HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (35) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schipper, L.A. Articles by Sparling, G.P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Schipper, L.A. Articles by Sparling, G.P. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Schipper, L.A. Articles by Sparling, G.P.

DIVISION S-6-SOIL & WATER MANAGEMENT & CONSERVATION

Performance of Soil Condition Indicators Across Taxonomic Groups and Land Uses

^a Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton, New Zealand

sparlingg{at}landcare.cri.nz

Information on soil conditions in New Zealand is needed to assess soil quality at a national scale. We tested a standard set of 16 primary indicators at 29 sites (0–10 cm depth) across nine soil great groups with matched examples of indigenous forest, plantation forest, pastures, and crops. Soils under indigenous forest were acidic (pH 5.5–5.7), low in Olsen P (5–14 µg cm^-3), with high microbial C (814–1228 µg cm^-3), respiration (1.1–1.4 µg C cm^-3 h^-1), total C (31.8–52.9 mg cm^-3), macroporosity (9.6–11.7% v/v), and total available water (29.2–31.5% v/v). Plantation forest soils had generally similar characteristics. Pasture soils were less acidic (pH 5.3–6.9) than forest soils, but with more available P (5.5–43.0 µg cm^-3), higher total C (30.7–141.5 mg cm^-3), total N (2.7–9.0 mg cm^-3), and mineralizable N (68–175 µg cm^-3). The physical condition was similar to forest soils. Cropped soil had low total C (20–34 mg cm^-3), microbial C (160–956 µg cm^-3), respiration (0.29–1.33 µg C cm^-3 h^-1), and total available water (6.7–30.1% v/v), but high pH (5.8–7.2), Olsen P (11.2–199 µg cm^-3), and bulk density (0.96–1.3 g cm^-3). Principal component analysis identified outlier sites and grouped land uses independently of soil great groups. Some indicators were less useful because of high variability (unsaturated hydraulic conductivity), correlation to other indicators (microbial C) or interpretation difficulties (respiration). Overall, the standardized approach provided useful information about soil conditions on a national scale.

Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance • CEC, cation-exchange capacity • CV, coefficient of variance • K_-40, unsaturated conductivity at -40 kPa • PCA, principal components analysis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. N. Moebius-Clune, H. M. van Es, O. J. Idowu, R. R. Schindelbeck, D. J. Moebius-Clune, D. W. Wolfe, G. S. Abawi, J. E. Thies, B. K. Gugino, and R. Lucey Long-Term Effects of Harvesting Maize Stover and Tillage on Soil Quality Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 29, 2008; 72(4): 960 - 969. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Deurer, S. Sivakumaran, S. Ralle, I. Vogeler, I. McIvor, B. Clothier, S. Green, and J. Bachmann A New Method to Quantify the Impact of Soil Carbon Management on Biophysical Soil Properties: The Example of Two Apple Orchard Systems in New Zealand J. Environ. Qual., May 1, 2008; 37(3): 915 - 924. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Zvomuya, H. H. Janzen, F. J. Larney, and B. M. Olson A Long-Term Field Bioassay of Soil Quality Indicators in a Semiarid Environment Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 1, 2008; 72(3): 683 - 692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. R. de Lima, W. Hoogmoed, and L. Brussaard Soil quality assessment in rice production systems: establishing a minimum data set. J. Environ. Qual., March 1, 2008; 37(2): 623 - 630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. R. Lilburne, A. E. Hewitt, G. P. Sparling, and N. Selvarajah Soil Quality in New Zealand: Policy and the Science Response J. Environ. Qual., November 1, 2002; 31(6): 1768 - 1773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. P. Sparling and L. A. Schipper Soil Quality at a National Scale in New Zealand J. Environ. Qual., November 1, 2002; 31(6): 1848 - 1857. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sanchez-Maranon, M. Soriano, G. Delgado, and R. Delgado Soil Quality in Mediterranean Mountain Environments: Effects of Land Use Change Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 1, 2002; 66(3): 948 - 958. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. J. Brejda, D. L. Karlen, J. L. Smith, and D. L. Allan Identification of Regional Soil Quality Factors and Indicators: II. Northern Mississippi Loess Hills and Palouse Prairie Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., November 1, 2000; 64(6): 2125 - 2135. [Abstract] [Full Text]