Multiple Element Limitation in
Northern Hardwood Ecosystems
(MELNHE)
Foliar Nutrients 2013
Adam Wild
Ruth Yanai
SUNY ESF

Nitrogen: 30 kg N/ha/yr as
NH4NO3
Phosphorus: 10 kg P/ha/yr as
NaH2PO4
-Applied twice in 2011, 2012 &
2013
Calcium: 1150 kg Ca/ha/yr as
Wollastonite (CaSiO3)
-Applied once in fall 2011
Treatment Design &
Application Rate

Foliar Nutrient Methods
• Leaves were shot 7/24/13-7/27/13
in 5 stands: C6, C8, C9, JBm & JBo.
• We sampled 4 sugar maple trees in
each plot. These were the 2 trees
with the sweetest sap and 2 trees with the
least sweet sap in each plot.
• In addition, 3 yellow birch and 3 American
beech trees were sampled in C8 control and
Ca plots.
• Daniel Conley and Wim Clymans analyzed Si.
Adam analyzed N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, and K at ESF.
3

Gas Exchange Methods
4
• We tested for treatment effects with CRD
ANOVA within stands for each nutrient.
Tukey’s differences are reported for α = 0.10.
Statistical Analysis
• 1 healthy leaf sample from each tree
• LI-COR 6400 XT
• Potential photosynthesis & stomata
conductance
-Thanks to Heidi Asbjornsen &
Katherine Sinacore

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.08p=0.03p=0.60p=0.14p=0.35
b
a ab
ab
ab
a
b
ab
ab
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
N treatment resulted in higher foliar N only at Jeffers Brook.

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.04p=0.006p=0.21p=0.23p=0.93
b
ab
ab
a
a
a
ab
c
bc
bc
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
P treatment resulted in higher foliar P only at Jeffers Brook.

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.06p=0.93p=0.83p=0.01p=0.55
ab
a
ab
ab
b
a
a
a
a
a
a a
a
a
a
ab
cabc bc
a
a
There were some significant treatment effects on foliar K but they were not consistent.

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.18p=0.59p=0.39p=0.12p=0.41
a a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a a
a a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
There were no treatment effects on foliar Mg.

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.006p=0.02p=0.21p<0.001p=0.01
a
ab
b
b
b
a
b
ab ab
ab
a
a
a
a
a
ab
bc
c
c
a
b
Ca addition increased foliar Mn in C6, C8, and JBo.

C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.07
a
a
a
a
a
p=0.7p=0.63p=0.06p=0.99
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
aa
a
There were no treatment effects on foliar Ca.

sugar maple
A. beech yellow birch
p=0.001 p=0.001 p=0.01 p=0.02p=0.07 p=0.002
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
The CaSiO3 addition increased foliar Si in all six stands.

p=0.15 p=0.74p=0.64
C8 Beech C8 Yellow
Birch
Sugar Maple
p=0.06p=0.50p=0.12
Photosynthesis of Control and CaSiO3 Addition Trees

p=0.15 p=0.05p=0.28
C8 Beech C8 Yellow
Birch
Sugar Maple
p=0.58p=0.10 p=0.31