Abstract Pinus radiata and P. rigida seedlings were grown for 52 days in two soils under three soil-moisture treatments. Daily transpiration losses were recorded and the plants were analyzed for height, weight, Na, Mg, Ca, K, and P at harvesting. Transpiration was lowest in the low soil-moisture treatments. Waterlogging also retarded transpiration. Statistically significant effects due to treatments were shown by certain nutrients and growth parameters. However, there were no consistent treatment effects on growth or nutrient uptake, although the medium soil-moisture treatment was the most favorable in some cases. Phosphorus and water uptake by P. radiata seedlings were studied with radioactive tracers over a 36-hour period. Uptake of tritiated water decreased, but uptake of 32 P per unit uptake of tritiated water increased with increasing soil-moisture tension especially in the high and medium treatments. Both long- and short-term experiments showed that transpiration and nutrient uptake were not positively correlated. Forest Sci. 19:281-288.
J. G. McColl (Sat,) studied this question.