Laelatu wooded meadow fertilisation experiment
This experiment has been added by the GLTEN Curators using existing published sources.
- Local identifier
- NATURA 2000 code 6530
- Years operational
- 1961—
- Objective
- The impact of nutrient application on the yield of herbaceous biomass and proportion between functional groups in a wooded meadow, semi-natural grassland.
- Description
- The fertilisation experiment was initiated in 1961 on three randomly selected 10 × 30 m plots per treatment in the continuously managed part of the Laelatu wooded meadow. Until 1981, three different fertilisation loads (0N:26P:50 K, 35N:26P:50 K and 100N:26P:50 K) were used annually on fixed plots, and three plots remained unfertilised throughout the experiment. Nitrogen was applied in two portions: one in spring and one after mowing in July; P and K were spread in autumn only. Mowing was done in early July each year, and the hay was removed.
- Data Access Statement
- Don't know
- Data license
- Don't know
- Data policy
- Don't know
- Organization
- Chair of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciencesresearch organisation
- Person
- Prof Tiiu Kullprincipal investigatorEstonian University of Life SciencesChair of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Site: Laelatu wooded meadow fertilisation experiment
- Local code
- NATURA 2000 code 6530
- Location
- Estonia
- Geographic location
- 58.600583, 23.631522
- Visits permitted?
- No
- History
- This wooded meadow has probably been used for haymaking for more than 200 years, with no record of grazing.
- Soil type
- leptosol
- Soil description
- rendzic leptosol with a hummus layer lying on limestone shingle mixed with coastal sediments
- Soil properties
Variable Depth Value (range) Units Ref year Estimated? Baseline? soil pH 7 humus content 17 – 20 Centimetres 9.2 Percent - Climate properties
Variable Time period Value (range) Units mean air temperature July 17 degree Celsius mean air temperature January -5 degree Celsius average annual precipitation 500 millimeter
Design period: From initiation in 1961 (1961—)
- Description
- The fertilisation experiment was initiated in 1961 on three randomly selected 10 × 30 m plots per treatment in the continuously managed part of the Laelatu wooded meadow. Until 1981, three different fertilisation loads (0N:26P:50 K, 35N:26P:50 K and 100N:26P:50 K) were used annually on fixed plots, and three plots remained unfertilised throughout the experiment (Table 1). Nitrogen was applied in two portions: one in spring and one after mowing in July; P and K were spread in autumn only. Mowing was done in early July each year, and the hay was removed.
- Crop
Crop Years grown grass - Factors
- Factor name
- Factor levels
- nitrogen fertilizer exposure Nitrogen applied in two portions: one in spring and one after mowing in July.
N35 (35 kgN/ha)
N100 (100 kgN/ha)
- phosphate fertilizer exposure P spread in autumn only
P26 (26 kgP/ha)
- potassium fertilizer exposure K spread in autumn only
K50 (50 kgK/ha)
- Factor combinations
- Control no fertilizer exposure
- PK phosphorous and potassium fertilizer exposure
- phosphate fertilizer exposure: P26potassium fertilizer exposure: K50
- PKN1 phosphorous, potassium and low nitrogen fertilizer exposure
- phosphate fertilizer exposure: P26potassium fertilizer exposure: K50nitrogen fertilizer exposure: -
- PKN2 phosphorous, potassium and high nitrogen fertilizer exposure
- phosphate fertilizer exposure: P26potassium fertilizer exposure: K50nitrogen fertilizer exposure: N100
- Control
- Measurements
Variable Material Units Frequency Scale Comment plant biomass Not specified All fieldwork was conducted in the second half of June. After cutting, the biomass samples were transported to the nearby laboratory and sorted by species. After being dried in an oven at 80–85 °C for 24 h, the dry biomass was weighed. functional group ratios Not specified To determine functional group ratios, the biomass of the various plant species was divided into grasses, sedges & rushes (subsequently labelled sedges), legumes and other herbaceous species (subsequently labelled forbs).
Related publications
- Unesco Wooded Meadows http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1854/ [In English]
- "The long-term recovery of a moderately fertilised semi-natural grassland" (2020) Katrin Heinsoo, Marek Sammul, Toomas Kukk, Indrek Melts https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.106744 [In English]