Growing societal demand for forest products is pressuring managers to increase productivity from a finite land area, and it is expected that increased supply will come mostly from expansion of intensively managed stands. The USDA Forest Service and numerous collaborators created the Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network of research sites...
Understanding how N availability influences base cation stores is critical for long-term ecosystem sustainability. Indices of nitrogen (N) availability and the distribution of nutrients in plant biomass, soil, and soil water were examined across ten young, unpolluted Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands in the Oregon Coast Range spanning a three-fold soil...
Soil organic carbon (SOC, kg C m-2) is an important component in evaluating global C stores. The nitrogen (TN, kg N m"2) cycle is closely linked to C and understanding its role is also important. Contents and distributions of SOC and TN in soil profiles, to 1-meter depth, were estimated...
Silvicultural canopy gaps are emerging as an alternative management tool to accelerate development of complex forest structure in young, even-aged forests of the Pacific Northwest. I investigated patterns of nitrogen (N) availability along transects through 0.1 and 0.4 ha silvicultural gaps in three 50-70 year old Douglas-fir forests of western...
Soft white winter wheat grown in western Oregon requires a spring application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer for optimum production. Determining the amount of N to apply has been a challenge for growers because wheat is produced in numerous rotations that provide varying amounts of N to the wheat crop. Inadequate...
Soft white winter wheat is grown in western Oregon and requires a spring application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer for optimum production. Determining the amount of N to apply has been a challenge for growers. Wheat obtains N from two sources: soil and fertilizer. Both available and mineralizable N can be...
Rhododendrons and blueberries are popular
plants in home gardens in western Oregon and
Washington. Both are easy to grow in most
gardens, but problems with growth can occur if
the soil is not sufficiently acidic. Even in the
naturally acidic soil west of the Cascade Mountains,
soil often is not...
Soil acidification sometimes is necessary for optimum plant growth
west of the Cascade Mountain Range. Commercial producers of
blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, and other ornamentals may
need to reduce soil pH for optimum production.
Soil acidification is best performed prior to planting; it is much
more difficult in established plantings. No...
Nutrient management plans for crops require estimates of plant-available nitrogen (PAN) provided by application of manure or compost. Recent developments have stimulated interest in utilizing manure nitrogen (N) as a resource. These factors include the following:
• Increased cost of N fertilizers
• Increased value of PAN from manure on...
A better understanding of grass seed crop and soil fertility is necessary to
improve fertilizer practices and preserving water quality in Willamette Valley,
Oregon, where 55% of land-use is in grass seed production that directly impacts
adjacent waterways containing native protected fish species. I determined tillage
effects on soil N...