New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Topsoil characteristics of three contrasting New Zealand soils under four
long-term land uses
GRAHAM P. SPARLING
Landcare Research
Private Bag 3127
Hamilton, New Zealand
T. GRAHAM SHEPHERD
Landcare Research
Private Bag 11052
Palmerston North, New Zealand
LOUIS A. SCHIPPER
Landcare Research
Private Bag 3127
Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract Marton (Argillic Perched-gley Pallic, Typic
Endoaqualf), Ohakune (Typic Orthic Allophanic, Typic Hapludand), and Westmere
(Mottled Mafic Melanic, Mollic Hapludalf) soils with differing structural
vulnerability were compared at matched sites under different land uses. Topsoil
samples (0-10 cm) from indigenous forest (>50 yr), permanent pasture (>50
yr), pine plantation (>20 yr), or arable cropping (>13 yr) sites were
characterised using a range of 17 chemical, physical, and biological
properties. Land-use effects masked overall differences in the physical and
chemical properties of the soils, despite their differing mineralogy. However,
the biological properties of respiration, microbial C, and mineralisable N were
generally significantly lower under arable cropping and pine plantations
compared with pastures and indigenous forest. Within each soil type, land use
caused significant but varying effects on soil properties. There was
considerable decline in the physical condition of the Ohakune topsoil under
arable cropping despite the very low vulnerability rating. The findings suggest
that the degradative pressures caused by cropping for carrots on Ohakune soil
were considerably greater than those of cereal cropping on Marton and Westmere
soils. Deteriorating soil physical structure is likely to be the main
limitation to continued arable cropping on Marton and Ohakune soils.
Keywords land use; soil type; structure; forest; pines; crop;
pasture; degradation
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2000, Vol. 43: 569-583
0028-8233/00/4304-0569 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
2000
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1042K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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