Effects of long-term fertilisation on soil properties in Scots pine and Norway spruce stands

The response of surface soil after 45- to 52-years to repeated nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation was studied. This study included 30 factorial experiments established in young (5- to 30-year-old) stands using plots of 900 m(2), on average, and by randomising treatments within each experiment. Total amount of N added varied from 534 to 1908 kg ha(-1) and that of P from 69 to 193 kg ha(-1), repeated at every second N fertilisation. Liming was performed twice; in total, 6000 kg ha(-1) of dolomite was applied. Nitrogen fertilisation increased the mass of the organic layer and the amount of carbon and consequently the amounts of most of the elements in the organic layer. In both the organic layer and the 0-10 cm layer of mineral soil, nitrogen fertilisation decreased the C/N ratio and tended to lower pH, although only slightly. Phosphorus fertilisation increased the amounts of P and Ca. Liming increased the total amounts of most elements in the organic layer, except for C and N. We were able to derive models to describe how changes in the chemical properties of the surface soil depended on doses of elements and on site and stand properties.