Response to fertilization Fertilization is a silvicultural treatment that can be effectively used to increase the merchantable yield and value of established forests. By adding nutrients that are limited on a site, fertilizers can improve the growth of individual stands. However, with knowledge of the timber supply profile and the timing and magnitude of wood supply needs, fertilization can also be strategically used to accelerate the development of specific age classes and timber types. This is done to facilitate an even supply of wood at the forest level. The response of a forest stand to fertilization is best considered as a reduction in rotation length.
Fertilization accelerates the rate of stand development.
A fertilized crop will therefore generally not differ significantly from a non-fertilized crop grown over a longer rotation. Although fertilizers are normally applied to accelerate stand development, an alternative objective is the rehabilitation of disturbed sites. Secondary roads and landings may experience excessive soil disturbance. Rehabilitation of these areas may require the application of fertilizer to promote a cover crop and reduce erosion. Procedures for rehabilitating sites can be found in Soil Disturbance Rehabilitation Guidebook .