Establishment of radiata pine on a high altitude second rotation site II. Effect of site preparation on early survival and growth II. Effect of site preparation on early survival and growth

Abstract

Summary In an experiment carried out on a high altitude second rotation site in the central tablelands of New South Wales, the removal of litter and logging slash by raking or burning resulted in increased soil temperatures and reduced frost intensity compared to sites where this material was left as a surface mulch. Radiata pine seedlings planted on raked or burnt sites survived better in the first two years than those planted into a mulch of litter and logging slash. It is suggested that this better survival is due to higher soil temperatures in the spring after planting and a less severe frost climate. Pines on raked sites do not appear to be growing as well as those where litter and slash were burnt. This may be due to the greater loss of nutrients in litter and topsoil from raked sites. A suggested site preparation technique for these high altitude sites would be the rough stacking of large woody debris to allow access, followed by line cultivation through the remaining litter to expose bare mineral soil. The pine seedlings could then be planted into these lines of bare soil. This approach would retain a high proportion of the nutrients in the litter and topsoil on site, where they may be of value to future growth, while ameliorating the soil and frost microclimate in the establishment period.