Nutrient use by three geographic sources of eastern cottonwood

Abstract

Three geographic sources (Louisiana, Mississippi, and southern Illinois) of 11-year-old eastern cottonwood (Populusdeltoides Bartr.) growing in Mississippi, U.S.A., were studied for differences in biomass and nutrient accumulation. The three sources produced about the same biomass (70–80 t/ha (1 short ton = 2000 lb. = 0.907 t; 1 long ton = 2240 lb. = 1.016 t)), but the Louisiana source contained significantly lower N contents in the stems and lower K contents in both the stems and the total tree. Trees originating in Louisiana produced 640 g of dry matter for each 1 g of N found in the tree, compared with 430 g per gram of N for the Illinois source. The Louisiana source produced 430 g of dry matter per gram of K whereas the Illinois source produced about 200 g of biomass per 1 g of K. Thus, the Louisiana source appears to be more efficient in N and K utilization. Data indicate that if this stand were harvested at age 11, the Illinois source would remove 118 kg of N and 284 kg of K per hectare from the site. The Louisiana source would remove only 73 kg of N and 127 kg of K per hectare.