Mountain Norway spruce forests: Needle supply and its nutrient content

Soon after bark-beetle attack as well as after clear cutting, grown-up mountain Norway spruce forest cast the following mass of needles: 50–60 kg of dry matter per tree, or 18–20 tons per hectare, containing 8,800–10,000 kg/ha of carbon, 190 to 250 kg/ha of nitrogen, 13–16 kg/ha of phosphorus, 65–91 kg/ha of calcium, 9–13 kg/ha of magnesium and 56–67 kg/ha of potassium. These values were obtained by application of equations assessing needle mass from measured tree and plot parameters, and from chemical analyses of two types of needle material (from living and dead trees).