NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH M. FIELDES DIRECTOR SOIL BUREAU BULLETIN 26(1) SOILS OF NEW ZEALAND PART 1 By the staff of Soil Bureau, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research with contributions from members of Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Extension Division, Department of Agriculture; New Zealand Forest Service; Town and Country Planning Branch, Ministry of Works; and Lincoln College, University of Canterbury. 19 6 8 A. R. SHEARER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Price: $5.50 Editor, Jean Luke Information Service, D.S.I.R. assisted by Janice Heine, Soil Bureau Bibliographic Reference: N.Z. Soil Bureau 1968: Soils of New Zealand. Part 1. N.Z. Soil Bur. Bull. 26(1). @ Crown Copyright 1968 Printed by Whitcombe and Tombs Limited, Christchurch Under authority A.. R. Shearer, Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand-1968 SOILS OF NEW ZEALAND PART 1 Photo, R. Julian FRONTISPIECE: Taita Experimental Station of Soil Bureau, D.S.I.R., consisting of some 200 acres, is situated on the eastern foothills of the Hutt part Station-the (on left) forest (on hill in Valley. Only of the exotic catchment the and the native catchment the central slopes)--is seen this College grounds). photograph. The headquarters of Soil Bureau are in the middle foreground (behind Taita and FOREWORD New Zealand is essentially an agricultural country. Ninety-five per cent of our export income is derived from products of the soil and, with existing trends in population, the Targets Committee of the Agricultural Development Conference production estimates that farm must be increased at an average annual rate of 3 *8 per cent to maintain present standards of living. Soil science has played a vital role in increasing farm production in New Zealand in the past. For example, the correction of deficiencies of both major and minor elements has extended the area that can be profitably farmed, e.g. cobalt deficiency, and has greatly increased yields. To meet the targets for increased exports our soil resources must be used more intensively than in the past, and this will call for more basic research into their properties as a medium for increased pasture and crop production. Different parts of the New Zealand sector have widely differing climatic con- ditions ranging from subantarctic to subtropical, with rainfalls of 12 to 300 inches per annum; this, together with the diversity of parent material, vegetation, and topography, results in a very wide array of soils. Because of the small size of New Zealand (103,000 square miles) it is possible for one man to be familiar at first hand with a range of soils not always encompassed within a continent. This makes it easier to study relations between many different kinds of soil, and the correlations thus established can be of value in interpreting soils in other countries where larger distances make relationships less obvious. This comprehensive bulletin states the basis of New Zealand soil classification, provides precise, detailed information from the main soil disciplines upon a. wide range of New Zealand soils, and relates these data to the soil classification. The results of many aspects of soil research within D.S.I.R. are thus made available as a basis for advisory work and for future soil and agricultural research. No compilation such as this can be more than an interim interpretation in the light of present knowledge. It is not an end in itself but a stocktaking to prepare for new advances. W. M. HAMILTON, Director-General, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 25 January, 1968 3 CONTENTS Page FOREWORD 3 * * * * * * - * - * PREFACE 6 * - * * - - - - * - CHAPTER 1. The Soil Environment (by N. H. Taylor and I. J. Pohlen) 1-1*Introduction- * * * * * * *7 1*2* Geology and Topography 7 - - - * * * - - 1-3- Climate 10 * * - - - * * * * * 1-4* Vegetation 11 * * - - * * - * * * 1*5* Age of the Soils 14 * * - * * * - * * 1-6* References 14 * - * * * * * - * CHAPTER 2. Classification of New Zealand Soils (by N. H. Taylor and I. J. Pohlen) 2-1* Introduction 15 - - - - - - - * * - 2-2* Soil Formation 15 * * * * * Wasting Regime 16 * * * * * - * * * Organic Regime 17 - - - * * - - * Drift Regime 19 - * * * * * * * * 2-3- Principles and Criteria of Genetic Classification 20 - - - - Category I-Basal Forms 20 - * - * * - - Category II-Main Energy Status 22 * - - - - - Category III-(a) Argillisation or (b) The Counter Processes of Accumulation, Removal, and Mixing 23 * * - - - - Category IV-Horizon Development 27 - - - - - - Category V-State of Enleaching 28 - - - - - * Category VI-Parent Material 28 - - - - - - - Category VII-Surface or Subsoil Horizons 28 - - - - - Derivation of Terms 29 - - * * * - * * 2-4- Genetic Names 29 * * - * * * * * 2-5* The Classification Zonally Arranged 30 - * * * - 2-6- Use ofSoil-Moisture Classes in Phasic Subdivisions 32 - - - - Dry Classes 32 * * * * - - - - * Moist Classes 32 * - - - - - - - - 2-7- Evaluation of Climate and its Correlation with Soil Groups (by J. E. Cox) 33 - * Elements of Thornthwaite’s Classification (1948) 33 - - - - Proposed Grouping of Climate Stations into Climatic Classes 35 * - - Soils Associated with the Climatic Classes 35 * - * - - Acknowledgment 35 - - - * * - - - 2-8- Provisional Classification of Soil Clays for Use in Phasing Soils (by M. Fieldes) 45 * 2-9* References 45 * * * * * * * * * * CHAPTER 3. Regional Description of New Zealand Soils 3*1* General Introduction (by H. S. Gibbs) 47 * * * - * * 3*2* Soils of North Island (by H. S. Gibbs, J. D. Cowie, W. A. Pidlar) 48 - * - Taupo Bay of Plenty 48 - * - * - * - - - Taranaki Wanganui 52 - - * - - - - * * Manawatu Wellington 54 - - - - - - - - * Wairarapa Gisborne 57 - - * - * - * * - South Auckland 60 - * - - - - - - North Auckland 63 - - - * - - - - - 3-3* Soils of South Island (by J. D. Raeside, C. G. Vucetich, J. E. Cox, J. D. McCraw, M. L. Leamy, E. J. B. Cutler, and H. S. Gibbs) 67 - * - - - North-eastern Region 67 * - - * - * * * Western Region 72 * - - * - - - * - Central Region 75 * - - * - - - - - Eastern Region 79 - - * * - - * - - Southern Region 83 - - - - * * * * 3-4-Bibliography * * * * * - * -87 - 4 CHAPTER 4. Soils and Land Use 4 1 General Pattern of Soils and Land Use (by N. H. Taylor, I. J. Pohlen, and R. H. Scott) 89 - - Zonal Soils 89 - - - - - - * - Intrazonal and Azonal Soils 93 - - * * 4-2- Forestry (by A. L. Poole) 96 - - - - New Zealand as a Tree-growing Country 96 - - - - - Mountainous Areas 97 * - * - - - - - Lowland and Montane Areas 98 - - - - - - - 4-3- The Growth of Ryegrass and White Clover on Untopdressed Soils under Glasshouse Conditions (by J. P. Widdowson and N. Wells) 99 * - - - - Introduction 99 - - - - - - - - - Ryegrass 100 - - - - - - - - * White Clover 100 - - - - - - - - - Plant Growth in Relation to Soil Chemistry 101 - - - - - Growth Values in Relation Site Vegetation 101 to * - - - - Growth Values in Relation Soil Classification 103 to - - - - - Acknowledgments 104 - - - * * - - - 4-4- Changes Induced in the Soil by Pastoral Farming (by T. W. Walker) 104 - - Introduction 104 * * * * * - - - - Ecology of Grass Clover Associations 105 - - - - - - - Nutrient Requirements of Grass Clover Associations 105 - - - - - Induced Soil Changes 106 - - - - - - - - Unimproved Areas 109 - - - - - - - * References 109 - - - - - * - - - 4-5* Some Soil Plant Animal Relationships (by W. B. Healy) 110 * * * * - - 4-6* Soil Erosion and Conservation (by H. S. Gibbs, J.D. Raeside, E. J. B. Cutler, and W. A. Pullar) 112 * - - - - - - - - Introduction 112 * * * - - - * * * Soil Erosion According Soil Groups 113 to - - * - - - Soil Erosion and Community 118 the - - - - - - References 118 * * * - - - * * - 4-7- Town and Country Planning (by J. W. Cox) 119 - - * - Introduction 119 - - - - - - - - - Early Development 119 - - * * * * * * Urban Industry and Population Expansion 119 * - - - - Town and Country Planning Act 120 * * * * * * CHAPTER 5. Soil Classification for Land Use (by H. S. Gibbs) 5 I Introduction 124 - - - - - * - 5-2- Purposes of Classification 125 * - - - * - 5 3 Classification for Pastoral Farming 125 - - - - - * - 5-4- Soil Limitations for Pastoral Farming 127 * - - 5 5 Potential Pastoral Capacity 129 * - - - - - * - 5 6 References 130 - - * * * * * * * * GLOSSARY OF PLANT NAMES USED IN THE TEXT 131 - * - GENERAL INDEX 133 - - - SOILS INDEX 137 - * - * CONTENTS OF PARTS 2 3 141 and * * - - - - MAPS (in pocket) Soil Map of the North Island, New Zealand. I : 1,000,000. (1963) (1963) Soil Map of the South Island, New Zealand. 1 : 1,000,000. Map of the North Island, New Zealand, Showing Soil Classes for Potential Pastoral Use. I : 1,000,000. (1964) Map of the South Island, New Zealand, Showing Soil Classes for Potential Pastoral Use. 1 : 1,000,000. (1965) 5 PREFACE New Zealand, for its size, has an unusually wide in mimeographed form to overseas delegates to the range of soil-forming factors. It is so situated in the Joint Meeting in New Zealand of Commissions Pacific that within its length of a thousand miles IV and V of. the International Society of Soil the climate ranges from subtropical to mild tem- Science in 1962, when there was opportunity for perate and subalpine, and from superhumid to international scrutiny and discussion in the field semi-arid; the topography ranges from the flat during the tours associated with that meeting. surfaces of extensive plains to the steep slopes of Suitable authors agreed to write different sections the high mountains; the