SOIL QUALITY IN PASTORAL HILL COUNTRY AS INFLUENCED BY THE PRESENCE OF WILLOW (SALIX MATSUDANA × ALBA) TREES (original) (raw)

The benefits of conservation poplars and willows for the stabilization of soil on New Zealand hill country are well recognised, but not so well understood is how these trees may influence soil quality. We tested the hypothesis that soil conservation trees growing on pastoral hill slopes would increase soil organic matter and change the physical properties that are influenced by organic matter (e.g., bulk density (BD)). The study was conducted in December 2010 on hill country sheep and beef farmland approximately 10 km SSW of Waipukurau in Central Hawke's Bay. Transects from three 13-year-old willow trees were marked out in an area where there were no other trees found within 10 m. Intact soil samples (0-15 and 15-30 cm layers) were taken at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 m from each tree. Total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) determined by (LECO Truspec C/N analyser). Labile C and N: extracted using hot (80ºC) water; C and N in extracts determined using a Shimadzu total organic carbon (TOC...