This study was undertaken to determine both the amount and the
spatial variability of sand, silt, clay, and six fractions of coarse
fragments in soils representing harsh sites for reforestation. Particle size data were collected because of their direct relationship to
water holding capacity and the plantability and survivability of...
Soil pore size distribution and water characteristics are important for water storage, water movement, and soil-plant interaction studies. Laboratory determinations of water characteristics and pore size distribution are time consuming and costly. Investigators have proposed many models to predict them from routinely available data. Most of the models are related...
Xylem conducting tissue or sapwood is an important storage organ
for water, carbohydrates, and nutrients, and this storage helps trees
accommodate environmental change. However, the living ray parenchyma
cells in sapwood, which store the carbohydrates and nutrients,
require energy for maintenance. I examined how sapwood maintenance
costs vary among species,...
Significant post planting mortality of young conifer seedlings often occurs on drought prone sites because seedlings fail to either establish, or maintain favourable water relations. Survival is contingent upon growth which occurs when turgor pressure is above a threshold level. Since growth after planting is influenced by nursery cultural practices,...