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Updated: May 30, 2026

Non-radioactive in situ Hybridization Protocol Applicable for Norway Spruce and a Range of Plant Species
Published on: April 17, 2009
Can repeated fertilizer applications to young Norway spruce enhance avian diversity in intensively managed forests?
Lars Edenius1, Grzegorz Mikusiński, Johan Bergh
1Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden. lars.edenius@slu.se
Abstract:
Repeated fertilization of forests to increase biomass production is an environmentally controversial proposal, the effects of which we assessed on breeding birds in stands of young Norway spruce (Picea abies), in an intensively managed forest area in southern Sweden. Our results show that fertilized stands had 38% more species and 21% more individuals than unfertilized stands. Compared with stands under traditional management, the further intensification of forestry by repeated applications of fertilizers thus seemed to enhance species richness and abundance of forest birds. We cannot conclude at this stage whether the response in the bird community was caused by changes in food resources or increased structural complexity in the forest canopy due to the skid roads used for the application of the fertilizers. Future studies should focus on structural and compositional effects of fertilization processes during the entire rotation period and at assessing its effects in a landscape
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