Phloem Sap and Wood Carbon Isotope Abundance (δ 13 C) Varies with Growth and Wood Density of Eucalyptus globulus under Nutrient Deficit and Inform Supplemental Nutrient Application

Nirmol Kumar Halder, Md. Qumruzzaman Chowdhury, David Fuentes, Malcolm Possell, Benjamin Bradshaw, Sharif A. Mukul () and Andrew Merchant
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Nirmol Kumar Halder: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Md. Qumruzzaman Chowdhury: Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh
David Fuentes: Sydney Mass Spectrometry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Malcolm Possell: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Benjamin Bradshaw: Australian Blue Gum Plantations, P.O. Box 425, Hamilton, VIC 3300, Australia
Sharif A. Mukul: Department of Environment and Development Studies, United International University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Andrew Merchant: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Eucalyptus globulus , commonly known as blue gum or southern blue gum, is a tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia . E. globulus is grown extensively in plantations to improve the sustainability of timber and fibre production across Australia. Sustainable forest management practices necessitate the consideration of ‘off-site’ carbon and ecological footprints. Pursuing optimal supplemental nutrient application and maximum growth rates is therefore critical to the establishment of a sustainable timber and fibre production industry. Biological indicators that can predict growth responses are therefore of extreme value. We investigated the carbon isotope abundance of wood cellulose (δ 13 C cel ) in E. globulus to determine potential relationships with the carbon isotope abundance of phloem sap (δ 13 C phl ) where the trees were subjected to different level of nutrient availability. This study also sought to determine the effect of nutrient additions on the growth of the E. globulus and to quantify the relationship between the volumetric growth of wood and δ 13 C cel . Phloem sap and wood cores were collected from trees within study plots which were subjected to seven nutrient treatments over a two-year period in a monoculture E. globulus plantation in South Australia. Phloem sap was collected using the razor blade technique and wood cores were collected using a stem borer. The carbon isotope abundance (δ 13 C) of phloem sap and wood grown in the radial direction of the stem were determined. The basic and dry densities of wood were determined, and their relationships with phloem and wood δ 13 C were established. The δ 13 C phl was significantly correlated with δ 13 C cel . The relationship between δ 13 C cel and the wood density of the respective wood sections was significant but did not consistently show the same pattern. There was no significant variation in basic density observed along the radial direction of the stem wood of the short-rotation E. globulus trees. A positive correlation was observed between δ 13 C cel and the wood basic density, but the relationship was not consistent along the radial direction of the stem. However, positive correlations were observed between δ 13 C cel and the air-dry density of respective wood sections. The relationship between phloem and wood δ 13 C and the relationship between δ 13 C and wood density along the radial direction of the stem needs to be considered while monitoring forest growth under nutrient- and water-limited conditions.

Keywords: carbon isotope abundance (δ 13 C phl ); cellulose carbon isotope abundance (δ 13 C cel ); nutrient effect; phloem sap; volumetric growth; wood density (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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