Soil Conditions Under Old Field and Forest Cover in Southern Illinois
1973
Rolfe, Gary L. | Boggess, W. R.
A comparison of soil conditions under pine plantations and old fields of the same age was made for three loess-derived soil types in southern Illinois. Native hardwood stands were used for comparing soil changes under the pine and old-field seral stages. Characteristics studied included bulk density; hydraulic conductivity; organic content; pH; and exchangeable Ca, Mg, Na, K, and H. Under native hardwoods organic matter, pH, and exchangeable bases were higher, while bulk density was lower than under pine or old-field cover. Under pine cover bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and exchangeable base levels were improved over old-field conditions, but organic matter was higher under the old-field vegetation. No significant differences were noted in pH. The introduced pine seral stage has considerably ameliorated soil conditions since abandonment from agriculture, and there appears to be a trend toward conditions typical of native hardwood stands.
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