Land evaluation for forestry: a study of the land requirements for growing Pinus radiata D. Don in the Basque Country, northern Spain |
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| Authors: | J R Olarieta G Besga R Rodríguez-Ochoa A Aizpurua & A Usón |
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| Institution: | Departament de Medi Ambient i Ciències del Sòl, Universitat de Lleida, Rovira Roure, 177, Lleida 25198, Spain;, Departamento de Agrosistemas y Producción Animal, NEIKER, Berreaga, 1, Derio 48160, Bizkaia, Spain;, and Departamento de Agricultura y Economía Agraria, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Carretera de Cuarte s/n, Huesca 22071, Spain |
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| Abstract: | Land requirements for the growth of Pinus radiata D. Don were studied in 112 plots by comparing site index (SI) values with land characteristics. The SI at the reference age of 20 years ranged from 10.4 to 32.7 m. The growth of Radiata pine increased as soil rootable depth increased, with a mean depth of about 50 cm in plots with an SI higher than 29 m. The results show that soil physical properties had a major influence on growth rates with soils of a loamy texture resulting in higher rates than clay rich soils. Soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability had significant effects on growth on soils developed on non‐volcanic parent material whilst potassium availability was significant in soils on volcanic parent material. There were strong interactions among the land characteristics of each land unit so that the magnitude of the specific effect of a given variable was highly dependent on the values of the others. Results are discussed in relation to land use planning. |
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| Keywords: | Andisols land characteristics land use planning forest soils |
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