An Attractive Solution: Improving the Resilience of White Birch through Magnetic Field Application

Researchers have explored the projected effects of climate change on forests of all types and certain management techniques to address them. Studies discussing forests fires projected impact highlight a severe lack of resiliency in forests globally to climate stresses (Abatzoglou et al., 2025). Magnetic field treatment is a strong prospect for management as it improves photosynthetic capacity, response to abiotic stress and biomass production (Bharati & Severová, 2025). Magnetic field treatment also increases ion uptake/availability, a similar effect as the macrofauna, and biochar have (Morales-Fonseca et al., 2025; Zhang et al., 2023). A few studies have recorded similar improvements in growth metrics and ion absorption in species such as Norway spruce, Silver Birch, Loblolly Pine and Black Poplar, highlighting the possibility of MF treatment in forests (Čėsnienė et al., 2023; Kirdar et al., 2016; Liu et al., 2017; Pauzaite et al., 2018; Rãcuciu et al., n.d.; Yao & Shen, 2015).  As stated by Nyakane, “the inconsistency and contradictory outcomes from the studies appear to indicate that the effects of magnetic fields on plants may be species- specific” this highlights the need for research to be done on understudied families or species such as coniferous trees (2019). Furthermore, as a study by Ramsey highlights the need for studies investigating the possible relief of climate stress due to magnetization, “magnetized water treatments should be evaluated for improving drought tolerance and/or improved disease resistance” (2022). Research needs to pinpoint the most effective method of magnetization for improving tree stability and growth rates.

This experiment aimed to find which of the commonly used methods of MF treatment is the most effective at yielding these results to contribute to the overall efficacy of MF treatments to plantations in the future. Three methods of magnetization were used, the magnetization of the seeds, magnetization of the water and direct magnetic field application. The seeds were separated into three groups, one untreated, one treated with low end field and one treated with high end field. The treated groups were exposed to fields of respective magnitudes 25 and 150 mT strength in field, for 45 minutes, then allowed to germinate, and finally transplanted into 12 celled pots. There were a total of six treatment groups and one control group.

The seedlings (N=120) were placed on a single rack and given 16 hours of light through grow lights per day for one month until the establishment of true leaves. They were watered once a week and all contained in the same environment, exposed to the same temperature and CO2 levels.

Over the next 41 days, each group received treatment as follows:

Control – Received no treatment

S25 –one-time low magnetic field dosage as seed (Helmhotz coils)

S150 –one-time high magnetic field dosage as seed (Neodymium magnet field)

W25 – Irrigated weekly with low dose water (Helmhotz coils)

W150 – Irrigated weekly with high dose water (Neodymium magnet field)

F25 –Daily low dose field (Helmhotz coils 45 min exposure)

F150 –Daily high dose field (Neodymium magnet field 45 min exposure)

Each week measurements of shoot height and vitality were taken for each plant.

After 41 days, each plant was taken out of its cell and weighed to get plant biomass. The collar diameters, root and shoot dry weights were then taken and all trees were dehydrated prior to absorbance and fluorescence measurements.

The initial heights of seedlings from each germination treatment group before direct transplantation is a measure rigour and a seeds ability to outcompete other germinating seeds. The untreated and S150 groups had relatively the same heights with S25 trailing behind. The initial stomatal densities and germination times are also shown for each group. Note that the untreated group germinated a day before the treated groups which germinated both in the same day. Higher stomatal densities are typically linked to faster growth rates which is not reflected in the data. Higher stomatal densities do also occur when a plant is under high stress although this is typically environmental stress like a lack of CO2, which should therefore extend to the other groups as well.

Overall, the initial data was contradictory to the literature and even the latter results. It suggests that magnetic field treatment does not serve to aid in germination speed or rigour and in fact serves to reduce this trait in white birch. This is an unexpected result and is not in accordance with several studies in this field which report higher germination rates for treated seeds.

The change in vitality of the seedlings over the 7 weeks serves as a way of modelling both the overall health of each treatment group (no. of dead, no. of struggling, no. of healthy) The groups treated with high end MF (W150, S150 and F150) all had very little change in vitality, W25 had a large decrease, and the other groups were similar to the control. The growth relative to respective starting heights of every group over 7 weeks is also shown. The groups treated with magnetized water performed the best with the other groups being similar to the control.

The Dicksons Quality Index calculation considers the collar diameter and height as well as the dry weight ratios of the plant. W150 is the highest performing group for this metric with S25 being close and the other groups staying with the control. The chlorophyll fluorescence correlates with higher chlorophyll content, which typically forecasts higher photosynthetic rate. Note the control, W150 and S150 groups are the highest compared to F150 which is very low.

The projected capacity of seedlings to succeed in the field, shows that the W150 treatment has a capacity to increase viability compared to the control. This is also seen with the S25 treatment, providing evidence for MF treatments ability to increase success of seedlings in the field. The W25 group had the highest chlorophyll fluorescence. This shows a significant effect of MF treatment in increasing the chlorophyll content of the plants, which seems to affect the field groups the most.

Overall, the results indicate that water treatment and low field seed treatment are the most successful families of treatment.

MFT has been shown to improve the performance of agricultural plants and some other non-local species of trees in general as well as when exposed to climate stresses (Ali et al., 2025; Hu et al., 2024a; Kataria & Jain, 2019).

This experiment shows that W25 and W150 is the most successful treatment method for Birch trees. It also highlights that 150mT treatment in any method does well to stabilize the trees, keeping them healthy when untreated trees decline in health. It is likely that the optimal magnetic field strength for birch trees treated with magnetized water is somewhere on the scale from 25mT to 150mT.

Forests are extremely vulnerable to climate change but are also one of our largest tools to mitigating its effects. Maintaining healthy and resilient forests using magnetization will in turn preserve habitats and help the environment by absorbing massive amounts of carbon, acting as natural flood protection and providing significant cooling in temperature compared to its surroundings.

These results can be used to treat trees in nursery before planting them in forests, giving them a better chance of survival in the context of aggravating climate scenarios.

Ultimately this serves as a tool to mitigate climate change as our forests serve as habitat protecting biodiversity, carbon sinks, economic resources, contributors to human health and protectors against rising temperatures especially near urban areas.

These results show that magnetized water can be used to treat trees in nursery before planting them in forests, giving them a better chance of survival in the context of aggravating climate scenarios.

The preservation of our forests through magnetization will yield several direct benefits to human society, being a large economic asset, especially in New Brunswick, heathy forests provide economic stability and security, in a time where much of that is threatened by climate change.

This study provides evidence for the possibility of using magnetization of irrigation water to achieve more resilient forests.

I would like to thank the staff at the Natural Resources Canada National Tree Seed Centre in Fredericton. These staff expedited the typically processing time out of enthusiasm to help a young researcher and provided the seeds necessary for my research.

Secondly, I would like to thank Bernie Daigle, retired forester and knowledge exchange leader for Natural Resources Canada. Bernie, who taught me most of what I know about trees/forestry, helped me to choose which species to do my project on as well as gave me several tips on methodology and project design. Thank you Bernie!

Lastly, I would like to thank Gretta Goodine from the Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre. Gretta helped with the logistics of germination and experimentation involving trees. She also helped decide some variables I should look at and with interpretation of results. Her expertise was so helpful in my success. Thank you Gretta!

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