Fertilization of lodgepole pine trees increased diameter growth but reduced root carbohydrate concentrations

▶ Fertilization increased growth of stem-wood but decreased root starch concentrations-likely because they were consumed by growth related processes. ▶ Root starch concentrations consistently declined with increasing sapwood area, diameter at breast height, height-to-live-crown, and cambial surface area. Thus, larger trees had consistently lower starch reserves than smaller trees. ▶ Vigor index was a poor predictor of carbohydrate reserves when tree size and resource availability varied from site to site. ▶ Variables that reflect both growth and maintenance sinks are more informative predictors of carbohydrate reserves than growth variables on their own.