Nutrient Returns from Field-Drying of Logging Residue
1985
Johnson, James E. | Smith, David W. | Stuart, William B.
Increasing interest in utilizing logging residue for fuel has caused concern over additional nutrient removals from the site. On-site drying of the residue may have an ameliorative effect due to nutrient returns during the drying process. To determine nutrient returns from field-dried logging residue, four red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.) trees were felled and skidded into a 2-ha clearcut area. Twig and leaf samples were collected immediately after cutting and after 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks of field-drying. Declines in both P and K concentrations in the leaves and twigs were noted over the drying period. When nutrient returns were computed on a kg ha⁻¹ basis the following returns were observed after 16 weeks of drying: N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were 37, 2, 34, 20, and 2 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. These amounts are similar to those cycled annually in litter-fall in Appalachian mixed oak stands, which indicates that from a nutrient conservation standpoint, summer logging followed by field-drying may be comparable to winter (leaf-off) logging in these stands.
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