Effects of Compensatory Fertilization on Pollution-Induced Stress in Scots Pine

We tested the hypothesis that compensatory fertilization of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands polluted by theHarjavalta copper-nickel smelter in SW Finland alleviates thestress imposed by metal-contaminated soils. The treatments inthe experiment consisted of control, liming, slow-release mineral mixture and stand-specific fertilization, which comprised at least methylene urea and ammonium nitrate. Stresswas assessed by needle fluctuating asymmetry (FA) which increases with an increase in developmental instability. Sevenyears after the treatments, we found pronounced variation inboth FA and needle length among study sites (0.5, 2, 4 and 8 km from the smelter) and among treatments. FA increased and needlelength decreased with proximity to the pollution source. Variation in FA was independent of tree size (used as index ofgrowth rate in even-age stand); the effects of the treatmentson needle length, on the other hand, were expressed only inmedium-sized and large trees. Liming best alleviated pollutionstress, while the application of a slow-release mineral mixtureincreased FA by 30%. In pollution-stressed stands FA correlatedpositively with constitutive resin flow but was independent of volume growth. Our findings suggest that physiological stress (indicated by increase in developmental instability) and tree growth or stand productivity are not directly linked to one another, and that some increase in productivity can be achievedwithout the alleviation of pollution-induced stress.