EVALUATING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PINE FORESTS IN THE HINTON–EDSON AREA, ALBERTA, FROM SOIL SURVEY MAPS

Abstract

Effective land use and land management policies are based ideally on data collected from land classification and land evaluation procedures. This paper describes a method employed in classifying and evaluating land for the production of lodge-pole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) in the Hinton–Edson area of Alberta. Initially, a soil survey was conducted in the area. Productivity of various collections of soils was then obtained by statistically comparing soil information derived from the soils map with forest growth information obtained from the continuous forest inventory program of North Western Pulp and Power Limited of Hinton. Results indicate that aspect has minimal effect on pine productivity except for sandy and gravelly soils. General differences in growth were related to soil parent material, climate, drainage, and physiography, and more specific differences were attributed to soil subgroup, soil series, soil reaction, and percent slope. It was realized that pine growth is a function of pedological, landform, and climatological factors, and all must be considered when evaluating productivity.