The document details the findings from the Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) study, focusing on the impact of various nutrient treatments on soil and foliar responses. It highlights significant increases in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in certain treatments, particularly at the Jeffers Brook site, and notes that calcium silicate (CaSiO3) application elevated foliar silica levels without affecting calcium levels. Additionally, the study concludes that nitrogen treatment enhances sap sweetness, potentially affecting maple syrup production.

1. Four years in: Finally a treatment response in
the MELNHE stands
Adam Wild
Research Assistant, SUNY ESF
Lisa Carper
Student, A. Crosby Kennett High School
Multiple Element Limitation in
Northern Hardwood Ecosystems

2. Multiple Element Limitation in Northern
Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE) sites
Map by: Matt Vadeboncoeur
9 Stands (C1-C9)
24-131 years
since harvest
2 Stands (HBM & HBO)
44 & 104 years since harvest
Separate CaSiO3 & control plot
2 Stands (JBM & JBM)
29 & 114 years since
harvest

3. Map by: Matt Vadeboncoeur
4-5, 50m x 50m plots per stand
3

4. • 5 treatments –
- N as NH4NO3 – 30 kg N/ha/yr
- P as NaH2PO4 – 10 kg P/ha/yr
- N & P as above
- Ca as CaSiO3 – 1150 kg Ca/ha
- Control
• Application began 2011
Fertilization
4

5. Soil pH after a wollastonite Addition

6. Soils were tested in 1998 (pre-treatment) and in 2000
and 2002 (post-treatment)
pH results from Watershed 1 (Cho et al. 2010)

7. Hypothesis
pH will increase in
organic soil

8. Methods
• Soils collected in 2012 from
C1, C6, C8 by Adam
• Re-sampling in 2014 from C1,
C6, C8, HBCa, JBM, JBO

9. Collection Methods
• 2 soil pits in the Ca plot buffer
• 2 soil pits outside the Ca plot for controls
• Depths
 Oe
 0 cm
 5 cm
 10 cm
 15 cm
 20 cm
 25 cm
 30 cm

10. Soil pH
Sampling

11. 2012
C6 C1
C8

12. 2014
C6
C8

13. 2014C6
C8
pH is higher at
0 cm in C6
pH is higher in
the Oe at C8

14. Foliar Results

15. Foliar Nutrient Methods
• Leaves were shot 7/24-7/27/13
in 5 stands: C6, C8, C9, JBM & JBO
• 4 sugar maple trees in each plot
• In addition, 3 yellow birch and 3 American
beech trees were sampled in C8 control and
Ca plots.
• Daniel Conley and Wim Clymans analyzed Si.
Adam analyzed N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, and K at ESF.
15

16. 16
• CRD ANOVA within stands
for each nutrient. Tukey’s
differences are reported for
α = 0.10.
Statistical Analysis

17. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.08p=0.03p=0.60p=0.14p=0.35
b
a ab
ab
ab
a
b
ab
ab
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
N treatment resulted in higher foliar N only at Jeffers Brook.

18. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.04p=0.006p=0.21p=0.23p=0.93
b
ab
ab
a
a
a
ab
c
bc
bc
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
P treatment resulted in higher foliar P only at Jeffers Brook.

19. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.06p=0.93p=0.83p=0.01p=0.55
ab
a
ab
ab
b
a
a
a
a
a
a a
a
a
a
ab
cabc bc
a
a
There were some significant treatment effects on foliar K but they were not consistent.

20. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.18p=0.59p=0.39p=0.12p=0.41
a a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a a
a a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
There were no treatment effects on foliar Mg.

21. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.006p=0.02p=0.21p<0.001p=0.01
a
ab
b
b
b
a
b
ab ab
ab
a
a
a
a
a
ab
bc
c
c
a
b
Ca addition increased foliar Mn in C6, C8, and JBO.

22. C6 C8 C9 JBM JBO
p=0.07
a
a
a
a
a
p=0.7p=0.63p=0.06p=0.99
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
aa
a
There were no treatment effects on foliar Ca.

23. sugar maple
A. beech yellow birch
p=0.001 p=0.001 p=0.01 p=0.02p=0.07 p=0.002
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
b
a
The CaSiO3 addition increased foliar Si in all six stands.

25. 15 35 55 75
Soil P (ug/g soil)
r = 0.22
p =0.42
1.5
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.3
2.5
2.7
2.9
500 1500 2500 3500
Ca (ug/g soil)
r = -0.06
p =0.83
3 5 7 9 11 13
N mineralization (ug/g soil)
Bartlett Mature -C8
Bartlett Mature -C9
Bartlett Mid-C6
Jeffers Mid
Jeffers Mature
r = 0.65
p = 0.007
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
Ca N P
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Foliar Ca (mg/g)
r = -0.03
p = 0.79
0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9
Foliar P (mg/g)
r = -0.25
p = 0.02
5 10 15 20 25
Foliar N (mg/g)
r = 0.16
p = 0.14
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
Ca N P
A
B

26. 15 35 55 75
Soil P (ug/g soil)
r = 0.22
p =0.42
1.5
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.3
2.5
2.7
2.9
500 1500 2500 3500
Ca (ug/g soil)
r = -0.06
p =0.83
3 5 7 9 11 13
N mineralization (ug/g soil)
Bartlett Mature -C8
Bartlett Mature -C9
Bartlett Mid-C6
Jeffers Mid
Jeffers Mature
r = 0.65
p = 0.007
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
Ca N P
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Foliar Ca (mg/g)
r = -0.03
p = 0.79
0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9
Foliar P (mg/g)
r = -0.25
p = 0.02
5 10 15 20 25
Foliar N (mg/g)
r = 0.16
p = 0.14
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
Ca N P
A
B
R² = 0.1429
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5 10 15 20 25
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
Foliar N:P (mg/g)
Bartlett Mature-C8
Bartlett Mature-C9
Bartlett Mid-C6
Jeffers Mid
Jeffers Mature
Higher foliar N:P increases sap sweetness

27. 27

28. 2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
Control N P NP
AverageSapSugarConcentration(%)
p = 0.09
a
a
a
b
Nitrogen increases sap sweetness

29. MELNHE Results Summary
• Foliar N and P treatment response at Jeffers
Brook
• Si is higher in the wollastonite application but
there is no Ca affect
• N increases sap sweetness (more pancakes)

30. • Tree growth?
• Snails?
• Respiration?
• Microbes?
• Seedlings?
• Sapflow?
Will we see a treatment response in…

31. Acknowledgments
• Daniel Conley
• Wim Clymans
• Matt Vadeboncoeur
• Mark Green
• Ruth Yanai
• Michele Pryun
• Shoestring Crews
Citations
• Choe, Y. Driscoll, C.T. Johnson, C.E. Siccama, T.G. 2010. Chemical
changes in soil and soil solution after calcium silicate addition to a
northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry