Nitrogen recovery in planted seedlings, competing vegetation, and soil in response to fertilization on a boreal mine reclamation site

Field fertilization during reforestation often yields variable results, particularly on harsh restoration sites. An improved understanding of the recovery of applied nitrogen (N) under different fertilization practices should aid in developing more effective fertilizer prescriptions. We evaluated field establishment of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) seedlings as well as N recovery within planted seedlings, soil, and competing vegetation on a mine reclamation site in the oil sands region of northern Alberta in response to immediately available fertilizer (IAF) and polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) applications. 15N-enriched urea was applied as IAF and as a polymer-coated CRF (20 g N seedling−1 and 4 g N seedling−1, respectively) to each species. Seedling survival, growth, and nutritional status, along with occurrence of competing vegetation and plant and soil 15N recovery were quantified after the first field season. Seedlings receiving CRF exhibited increased diameter and organ dry mass relative to the IAF and control treatments. Both IAF and CRF promoted comparable increases in seedling N status, and fertilizer type did not influence within-seedling 15N allocation. Neither IAF nor CRF affected vegetation cover or dry mass. Recovery of fertilizer-derived 15N was low, with much of the recovered 15N remaining in soils and only small amounts observed in seedlings and competing vegetation for both fertilizer treatments. Findings indicate that directed root zone application of CRF promotes first-year seedling growth and nutritional responses similar to or better than those induced by broadcast IAF applications, but at substantially lower N application rates. Our results suggest that a shift from broadcast IAF to targeted soil applications of CRF may produce similar or improved early seedling growth and nutrient uptake on reclamation sites, while greatly reducing overall quantities of N applied during the regeneration phase, much of which appears to be lost from the site of application regardless of fertilizer type.