Aust. J. Soil Res.

, 1986, 24, 95-102

Characteristics of Soil and Productivity of Pinus radiata (D. Don) in New South Wales. I. Relative Importance of Soil Physical and Chemical Parameters*
N. D. ~ u r v e y A., B. ~ u d r and J. ~ u r n e r ~ ~ a ~
*Forestry Section, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3052. "New South Wales Forestry Commission, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000.

Abstract The objectives of the study were to determine whether selected soil physical and chemical parameters could be used as predictors of site and the productivity of Pinus radiata (D. Don). The study was carried out in the Lithgow district of New South Wales. Sixty plots were located in first-rotation unthinned stands of P. radiata of age 11 years. None of the stands had received fertilizer. The stands were selected to cover a wide range of merchantable volume production (0-175 m3 ha-'), and were located on a range of geological types including siltstone, medium-grained quartz sandstone, conglomerate, and rhyolitic tuff and lava. Soil depth was positively correlated, and per cent sand negatively correlated with all stand production variables. No other soil physical-or chemical variables were correlated consistently with stand variables. Discriminant analysis was used to test for the ability of a selected subset of soil physical and chemical variables to discriminate (a) between three volume production classes, and (b) between three geological groups. Soil depth, per cent sand, and total nitrogen contributed to two functions which discriminated between volume production groups. Cation exchange capacity, Bray phosphorus, per cent sand, exchangeable sodium, and total nitrogen contributed to two functions which discriminated between geological groups. Thus soil physical parameters were predominant in discriminating between volume production groups, and soil chemical parameters were predominant in discriminating between geological groups.

Introduction The need to define soil parameters which affect wood production arises from the economic advantages of improved silvicultural management of plantations and improved prediction of wood volume and piece size production over a planted estate stratified on a pertinent pedological basis (Turvey 1980, 1983). Knowledge of the relative importance of soil parameters restricting tree growth should allow for subsequent amelioration of site restrictions and improvement in yield on poorer sites. Site definition using soil surveys based on criteria observable in the field are cheap, on a per hectare basis, relative to other silvicultural costs, but the costs of soil surveys based on criteria measurable only in a laboratory are much more expensive (Burrough et al. 1971; Turvey 1984.) Thus the unit area cost and overall cost of a soil survey can be reduced and the survey made more effective if important soil parameters observable in the field are defined as delineators of site.

* An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Symposium, 'Soil physical factors and forest tree growth', Forestry Section, University of Melbourne, Creswick, Vic., 20-21 August 1984.

N. D. Turvey et al.

In the management of forest areas varying quantities of information are required on soils, and hence differing resources and survey techniques are needed to obtain it (Turner 1985). Within any one geographical region of broadly similar climate, the relative importance of a range of soil parameters for defining site may vary according to geological variation and the range of resultant weathering products. Thus within such a region the parameters of soil depth, soil texture, nutrient status, organic matter etc. will vary with one another across lithologies. Soil parent material as a delineator of forest productivity or other forest management activity can provide a relatively cheap classification, since geological maps are often readily available for otherwise pedologically unmapped forest areas. Turner and Holmes (1985) showed that at Sunny Corner and Hampton State Forests there were significant differences in productivity between soil parent materials, but there was also considerable overlap. The objectives of this present study were to determine the relative importance of selected soil physical and chemical parameters as discriminators between lithologies and between growth classes of Pinus radiata in Sunny Corner and Hampton State Forests, N.S.W.
Methods
The Sunny Corner and Hampton State P,radiata plantations in the Lithgow district of New South Wales (Fig. 1) were selected for the study since these forests covered a range of both lithologies and productivities of P. radiata. The forests are approximately 140 km west of Sydney at an elevation of 1200 m. The mean annual rainfall for the forests is approximately 1020 mm; the mean maximum and minimum temperatures are 16.2OC and 4.1C.

& Corner

Sunny

Fig. 1. Location of study areas.

Ten study areas were established on seven geological types shown in Table 1; three of the geological types each had two study areas on them. Six 0.04 ha plots were installed in each of the 10 study areas in unthinned stands of P. radiata age 11 years. At each study site the plantations were established on land which had been cleared of existing native forest vegetation and the debris broadcast burnt immediately prior to planting the pine trees. Initial stocking was considered to be nominally uniform at 1500 stems ha-', and the plantations received no fertilizer or weed control treatments.

Soil Characteristics and Pine Productivity. I

The diameter at breast height over bark (dhhob) was measured for all trees in each of the plots. The heights of the 10 tallest trees in each plot were also measured. A composite surface (0-8 cm) soil sample consisting of 15 sub samples was taken from random locations in each plot. Chemical analyses of the soils were carried out according to Lambert (1976). Table 1. Description of soil parent materials surveyed Geological group
-

Location Sunny Corner S.F.

Geological type Silurian-Devonian rhyolitic tuffs and lavas Silurian-Devonian siltstone Devonian grey-green porphyritic rhyolitic lavas and crystal tuffs very similar to those in the Crudine Group Devoniadlight grey, medium grained quartz sandstone DevonianAight grey, medium grained quartz sandstone

Plots established
2

Crudine Group

Merrions Tuff

Lambie Group lower unit Hampton S.F. Lambie Group lower unit

Sunny Corner S.F.

Chesleigh formation Upper Silurian/brown, - upper unit grey-purple siltstones Chesleigh formation Lower Silurian/boulder - conglomerate conglomerate plus minor conglomerate sandstone Shoalhaven Group Poorly cemented, coarse grained conglomerates

Hampton S.F.

Soil depth was defined as depth to a layer which would impede root penetration. This included lithic contact, chemically precipitated pans, apedal clay with bulk density > 1.5 Mg m e 3 , and gley colours or standing water. Litter samples were taken from each plot using 0.1 m2 steel rings. Total litter weights were determined, together with the weight of needle component. A correlation matrix of all variables showed many variables to be intercorrelated. The number of variables was reduced by factor analysis. The smaller subset of representative variables was used in discriminant analysis to examine which variables best discriminated between geological types and between wood volume classes.

Results The means, standard deviations, maxima and minima for the measured stand and soil variables are shown in Table 2, and the correlation matrix for these variables is shown in Table 3 . Stand and wood production variables of stocking, dominant height, basal area, and total volume were all correlated significantly with one another. In these relatively young (11 years) and unthinned stands total litter and needle litter were strongly correlated with wood production variables, and were subsequently treated as variables reflecting wood production rather than soil nutrient status. Soil depth was positively correlated and per cent sand negatively correlated with all stand variables; no other soil physical or chemical variables were correlated consistently with stand variables.

N. D. Turvey et al.

Soil depth was defined between 0 and 50 cm, and all depths >50 cm grouped with the 50 cm class. Soil depth explained 67% of the variation in dominant height, 50% of the variation in basal area, and 61% of the variation in volume. Inclusion of per cent sand with soil depth did not improve the prediction of volume production.
Table 2. Characteristics of stand growth, soil physical and soil chemical variables Standard deviation

Mean

Minimum Maximum

Stand and growth variables Stems ha-' Dominant height ( m ) Basal area (m2ha- ') Volume (m3ha- I ) Total litter (g m-') Needles (g m-') % Soil % Organic Matter % Clay % Sand Bulk density (Mg m - 3 ) Depth (cm)
1225.42 12.53 22.63 81.70 6829.92 2941.48 73.02 4.76 6.54 73.50 1.38 44.45 308.92 1 83 8.34 39.95 3841.27 1620.31

600.00 6.80 4.90 0.0 685.00 81.00 13.00 1.16 0.40 57.90 1.12 15.00

Soil physical variables

21.58 2.79 2.84 6.40 ~16 9.24

Soil chemical variables (fine-earthfraction) 0.05 0.03 0.11 Total N (Yo) 225.13 95.35 75-00 Total P (ppm) 4.96 0.10 5.03 Bray2 P ( P P ~ ) 2.65 0.10 Exch. Ca cmol ( p + )kg-' 2.86 0.66 0.09 Exch. Mg cmol ( p + )kg0.98 0.07 0.59 0.28 Exch. K cmol ( p + )kg-' 0.07 0.02 Exch. Na cmol ( p + )kg-' 0.08 1.30 0.04 Exch. A1 cmol ( p + )kg-' 1.37 4.70 17.18 7.34 CEC cmol ( p + )kg-' 4.63 5.27 0.44 PH

'

Within the soil chemical variables the group of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and pH were all correlated with each other; total P, Bray2 P, and exchangeable A1 were each correlated with all members of the group but, unexpectedly, not with each other. Other correlations showed expected relationships between soil variables. For example, the contribution of organic matter to cation exchange capacity and total nitrogen was reflected in positive correlations, and cation exchange capacity was also correlated negatively with per cent sand and positively with per cent clay. Soil pH increased with increasing concentrations of exchangeable Ca, Mg and K, total P, and Bray2 available P , and was correlated negatively with exchangeable Al. The number of soil variables was reduced by factor analysis. Eight factors accounted for 86% of the variance; variables with eigenvalues greater than 0.5 (sign ignored) were examined, together with the correlation matrix to form a subset of key variables. This subset included total P, Bray2 available P, exchangeable Na, CEC, total N, per cent sand, and soil depth. The variables thus selected (Table 5) were either intercorrelated with many other variables or showed little correlation with other variables.

Table 3. Correlations between stand growth, soil physical, and soil chemical variables Note: All correlations shown are significant (P < 0-05) unless indicated * where P < 0-01
%

Litter

Needles

Sod

Vo Organic matter

Clay

Sand

Bulk dens~ty

Sod depth

Total
N

Total P

Bray, P

Ca

Mg

Exchangeable K

CEC Na Al

pa

Stems haDominant height Basal area Volume Litter Needles % Soil % Organic matter % Clay % Sand Bulk density Soil depth Total N Total P Bray, P Exch. Ca Exch. Mg Exch. K Exch. Na Exch. Al CEC

0.334' 0.528* 0-598. 0.574* -

0.359' 0.647* 0.700* 0.664* 0,754' -

N. D. Turvey et al.

Three wood volume classes were created. The central group of medium volume was one standard deviation either side of the mean volume; low volume was below and high volume above this class (Table 5). In the first canonical discriminant function soil depth had the greatest loading, and in the second function per cent sand and total N had the greatest loadings. These two functions placed 5 8 . 3 % of plots in their correct classification. Discrimination was weakest for the intermediate volume production class (Table 5).
Table 4. Variables selected for discriminant analysis
Selected variable Soil depth
% sand Total N CEC Brayz avail. P Exch. Na

Correlated variables Stems ha- dominant height, basal area, volume, litter, needles, Y sand o dominant height, basal area, volume, needles, soil depth, % clay CEC, % organic matter, bulk density, total P % soil, total P , % organic matter, % clay, V sand, total N o Exch. Ca, exch. Mg, exch. K, pH, % clay 70organic matter, CEC, exch. A1

',

Table 5.

Grouping of plots into volume production classes using discriminant analysis

Predicted grouping: 1 2
8(88.9~0)~ 0 4 (10%) 20 (50%) 0 4 (36%)

Group and volume production

1 (41.75 m3 ha-') 2 (41.76-121.64 m3 ha-') 3 (121.65 m3 ha- ')
A Percentage

Cases
9 40 11

3
1 (11.1'70) 16 (40%) 7 (64%)

of plots in group shown in brackets.

Table 6. Grouping of plots into geological classes using discriminant analysis

Geological class
1. Devonian quartz sandstone 2. Upper Silurian siltstone 3. Silurian-Devonian rhyolite tuff and lava
A Percentage

Cases
12 12 12

Predicted grouping: 1 2
9 (75%)* 2 (16.7%) 0

3 0

3 (25%)
7 (58.3%)

3 (25%)
9 (75%)

3 (25%)

of plots in groups shown in brackets.

A subset of geological types was selected to test the ability of soil parameters to discriminate between geological types. The subset included those geological types shown in Table 1, which each had two study areas on them, namely, Devonian quartz sandstone, Upper Silurian siltstone and Silurian-Devonian rhyolitic tuff and lava. In the first canonical discriminant function the maximum loadings were for CEC, and Bray2 P, and in the second function the maximum loadings were for per

Soil Characteristics and Pine Productivity. I

cent sand and exchangeable Na with weaker loadings on Bray2 P and total N. These two functions placed 69.4% of plots in their correct geological groups. The most accurate classification of plots was in the Devonian quartz sandstone and the Silurian-Devonian rhyolitic tuff and lava classes (Table 6). Discussion On a more broad geographical framework than that used here it is likely that regional climate will be of primary importance in defining site for P. radiata (Booth and Saunders 1980). Climatic factors were found to be important in the regional site prediction models of Czarnowski et al. (1971) and Jackson and Gifford (1974). However, these studies also showed soil physical and chemical parameters to be important predictive variables; in particular, soil cations, soil P, and soil texture (Czarnowski et al. 1971), and soil N, soil P, and effective soil depth (Jackson and Gifford 1974). On a more restricted geographical framework of forests within one climatic region the relationships between soil parameters and forest productivity become more evident. Thus in the geographically restricted study by Truman et al. (1984) soil phosphorus was shown to be important for forest productivity. Similarly for Riverhead forest in New Zealand Ballard (1971) also found P to be important, together with soil texture and drainage, for forest productivity. In the present study of forest productivity on a limited geographical basis there were many complex interrelationships between the variables used in the analysis. Most of the variables were intercorrelated, and thus data reduction to a smaller representative data set was both successful and useful. In this study area it is clear that soil depth and soil texture sand) are factors which affect wood production most strongly. This result may indicate that soil water storage is a major determinant of forest growth in this area. Apart from total N, none of the other soil chemical parameters used in the discriminant analysis (Table 4) had any influence on the classification of sites into productivity classes. Conversely, placing of sites into geological classes was much more strongly influenced by soil chemical variables, including CEC, Bray2 P, exchangeable Na, total N, and per cent sand. The value of these results is in illustrating the dichotomy between those variables most useful for discriminating between geological classes and those for discriminating between wood production classes. There are tenuous links between both sets, as can be seen from the intercorrelations in Table 3, but overall, soil physical variables are more important in this region for defining sites for P. radiata than are soil chemical variables which reflect geological differences. In this instance geological classes appear on the broad scale analysis to have limited value as a basis for productivity classes which can be best defined predominantly on soil physical criteria observable in the field. However, in the subsequent paper in this series, Ryan (1986) has shown that on a smaller scale within geological boundaries forest productivity is defined much more precisely by the position of the stand within a soil catenary sequence.

References
Ballard, R. (1971). Interrelationships between site factors and productivity of radiata pine at Riverhead Forest, New Zealand. Plant Soil 35, 371-80. Burrough, P. A., Beckett, P . H. T., and Jarvis, M. G. (1971). The relation between cost and utility in soil survey 1-111. J. Soil Sci. 22, 359-94.

N. D. Turvey et al.

Booth, T. H., and Saunders, J. C. (1980). Land evaluation for forestry. Proc. Aust. N.Z. Inst. For. Conf., Rotorua, 1980, pp. 116-23. Czarnowski, M. S., Humphreys, F. R., and Gentle, S. W. (1971). Quantitative expression of site-index in terms of certain soil and climate characteristics of Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in Australia and New Zealand. Ekologia Polska 19, 295-309. Jackson, D. S., and Gifford, H. H. (1974). Environmental variables influencing the increment of radiata pine. 1. Periodic volume increment N.Z. J. For. Sci. 4 , 3-26. Lambert, M. J. (1976). Methods for chemical analysis. For. Comm. N.S.W. Tech. Pap. No 25. Ryan, P. J . (1986). Characterization of soil and productivity of Pinus radiata (D. Don) in N.S.W. 11. Pedogenesis on a range of parent materials Aust. J. Soil Res. 24, 103-13. Truman, R., Humphreys, F. R., and Lambert, M. J . (1983). Prediction of site index for Pinus radiata at Mullions Range State Forest, New South Wales. Aust. For. Res. 13, 207-15. Turner, J . (1984). Site information for plantation establishment and management. Proc. IUFRO Symposium on site and productivity of fast growing plantations. Pretoria and Pietermaritzberg, 30 April-11 May 1984, pp. 125-38. Turner, J., and Holmes, G. I. (1985). Site classification of Pinus radiata plantations in the Lithgow district, New South Wales. For. Ecol. Manage. 12 (in press). Turvey, N. D. (1980). A forest soil survey: 11. The application of soil survey information to forestry operations. Aust. For. 43, 172-77. Turvey, N. D. (1983). Soil type yield curves for Pinus radiata in Gippsland, Victoria. Aust. For. 46, 118-24. Turvey, N. D. (1984). Benefits and costs of soil surveys. Proc. IUFRO Symposium on site and productivity of fast growing plantations. Pretoria and Pietermaritzberg, 30 April-1 1 May, 1984, pp. 139-48.

Manuscript received 24 April 1985, accepted 31 October 1985