble starch, and soluble amylose and amylopectin of Man-tou decreased with storage time. Results showed that hardness, chewiness and gumminess of Man-tou increased, while, springiness cohesiveness and resilience decreased along with prolonged storage time (p<0.05). Sensory evaluation results showed that all sensory rating of Man-tou, including softness, stickiness, cohesiveness, elasticity, taste and total score, dropped drastically within 24 h of storage time (p<0.05). Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine crystalline structure of amylopectin in Man-tou, and the value for enthalpy of crystallization was found increased with storage time. Amylopectin crystallization was significantly associated to Man-tou firming (p<0.01).


2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mait Lang

Metsa katvuse ja liituse hindamine lennukilt laserskanneriga Tests were carried out in mature Scots pine, Norway spruce and Silver birch stands at Järvselja, Estonia, to estimate canopy cover (K) and crown cover (L) from airborne lidar data. Independent estimates Kc and Lc for K and L were calculated from the Cajanus tube readings made on the ground at 1.3 m height. Lidar data based cover estimates depended on the inclusion of different order returns significantly. In all the stands first order return based estimate K1 was biased positively (3-10%) at the reference height of 1.3 m compared to ground measurements. All lidar based estimates decreased with increasing the reference height. Single return (Ky) and all return (Kk) based canopy cover estimates depended more on the sand structure compared to K1. The ratio of all return count to the first return count D behaved like crown cover estimate in all stands. However, in spruce stand D understimated Lc significantly. In the Scots pine stand K1(1.3) = 0.7431 was most similar canopy cover estimate relative to the ground estimate Kc = 0,7362 whereas Ky(1.3) and Kk(1.3) gave significant underestimates (>15%) of K. Caused by the simple structure of Scots pine stand - only one layer pine trees, the Cajanus tube based canopy cover (Kc), crown cover (Lc) and lidar data based canopy density D(1.3) values were rather similar. In the Norway spruce stand and in the Silver birch stand second layer and regeneration trees were present. In the Silver birch stand Kk(1.3) and Ky(1.3) estimated Kc rather well. In the Norway spruce stand Ky(1.3) and K1(1.3) were the best estimators of Kc whereas Kk(1.3) underestimated canopy cover. Lidar data were found to be usable for canopy cover and crown cover assessment but the selection of the estimator is not trivial and depends on the stand structure.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laith ALRahahleh ◽  
Antti Kilpeläinen ◽  
Veli-Pekka Ikonen ◽  
Harri Strandman ◽  
Ari Venäläinen ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 3047-3055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjo Palviainen ◽  
Raija Laiho ◽  
Harri Mäkinen ◽  
Leena Finér

The contents of nitrogen (N) have generally been observed to increase in the early stages of decomposition in coarse woody debris and then to decrease slowly. This is potentially an important mechanism of nutrient retention in ecosystems after disturbances. We studied N dynamics in decomposing Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.), and silver birch ( Betula pendula Roth.) stems in Finland. The oldest stems had decomposed for 34 (spruce and birch) or 45 (pine) years. Concentrations of N in both fallen logs and standing snags increased and C/N ratios decreased with time, and birch had significantly higher N concentrations and lower C/N ratios than pine and spruce. Even though increased N contents were observed in some cases, N was generally already released in the early stages of decomposition and more rapidly from birch than from conifers. Based on model analysis, from 40% (pine and spruce) to 50% (birch) of initial N was released within 30 years. The results suggest that decomposing stems of especially Scots pine and Norway spruce retain N rather effectively in boreal forest ecosystems and form a long-term, small but steady N pool with a slow release rate.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingwen Zhang ◽  
Hongfang Ji ◽  
Mingduo Yang ◽  
Hanjun Ma

Abstract Influences of mung bean starches treated with different high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the properties of batters and crusts from deep-fried pork nuggets were explored. HHP-treated starch increased water retention capacity of batter and consequently the batter pick-up. The increase in pressure at 150–450 MPa could facilitate hydration and swelling of starch granules during gelatinization. The crusts containing HHP-treated starches had higher moisture and less oil content, and the oil content was 15.82 g/100 g dry weight (DW) for 450 MPa treated starch, which was much lower than that of native starch (18.39 g/100 g DW) (p<0.05). Additionally, HHP-treated starches changed the crispness of crusts with increases in the slope and decrease in the shearing distance. Results indicated that mung bean starch treated with HHP in the range of 150–450 MPa could improve the quality of deep-fried battered food.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document