Author(s):
Gómez-Rey, M.X. 
; Vasconcelos, E. ; Madeira, M.
Date: 2008
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/5612
Origin: Repositório da UTL
Subject(s): Eucalyptus globulus; harvest residues; nutrient leaching; residue quality; residue management; soil nutrients
Description
Effects of harvest residues on nutrient leaching
and soil chemical properties were studied in a lysimeter
experiment. Treatments were: (A) forest Xoor litter and harvest
residues, other than branches, incorporated into the
soil, (B) as A, but with branches cut in 20 cm long bits and
placed on the soil surface, (C) as B, but with bits incorporated
into the soil, (D) as B, but with branches chopped into
chips, (E) as C, but with branches chopped into chips, (F)
forest Xoor litter and harvest residues on the soil surface,
with branches cut in 20 cm long bits, (G) as F, but with
branches chopped into chips, and (H) absence of harvest
residues (control). Treatments were applied in zero-tension
lysimeters containing 25 kg of soil. Leachates were collected
for a 6-year period. At the end of the experiment,
lysimeters were dismantled and soil was divided in four
layers. Residues, other than branches, increased N leaching,
as compared with the control. Branches on the soil surface
reduced N leaching when cut in chips. Branches incorporated
into the soil reduced leaching independently of their
size. Organic residues on the soil surface showed similar
effect to those incorporated into the soil. However, harvest
residues on the soil surface increased leachate volume, and
reduced Ca and P losses. Such a placement of residues led
to high contents of Ca and P in the 0–5 cm top soil layer Contents of organic C, total N and base cations were not
affected by the treatments.
