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New Mexican Locust and Parent Material: Influence on Availability of Soil Macronutrients
Author(s) -
Klemmedson James O.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1995.03615995005900030041x
Subject(s) - locust , soil water , nutrient , agronomy , basalt , hordeum vulgare , robinia , environmental science , chemistry , geology , poaceae , botany , biology , soil science , geochemistry , ecology
The effect of New Mexican locust ( Robinia neomexicana Gray) on availability of soil N, P, K, and S in ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Laws.) forests in central Arizona was studied in stands with either basalt or limestone parent material. Samples of the 0‐ to 15‐cm layer of mineral soil were collected from seven pairs (with and without locust) of randomly located stands (sites), three on limestone and four on basalt. Availability of N, P, K, and S in these soils was determined in a greenhouse pot experiment with barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. var. gustoe ) grown for 42 d. Supply of N and P also was measured in a similar test with ponderosa pine seedlings grown for 270 d. Dry mass yield of test plants was used as the expression of nutrient availability. Barley and pine tests yielded similar results. A significant locust × parent material interaction showed opposite responses to locust presence by soils derived from limestone (positive) and basalt (negative). A highly significant parent material × nutrient interaction reflected low availability of N in limestone soils and low availability of P in basaltic soils. Low supply of P in basaltic soils, probably the result of P fixation, largely explained the locust × parent material interaction.