Impact of Arginine Containing Fertilizer on Nitrogen Isotope Ratio and Elemental Content in Young Conifer Stands

Abstract

A balance between forest growth and deforestation must be maintained to ensure sustainable wood production. Faster forest growth increases the economic benefit and to achieve faster forest growth it should be provided with nutrients from which one of the most important is nitrogen. In this study, nitrogen isotope ratio and elemental concentrations were determined in samples of pine needles, which were collected in plots where nitrogen-containing soil improver (arginine phosphate) was used, as well as in plots without additional nitrogen input. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of arginine-containing soil improvers on the nitrogen and other element content in pine needles harvested from selected plots. The obtained results indicate that arginine phosphate fertilizer was taken up by pine seedlings - an increase in nitrogen (0.05% for control samples and 0.7% for samples applied with a soil improver) and a decrease in nitrogen isotope ratio were observed.