Biomass residue incorporation markedly enhances merchantable timber yield, carbon sequestration, and nutrient accumulation in <i>Acacia auriculiformis</i> stands in the Jepara District, Indonesia

Biomass residue after the harvesting process naturally contains amounts of nutrients that can improve soil quality and increase stand productivity. However, the benefits of biomass residue in supporting forest management are rarely documented. This study investigated the effects of added residual biomass on the performance of an Acacia auriculiformis stand. Three levels of treatment were examined in a randomized complete block design, including fertilization without residual biomass addition, residual biomass addition without fertilization, and fertilization combined with residual biomass addition. Survival rate, tree diameter, tree height, timber production, carbon storage, and nutrient accumulation were evaluated. The results indicated significant differences in merchantable wood production, carbon storage, and nutrient accumulation (P < 0.05). The addition of residual biomass combined with fertilization generated significantly higher performance of A. auriculiformis than fertilization without residual biomass addition (P < 0.05), with increasing productivity of 18.8 − 24.5%. Therefore, this study concluded that residual biomass addition had a positive influence on improving the productivity of the A. auriculiformis stand. This treatment can be adopted as a nutrient management strategy in A. auriculiformis stands to minimize fertilizer costs and reduce environmental risks from overuse of fertilizers.