The Role of Nutrients for Improving Seedling Quality in Drylands

JORDI CORTINA University of Alicante Spain [email protected]

DESERTIFICATION: 10-20% = 6 · 106 KM2

Overgrazed alfa grass steppes in Central Tunisia … and S Spain SOILS ARE OFTEN SHALLOW AND NUTRIENT-DEPLEATED

Valdecantos et al. (2006). Annals For. Sci. 63: 249-256 ...AND SEEDLINGS ARE NUTRIENT-LIMITED

1,5

1,3

1,1

0,9

0,10 Pinus halepensis Quercus ilex 0,7 0,5 0,08

Concentración de N (%) 0,3

0,06 0,1 Calizas Margas Calizas Margas 0,04

0,5 Pinus halepensis Quercus ilex

Concentración de P (%) 0,02

0,4 0,00 Calizas Margas Calizas Margas 0,3

0,2

Concentración de K (%) 0,1

0,0 Calizas Margas Calizas Margas

Valdecantos et al. (2006). Annals For. Sci. 63: 249-256 FOREST PLANTATIONS SPAIN 1940-2005

4.6 Mha 0.7 Mha

YEAR

MMA (2005). Anuario de Estadística Forestal.

Algeria Green Belt (1970-2000) – 122.680 ha (Bensaid, 2003) Forest and pastoral plantations PNDAR Algeria (2000-2007) – 390.900 ha (Terramed, 2009) Tunisia PN Reboisement (1990-2000) + PN Investissement dans le Secteur Forestier (2000-2011) – 885.000 ha (Larbi Chakroune, 2003) Morocco 20th century – 508.000 ha (Sabir, 2003) Total afforested/reforested Magreb – 2,000.000 ha (Le Houérou, 2000) 1927 Ricote Valley (Murcia) DGB-INIA 1994 Ricote Valley (Murcia) ...WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT IN +100 YEARS?

Agost Site Indicators of Success

PARTICIPATIVE INTEGRATED EVALUATION 1. Aquifer recharge 2. Biodiversity 3. Soil conservation 4. Soil quality 5. Employment 6. cover 7. C sequestration 8. Fire risk 9. Productivity value 10. Touristic value 11. Landscape aesthetic 12. Cultural value 13. Flood prevention ... SEEDLING QUALITY IS IMPORTANT

120 Same site P. pinaster 100 Q. ilex Same year P. halepensis 80 but... 60

40

20 Nursery 1 – 20%

MORTALITY - NURSERY 1 0 Nursery 2 – 80% 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 MORTALITY - NURSERY 2

Cortina et al. (2006). MMA BIGGER SEEDLINGS PERFORM BETTER, BUT NOT ALWAYS

Quercus ilex ballota 100 100 90 80 80 70 60 60 50 40 40 30 20 20

SUPERVIVENCIA (%) SUPERVIVENCIA 10 0 0 <4 4-8 8-12 12-16 16-20 >20 <16 16-21 21-26 >26 CLASES DE ALTURA (cm) CLASES DE ALTURA (cm)

Cortina et al. (2000). EC Report EUR 19303. SEEDLINGS FREQUENTLY ADJUST IN THE FIELD STRONG MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT REGIMES

Pistacia lentiscus

Tetraclinis articulata

SRF (0’8 g L-1) 160 ppm N 80 ppm N Micro def Harden P def N def STRONG MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT REGIMES

25 25 18

30Rhamnus alaternus lycioides 16 Tetraclinis articulata 20 20 14 Pistacia lentiscus 12 15 15 25 10

8 10 10 Alturacm Alturacm Alturacm FLL:6 Slow Release Fertilizer

4 5 20 5

OPT:2 Optimum

0 0 0 FLL15 OPT MDP SOP END PNP NDP FLL OPT MDP SOP END PNP NDP MDP: MicronutrientFLL OPT MDP SOP ENDdeficiencyPNP NDP Tratamientos Tratamientos Tratamientos SOP: Suboptimum 10 FLL: Fertilizante Liberación lenta 30 END:25 Nutrient hardening

StemHeight (cm) Pistacia lentiscus OPT: Optimo Quercus coccifera 25 PNP:20 Phosphorus deficiency 5 MDP: Deficiencia micronutrientes 20 SOP: Suboptimo NDP:15 Nitrogen deficiency 15

0 END: Endurecimiento 10 Alturacm 10 Alturacm FLL OPT MDP SOPPNP: DeficienciaEND FósforoPNP NDP 5 5 TreatmentsNDP: Deficiencia Nitrógeno 0 0 FLL OPT MDP SOP END PNP NDP FLL OPT MDP SOP END PNP NDP Tratamientos Tratamientos

Trubat et al. (2011). Ecol. Eng. 37: 1164–1173 Albatera (Alicante, SE SPain). Semiarid 1000 ha-1 - 40 x 40 x 40 cm planting holes – backhoe spider SMALLER SEEDLINGS PERFORMED BETTER

120 120 120 Pistacia lentiscus June 2003 Rhamnus alaternus Tetraclinis articulata October 2003 100 January 2004 100 * 100 October 2005 * * * * 80 80 * 80 * * * 60 60 60 * Survival rate (%) rate Survival 40 (%) rate Survival 40 Survival rate (%) rate Survival 40

20 20 20

0 0 0 CON DEF SRF PFD NDF CON DEF SRF PFD NDF CON DEF SRF PFD NDF

120 120 Quercus coccifera Rhamnus lycioides

100 100

* 80 80

60 60 * * Survival rate (%) rate Survival Survival rate (%) rate Survival 40 40

20 20

0 0 CON DEF SRF PFD NDF CON DEF SRF PFD NDF Trubat et al. (2011). Ecol. Eng. 37: 1164–1173 SMALLER SEEDLINGS PERFORMED BETTER

Rhamnus lycioides Tetraclinis articulata Pistacia lentiscus 1,0 1,0 1,0 Odds Ratio = 0.842 Odds Ratio = 0.804 Odds Ratio = 0.845 p = 0.008 p < 0.001 p < 0.001 0,8 IC 95%: 0.74 - 0.95 IC 95%: 0.78 - 0.91 0,8 IC 95 %: 0.72 - 0.89 2 0,8 2 R = 0.09 R2 = 0.208 R = 0.24 0,6

0,6 0,6

0,4

0,4 0,4 0,2

Probabilityof seedling survival 0,2 Probabilityof seedling survival 0,2 Probabilityof seedling survival 0,0

0,0 0,0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Height (cm) Height (cm) Height (cm)

Quercus coccifera Rhamnus alaternus 1,0 1,0 Odds Ratio = 0.739 Odds Ratio = 0.76 p < 0.001 p < 0.001 0,8 IC 95%: 0.56 - 0.84 2 0,8 IC 95%: 0.69 - 0.84 R = 0.3 R2 = 0.38

0,6 0,6

0,4 0,4

0,2 0,2 Probabilityof seedling survival Probability of seedling survival seedling of Probability 0,0 0,0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Height (cm) Height (cm) Trubat et al. (2011). Ecol. Eng. 37: 1164–1173 HYDRAULIC ARCHITECTURE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CAUSE

) 0,18 -1 0,16 a 0,14 MPa

-1 0,12 0,10 b 0,08 root s root b -2 0,06 0,04

(Kg m (Kg 0,02 R

K 0,00

-1 Control N- P- 0,25

MPa a

-1 0,20 a a

0,15 foliar s

-2 0,10

0,05 (Kmg m (Kmg 0,00 RA

K Control N- P- NUTRIENT HARDENED SEEDLINGS PERFORMED BETTER TOO

STANDARD FERTILIZATION NO AUTUMN N

Trubat et al. (2007). J. Arid Environ. 72: 879-890

CONFOUNDING FACTORS: SIZE VS. NUTRITIONAL STATUS

20

r = 0.726

18

p < 0.001

n = 30 16

14

12

10

8

6

4 Pistacia lentiscus

2

6 8 10 12 14 16 18

-1

Foliar N concentration (mg g ) THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRIENT STATUS: LATE SEASON FERTILIZATION Quercus ilex – Nursery, 1-year-old seedlings Control Late-season NF fertilisation LF

100 mg L-1 N : 44 mg L-1 P : 83 mg L-1 K

NF LF F1.18 p Stem height (cm) 7.8±0.6 7.3±0.4 0.40 0.533 Root collar diameter (mm) 3.2±0.1 3.3±0.2 0.40 0.536 Number of active root tips (RGP) 45.3±4.8 34.3±9.3 1.10 0.307 SPAD (rel. units) 34.9±2.2 41.3±1.4 5.88 0.026 Leaf N (mg g-1) 9.4±0.5 15.7±0.8 44.7 <0.001 Leaf P (mg g-1) 0.37±0.03 1.46±0.20 30.4 <0.001* Leaf K (mg g-1) 2.3±0.3 2.4±0.3 0.04 0.853 Leaf soluble carbohydrates (mg g-1) 76.3±3.1 75.8±3.6 0.01 0.926 Leaf starch (mg g-1) 62.1±8.24 34.9±5.8 7.46 0.013 Stem N (mg g-1) 3.5±0.3 8.5±0.7 46.6 <0.001 Stem P (mg g-1) 0.23±0.01 1.19±0.15 38.8 <0.001* Stem K (mg g-1) 2.9±0.4 2.9±0.2 0.01 0.949 Root N (mg g-1) 5.3±0.3 8.0±1.0 23.8 <0.001 Root P (mg g-1) 0.29±0.01 1.07±0.17 20.3 <0.001* Root K (mg g-1) 2.2±0.2 3.8±0.5 9.4 0.007 Root soluble carbohydrates (mg g-1) 46.8±2.6 45.42±5.3 0.05 0.826 Root starch (mg g-1) 284.2±9.0 318.6±19.8 2.49 0.132 Planted on 16 plots

Mediterranean dry sub-humid conditions Gallinera, Alcalà, Ebo Valleys c. 2,000 ha N Alicante, SE Spain 521-990 mm, 17ºC

NUTRIENT STATUS HAD NO EFFECT ON SURVIVAL

100

80

60

Survival (%) 40 NF LF

20 Quercus ilex

0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Time since 01/01/2008 (julian date) NUTRIENT STATUS HAD A STRONG EFFECT ON EARLY GROWTH

0.350

) 0.300 Quercus ilex LF -1 NF 0.250

0.200

0.150

0.100

RGR (month height in stem 0.050

0.000 Mar08-Jun08 Jun08-Sept08 Sept08-Sept09 Mar08-Sept09 EFFFECT OF SEEDLING QUALITY EXTENDED +10 YEARS

J.A. Alloza CEAM Foundation 1992-1994 (unpubl.) ROOTS GROW SOON AFTER PLANTING

70

C+Cal 60 C+Mar

50 C+Rod

40

30 Fine Root LengthFine (cm)

20

10

0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Time (julian date) ROOTING DEPTH >30-40 CM BEFORE SUMMER DROUGHT rooting depth

seedling survival

Padilla & Pugnaire (2007). Functional Ecology 21: 489–495 HIGHER ARIDITY – HIGHER VARIABILITY

Machado et al. (2011). J. Arid Environ. 75: 1244-1253 HIGH SPATIAL VARIIABILITY IN SEEDLING PERFORMANCE

Abril 1998 (Ia = 1.35) Diciembre 2000 (Ia = 2.69) ) 25 25 ) m m ( 20 20 (

e e t 15 15 t r r o 10 10 o N 5 5 N 0 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Este (m) Este (m) Low survival High survival

Maestre et al. (2003). Ecosystems 6: 630-643 UNKNOWN DRIVERS OF SEEDLING PERFORMANCE

Cortina et al. (2011). J. Arid. Environ. 75: 1377-1384 SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIMITATIONS OF SEEDLING PRODUCTION

110

100 SOUTH + WEST RIM ) 6 NORTH RIM 90

80

70

60 RURAL POPULATION (x 10 RURAL 50

40 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 YEAR

(FAOSTAT, 2010) Jordi Cortina, [email protected]

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!

Alejandro David Jorge Maria R. Roman José Karen Valdecantos Fuentes Monerris da Silva Trubat Huesca Disante TARGET SEEDLING FOR DRYLANDS

>350 mm

1. Large, balanced, well fertilized seedlings, with high growth potential above and belowground.

< 350 mm

1. Control aboveground biomass  restrict nutrient inputs if necessary

2. Promote belowground biomass and rooting depth  containers +20 cm depth if possible

3. Ensure that nutrient status is good  fertilization immediately pre-planting