Bibliografía páginas 3929-3930

The sustainability of plantation forests is closely dependent on soil nitrogen availability in short-rotation forests established on low-fertility soils. N2 fixation by A. mangium was quantified in 100A:0E and 50A:100E at age 18 and 30 months by the 15N natural abundance method and in 50A:100E at age 30 months by the 15N dilution method. The consistency of results obtained by isotopic methods was checked against observations of nodulation, Specific Acetylene Reduction Activity (SARA), as well as the dynamics of N accumulation within both species. At age 18 months, higher δ15N values found in A. mangium tree components than in E. grandis components prevented reliable estimations of the percentage of N derived from atmospheric fixation (%Ndfa). At age 30 months, %Ndfa estimated by natural abundance and by 15N dilution amounted to 10–20 and 60%, respectively. The amount of N derived from N2 fixation in the standing biomass was estimated at 62 kg N ha−1 in 100A:0E and 3 kg N ha−1 in 50A:100E by the 15N natural abundance method, and 16 kg N ha−1 in 50A:100E by the 15N dilution method. The total amount of atmospheric N2 fixed since planting was estimated at 66 kg N ha−1 in 100A:0E and 7 kg N ha−1 in 50A:100E by the 15N natural abundance method, and 31 kg N ha−1 in 50A:100E by the 15N dilution method. The most reliable estimation of N2 fixation was likely to be achieved using the 15N dilution method and sampling the whole plant.