Establishing oak woodland on cutaway peatlands: Effects of soil preparation and fertilization

This research was part of a large-scale project investigating various species and silvicultural techniques in order to improve afforestation success on cutaway peatlands in Ireland. Successful establishment, in terms of fast growth and good quality may be hampered on most cutaway peatlands by harsh environmental conditions. The effects of various soil preparation techniques and fertilization rates and methods on the survival, growth and quality of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) were studied in two cutaway peatland sites. Survival of oak was excellent regardless of experimental treatments applied. Phosphatic fertilization had little effect on the early growth of oak but higher fertilizer rates increased foliar P concentrations and improved stem quality. Results from cultivation trials would suggest that mounding should be avoided while deep ploughing would benefit oak performance. Protection from exposure that leads to shoot die-back was found to be critical for oak development. Overall, the hypothesis that oak requires specific silvicultural management techniques adapted to various site conditions of the cutaway peatlands was confirmed.