Some Soil Characteristics on Lacquer Tree (<i>Toxicodendron vernicifluum</i>) Stands for the Evaluation of Suitable Plantation Sites

Abstract

4 (2019) Some Soil Characteristics on Lacquer Tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) Stands for the Evaluation of Suitable Plantation Sites. J Jpn For Soc 101: 311-317 Increased supply of lacquer materials is required with a surge in lacquer demands for restoration of national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan. To increase their production, much more lacquer trees (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) must be planted on their suitable plantation sites urgently. In this study, relationships between soil physico-chemical characteristics and growth properties were verified based on the survey data at eight plantations with either rich or poor tree growth, in four prefectures of Japan. Soils of rich growth lands had higher values of cation exchangeable capacities, thicker effective soil layers, and higher contents of soil porosities than those of the poor ones. Moreover, soil profiles with rich growth were generally equivalent to the features of "Moderately moist" soils in "Classification of Forest Soils in Japan (1975) ". Inversely, those with poor growth had the features of "Gley soils" or "Peaty soils", which are generally poorly drainable soils. Those results were corresponded with the soil characteristics of suitable sites for planting lacquer trees which had already been reported by many previous projects of its planting. Relationships between soil pH, textures, and growth properties were not clarified in the present study unlike the reports of previous projects. Because poor growth plantations had the land use histories such as paddy fields without some drainage facilities and grassland with flat topography on the bottom of slope where natural water gathers, it should be strongly paid attention with their land history and topographical characteristics capable of forming high humidity soil conditions when planting the lacquer trees.