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Effects of fertilization and container-type on nutrient uptake and utilization by four subtropical tree seedlings

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Abstract

Seedling quality is important for subtropical tree species endangered by the degradation of natural habitats in southern China. At present, the cultural regime for raising these seedlings involving fertilizer levels and size of container is not clear. In this study, seedlings of three endangered species, red-seed tree (Ormosia hosiei), Zhejiang phoebe (Phoebe chekiangensis), and Zhejiang camphor (Cinnamomum japonicum) were evaluated along with red-bark oak (Cyclobalanopsis gilva) as a reference, a species which is not endangered. Seedlings were raised in 2.8, 3.6, 5.1, and 6.3 L containers and fertilizer applied at 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kg m−3. Seedling height and leaf biomass increased in response to higher fertilizer levels while larger containers resulted in greater stem and root biomass. Root biomass of endangered species seedlings did not respond to neither treatments. Zhejiang phoebe seedlings responded to nitrogen and phosphorus uptake but red-seed tree seedlings were unaffected by any nutrient levels. Red-bark oak seedlings had high nitrogen-use efficiency. Based on the results, it is recommended using at least 5.1 L containers to culture Zhejiang phoebe and Zhejiang camphor seedlings with fertilizer at 3.0 kg m−3. Red-bark oak and red-seed tree seedlings should be cultured with 2.0 kg m−3 in smaller containers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Rongzhou Man and MyaRice, both of them are from Ontario Forest Research Institute in Canada, for the polishing work and suggestions for the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, 311400, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Xiuli Chu & Zhichun Zhou

  2. Experimental Forest Farm of Qingyuan County, Zhejiang Province, Qingyuan, 323800, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Xiuhua Wang, Dongbei Zhang & Xiaolin Wu

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  1. Xiuli Chu
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  2. Xiuhua Wang
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  3. Dongbei Zhang
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  4. Xiaolin Wu
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  5. Zhichun Zhou
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Correspondence to Zhichun Zhou.

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Project funding: This work was supported by “Forestry Science and Technology Cooperation Project between Zhejiang Province and Chinese Academy of Forestry (2017SY19)” and “Fundamental Research Funds of CAF” (CAFYBB2018GC003).

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Corresponding editor: Yanbo Hu.

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Chu, X., Wang, X., Zhang, D. et al. Effects of fertilization and container-type on nutrient uptake and utilization by four subtropical tree seedlings. J. For. Res. 31, 1201–1213 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-019-01070-0

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