PPBio Australasia Metadata SOIL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS

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1 PPBio Australasia Metadata SOIL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS Title: Soil Characteristics at Karawatha Forest Chemical and Physical Analysis Responsibility: Sarah Butler Clay Simpkins APro Jean-Marc Hero (Principle Supervisor) Address: Funding: Brisbane City Council, SEQ Catchments, Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith School of Environment Summary: What is the relative importance of topography, soil, and fire history in influencing tree assemblage and species patterns at the mesoscale, in a subtropical eucalypt forest? Key Words: Soil, Soil Chemistry, Soil Physical Structure, Soil Characteristics. License and Rights of Use: EcoAccess Permit to Collect Scientific Data All PPBio data will be made public within 2 years of collection, as long as those responsible for the collection are credited in any publications that use the data. We recommend that those interested in using these data contact the relevant data collectors to discuss the possibility of co-authorship. It is also suggested that you download and read the PPBio Data Policy and Procedures. (EcoAccess Permit Number WISP ).

2 Geographic Coverage: Data were collected at Karawatha Forest Park over a site approximately 900 ha of mixed eucalypt and wetland forest. Geographic Coordinates: Latitude: Longitude: Temporal Coverage: Samples were collected in the year Collection Methods: Soil samples within each plot were taken at a depth of 10cm at six points (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250m) along the plot midline and bulked to produce a composite sample from the six sub-samples for each plot. Prior to analysis the composite soil samples were dried at room temperature, cleaned of stones and fine roots, and passed through a 2mm sieve according to protocol outlined by Kalra and Maynard (1991). The sieved particulates ( 2mm) were sent to The School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences at University of Queensland (UQ) for further analysis. The samples (33) were packaged in separate bags each containing approximately 50g of soil, and each bag was labelled with the appropriate site/plot name. Analyses included soil size particle distribution (% silt, clay and sand) using the hydrometer method described by Kalra and Maynard (1991). The soil nutrient analyses included ph, Electrical Conductivity (EC), total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorous (P), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), magnesium ions (Mg 2+ ), potassium ions (K + ), sodium ions (Na + ), calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), nitrates (NO 3 - ) and nitrites (NO 4 + ). Soil Analysis Methodology abstracts Undertaken by UQ Handbook section refers to "The Australian Handbook of Soil and Water Chemical Methods", Rayment GE and Higginson FR, Inkata press, ph / EC 1:5 soil water extracts are prepared and mixed for 1 hour. Conductivity and ph electrodes are used to measure the respective properties. Handbook section : 3A1, p15 and 4A1, p17.

3 Colwell P 1:30 soil solution extracts in 0.5 M sodium bicarbonate are prepared and mixed for 16 hrs, with the extracted phosphorous present being determined colorimetrically on centrifuged and filtered extracts using a Pharmacia Ultrospec 2000 spectrophotometer and the ammonium molybdate / ascorbic acid colour reaction with potassium antimonyl tartrate added to control the reaction rate. multiplying by the volume and dividing by the weight. Handbook section : 9B1, p64. Exchangeable bases (Ca, K, Mg and Na) and CEC 1:10 soil solution extracts are prepared in 1 M ammonium chloride and mixed for 1 hr, with the exchangeable bases being determined on centrifuged and filtered extracts using a Varian Vista Pro ICPOES instrument. multiplying by the volume and dividing by the weight. Conversion to meqv or centimoles per unit charge is done by dividing the mg/kg results by the atomic molecular weight and then by dividing again by either 10 for monovalent species (Na and K) or 5 for divalent species (Ca and Mg). The CEC result is the summation of the meqv results for each of the 4 cations. ESP is the sodium percentage of the CEC result, while SAR is the sodium concentration divided by the square root of half the combined results for calcium and magnesium. Handbook section: 15E1, p164. Carbon and nitrogen 0.5 g of sample is weighed out into a ceramic boat and acidified with 5 M HCl to remove any inorganic carbonates that may be present in the sample. The acidified sample is then placed into the induction furnace of a LECO CNS 2000 combustion analyser set at 1100 degrees C and calibrated on EDTA. The carbon present is combusted to CO2 which is determined with an infra red detection cell. The nitrogen present is combusted to N2, NO2 and NO. The oxides are reduced to N2 which is determined quantitatively using a thermal conductivity cell. Calculation: Results are automatically expressed as weight percentages. To convert to mg/kg multiply the Wt % result by Handbook section: 6B3, p36. Ammonium nitrogen 1:10 soil solution extracts in 2 M potassium chloride are prepared and mixed for 1 hr, with the extracted ammonium nitrogen present being determined colorimetrically on centrifuged and filtered extracts using a SEAL AQ2+ colorimetric analyser. The chemistry used is the reaction of ammonia with sodium salicylate and nitroprusside in a weakly alkaline buffer in the presence of free chlorine to produce an easily determinable ammonium salicylate complex using at a wavelength of 650 nm. multiplying by the volume and dividing by the weight. Reference (not in handbook): A manual Colorimetric Procedure for Measuring Ammonium; Baethgen, WE; Commun in Soil Sci Plant Anal; 20 (9 & 10); p 961.

4 Nitrate nitrogen 1:10 soil solution extracts in 2 M potassium chloride are prepared and mixed for 1 hr, with the extracted nitrate nitrogen present being determined colorimetrically on centrifuged and filtered extracts using a SEAL AQ2+ colorimetric analyser. The chemistry used reduces the nitrate to nitrite using a cadmium reduction column and then measures the colour produced by reacting the nitrite with sulfanilamide and NED at 540 nm. multiplying by the volume and dividing by the weight. Handbook section: 7B1, p45. Physical Analysis Undertaken by Sarah Butler Soil particle size and particle distribution was analysed using the Bouyoucos Hydrometer Method outlined in the Methods manual for forest soil and plant analysis by Y. P. Kalra and D. G. Maynard, Forestry Canada, The samples were taken through the steps of the analysis to estimate the relative proportion of clay, silt and sand particles in the soil. Information on the data archives: KarFor_Soil_2007.csv Description of the table attributes: Name of Attribute: Date Definition: When samples were collected Name of Attribute: Location Definition: Place where PPBio grid is located Name of Attribute: Plot Definition: Identifying plot number of each sampling site Name of Attribute: %Clay Definition: Percentage of clay particles in each site sample Name of Attribute: %Silt Definition: Percentage of silt particles in each site sample Name of Attribute: %Sand Definition: Percentage of sand particles in each site sample Name of Attribute: ph Definition: ph of each site sample (1=acid 7=neutral 14=alkaline) Name of Attribute: EC Definition: Electrical Conductivity of each site sample Name of Attribute: Ca (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of calcium ions present in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: K (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of potassium ions in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: Mg (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of magnesium ions in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: Na (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of sodium ions in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: CEC (cmol(+)/kg) Definition: Cation Exchange Capacity, measures is the soil's ability to hold cations by electrical attraction, measured in centimoles of positive charge per kilogram of soil (cmol(+)/kg) Name of Attribute: P (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of phosphorous in each site sample, measured in mg/kg

5 Name of Attribute: C (Wt%) Definition: Percentage of carbon in each site sample Name of Attribute: N (Wt%) Definition: Percentage of nitrogen in each site sample Name of Attribute: NH4-N (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of ammonium nitrogen in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: NO3-N (mg/kg) Definition: Amount of nitrate nitrogen in each site sample, measured in mg/kg Name of Attribute: Soil (g) Definition: Exact weight of each sub sample for each plot Name of Attribute: 1min Definition: First correction for hydrometer reading, correcting for temperature effects Name of Attribute: Correction 23 Degrees Definition: Correction for ambient temperature in laboratory at time of analysis Name of Attribute: 2hrs Definition: Second correction for hydrometer reading, correcting for temperature effects Name of Attribute: Correction 23 Degrees Definition: Correction for ambient temperature in laboratory at time of analysis Name of Attribute: Silt + Clay% Definition: Combined percentage of clay and silt particles in each sub sample Name of Attribute: Clay% Definition: Percentage of clay particles in each sub sample Name of Attribute: Silt% Definition: Percentage of silt particles in each sub sample Name of Attribute: Sand Estimate Definition: Estimated percentage of sand particles, calculated from clay + silt percentages References of Interest: Kalra and Maynard Methods manual for forest soil and plant analysis. Forestry Canada Northwest Region, Northern Forest Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.