A nutrient balance model (NuBalM) to predict biomass and nitrogen pools in Pinus radiata forests

Forest managers are increasingly required to enhance the productivity and profitability of plantation management while simultaneously reducing the negative ecological effects associated with forest operations. NuBalM (from Nutrient Balance Model) is presented here as a decision support tool that has the potential to assist forest managers in meeting these requirements in Pinus radiata D. Don (radiata pine) plantations. NuBalM incorporates nutrient dynamics and allocation into projections of growth, allowing management techniques to be optimised for productivity and nutrient pool retention over single or multiple rotations.NuBalM was developed using data from biomass, nutrient allocation and soil nutrient dynamics studies conducted in New Zealand radiata pine plantations. The capability of NuBalM to predict stem wood mass based on nitrogen supply and demand was tested against data from multiple trial sites established to examine the effects of variations in stocking, thinning and fertilization regimes. NuBalM satisfactorily predicted stem wood masses across a range of stand ages, with the exception of a trial examining ultra-high applications of nitrogen fertilizer. With the exclusion of the data from this trial, the predicted stem wood masses underestimated the observed figures by a mean value of 1.1 ± 1.0 t ha−1 (95% CI, n = 92).The utility of NuBalM as a tool to predict biomass allocation in radiata pine and nitrogen pools in the forest floor and soil was assessed using comprehensive biomass, nutritional and site data collected from two radiata pine trial sites subjected to differences in organic matter removal at site establishment. NuBalM performed acceptably, generating accurate estimates of stem mass (mean overestimate of 5.5 ± 7.4 t ha−1, 95% CI, n = 6) and total above ground biomass (mean overestimate of 3.1 ± 9.6 t ha−1, 95% CI, n = 6). The effects of organic matter removal and fertilization on total nitrogen pools were also predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy (mean overestimate of 52 ± 53 kg N ha−1, 95% CI, n = 9).From these results we conclude that NuBalM can be utilised to provide projections of productivity and nitrogen pools in radiata pine plantations, and enables the effects of various management practices to be predicted with a reasonable degree of confidence.

► NuBalM accurately predicts variations in P. radiata stem wood mass with management.
► NuBalM accurately predicts total above ground biomass and soil nitrogen pools.
► NuBalM has the potential to optimise productivity by improving nutrient management.