Forest site-quality estimation using Forest Ecosystem Classification in Northwestern Ontario

Site index for jack pine, black spruce and trembling aspen was found to be poorly related to soil types described in the Northwestern Ontario Forest Ecosystem Classification (NWO FEC). Statistical analyses showed that average site indices for most soil types and groupings of soil types were not significantly different from each other.Site index varies greatly within presently defined NWO FEC soil types because certain soil and topographic features that are closely related to site index vary greatly within soil types or are not well described by the NWO FEC soil types. These critical soil features have been identified by soil-site studies that show features most closely related to site index usually are surface soil features found within the effective rooting zone of forest trees. These critical features include depth to bedrock, depth to root restricting soil layers, and coarse fragment content and texture of surface soil horizons.Site-quality research in Northwestern Ontario is closely integrated with the NWO FEC program, thus future NWO FEC soil classifications probably will use results from our soil-site research as a basis for soil type revisions. The result will be future soil types that are more closely related to forest site quality and thus to the capability of forest land to produce tree growth.