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Moisture Release Characteristics of Forested Sand Entisols In Northern Lower Michigan¹

ABSTRACT

Forest growth is better on Grayling fine sand than on Grayling medium sand. Moisture release curves were constructed for samples from these two types and for pure sand fractions separated from the samples. Examples of the fine sand soil retained 10% and the medium sand soil retained 7% water by weight at field capacity (.06 atm tension), while both soils retained equal amounts, 2.5%, of water at 15 atm tension. Of the pure sand fractions, very fine sand retained substantially more water at low tensions than did the larger fractions amounting to more than five times the amount of readily available water. The fine sand soil type contained six times the amount of very fine sand fraction than did the medium sand soil type, 12% vs. 2% by weight. Thus, much of the difference in water retention between the two examples is attributed to the very fine sand fraction, probably also accounting for much of the difference in tree growth.

¹ Contribution of the School of Natural Resources, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The research was supported by funds from The Michigan Institute of Science and Technology.

² Professor of Forestry, University of Michigan; and Forester, USDA Forest Service, Milwaukee, Wis., respectively.

Received for publication March 23, 1966. Accepted for publication May 27, 1966.