THE CHANGES OF CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FOREST SOILS IN DRY AND WET SEASONS

건우기에 산림토양의 화학성분의 변화

Cha, Jong Whan (Dept. of Biology, Graduate School, Dong Kuk Univ.) The changes of chemical properties of forest soils in dry and wet seasons. Kor. Jour. Bot. VII(2): 1-8, 1964. Soil selected for the present investigation was collected from a mountain of the Forestry Experiment Station of the vicinity of Seoul. The forest communities studied were three forest and a unplanted soils. The soil samples were obtained from each forest type during dry and wet seasons. And these samples were collected from four horizons of all communities respectively. It was showed that exchangeable hydrogen was increased by rainfall, and total exchangeable base decreased in the same way. The content of nitrogen is washed away by rainfall, especially ammonium nitrogen was highly significant between dry and wet season. On the contrary, organic matter and available phosphorus were of no significant difference between dry and wet seasons. The values of pH appeared a different response in dry and wet seasons according to the plant communities. The needle-leaved forest soils showed more acidity than the broad-leaved forest soils, and the least acidity in open places. All nutrients in soil studied gradually decreased down the profiles. According to statistical analyses of the soil components among all soil horizons, total exchangeable bases in wet season indicated only significant at 1%. Exchangeable hydrogen and organic matter of the soil in dry season was particularly very low with increased depth in the profile. The fertility level of most forested soils selected for the present investigation is low according to chemical tests for available nutrient elements.