Douglas-Fir Site Quality and Soil Fertility

Evaluating site quality of large areas of cut-over lands and overmature stands in the Douglas-fir region requires a system of classification based on properties of the soil and associated features of climate and topography. This study of available nutrient levels of some Douglas-fir forest soils is the first phase of an investigation into the possibility of developing such a classification method. The results indicate that on undisturbed soils fertility is not a limiting factor in Douglas-fir growth in the Pacific Northwest.