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Project Title: Maximizing the Productivity of Lodgepole Pine and White Spruce in the B.C. Interior by Intensive Fertilization
Project Number: EP 886.13 Installation #8
District: Rocky Mountain Forest District
Location: Coyote Creek
Lat. 49 57 'N - Long. 115 25'W		 Opening # 82G093-104
Principal Researcher: R. P. Brockley
Kalamalka Forestry Centre,
Vernon, BC		 Phone: (250) 260-4768
e-mail:
Rob.Brockley@gov.bc.ca

Objectives:

  • To study the effects of intensive, repeated fertilization on the growth and yield of lodgepole pine and white spruce growing on benchmark sites within major biogeoclimatic zones in the B.C. interior.
  • To document the effects of intensive fertilization on various ecosystem processes.

Experimental Design:

Treatments:

  • control (i.e., not fertilized)
  • ON1 - yearly fertilization to maintain foliar N concentration at 1.4% and other nutrients at "optimum" levels
  • ON2 - yearly fertilization to maintain foliar N concentration at 1.6% and other nutrients at "optimum" levels
  • NB - fertilization every 6 years with (kg/ha): 200N, 1.5B
  • NSB - yearly fertilization every 6 years with (kg/ha): 200N, 50S, 1.5B
  • Complete - fertilization every 6 years with (kg/ha): 200N, 100P, 100K, 50S, 25Mg, 1.5B

Layout:

  • Each treatment is applied to three, 0.164-ha treatment plots (6 treatments * 3 reps/treatment = 18 plots) arranged in a randomized complete block design.
  • The dimensions of each treatment plot are 36.2 x 45.3 m.
  • A 24.2 x 24.2-m measurement plot is offset to one end of each treatment plot.
  • Each measurement plot contains 64 lodgepole pine crop trees which are measured for height and diameter growth on a three-year measurement cycle.
  • The stand regenerated naturally following the Ram Fire in 1985.
  • The stand was juvenile-spaced (hand-pulling) in 1991.
  • The stand density within each treatment plot was reduced to 1100 stems per hectare at the time of installation establishment.

History:

  • 1998 Installation establishment and initial assessments
  • 1999 Fertilized some plots
  • 2000 Fertilized some plots
  • 2001 Fertilized some plots
  • 2001 Reassessment on 3-year schedule.

Status: Active

Reports and Publications:

Brockley, R.P. 2001. Foliar sampling guidelines and nutrient interpretative criteria for lodgepole pine. B.C. Min. For., Research Branch, Victoria. Extension Note 52.

Brockley, R.P. 2001. Fertilization of lodgepole pine in western Canada. In Proc. Enhanced Forest Management: Fertilization and Economics Conference, March 1-2, 2001, Edmonton. pp. 43-54.

Thomson, A, R. Brockley, and J. Saini. 2001. Lodgepole pine foliar nutrient diagnosis and fertilizer advisory system. Online. Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria.

Comments: None.