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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Seedling size-related functional attributes of Mediterranean forest species are critical traits
to be considered in nursery practices aimed at improving the survival and performance of
seedlings exposed to summer drought in dryland reforestation projects. We looked at how
nursery light regimes and nitrogen fertilization affected the survival and performance of
Pinus pinaster Ait. under contrasting post-planting watering regimes. Seedlings grown in
the nursery for 13 months were given low or high nitrogen doses and exposed to three light
regimes (full sun, medium light and low light). After outplanting, half of the seedlings were
watered fortnightly during the hottest months of the first summer and the other half were
left unwatered. Seedling size-related variables (shoot height, basal diameter, stem volume
and sturdiness quotient) were measured at the beginning and at the end of the study, and
summer drought survival was checked three times. Our results showed that fertilization and
the nursery light regime influenced initial seedling quality and transplant stress. Post-plant-
ing first summer watering also increased seedling survival probability. The medium-light
and especially the full-sunlight regimes in the nursery decreased the probability of seedling
mortality after outplanting. However, a low-light regime in the nursery negatively affected
plant traits and increased the probability of post-planting seedling mortality. In comparison
with low-N seedlings, high-N fertilization increased post-planting stress (evaluated in the
change of sturdiness quotient after one field growth season), but did not affect survival
Description
Keywords
forest restoration light regime nitrogen fertilization post-planting watering survival seedling functional traits
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Al Pavel, M.A., Bravo, F., Ordóñez, C. et al. Linking the effects of nursery light and fertilization and post-transplant first summer irrigation on the field survival and growth of Pinus pinaster seedlings. New Forests (2023).
Publisher
Springer