The impact of soil preparation method on water-table depth in Irish forest plantations on wet mineral soils.

Abstract

The impact of a range of soil preparation treatments on water-table depth in surface water gley soils was investigated. Although water-table levels were lowered for brief periods during the winter months, generally soil preparation did not have a big impact upon soil water levels in the types of wet mineral soils investigated at the study sites. Mound drains were found to lower the water-table during the winter for a distance of only 3 m from the drain. Mole drainage, however, when used on a suitable site, did lower the water-table uniformly. These results indicate that mole drainage may be more effective in lowering the water-table on these site types than mechanical mounding. However, continued evaluation of these experiments is required to assess the long-term effectiveness of the different soil preparation methods in lowering the water-table depth and improving tree stability.