NRRPC Website - Site Selection

Site Requirements of Common Hardwood Plantation Species in Northern NSW

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Species	Rainfall (mm)	Max. Temp (1)	Min Temp (2)	Frost Days	Preferred Sites	Soil Requirements
Flooded Gum	800 - 2500	25 - 32	3 - 16	0 - few	10 - 600 m asl (3) Moist gullies, fertile lower slopes	Deep, well drained soils of alluvial or volcanic origin
Blackbutt	750 - 2000	22 - 31	5 - 12	0 - few	10 - 300 m asl Moist, mid slopes to ridges	Deep, well drained, aerated soils, prefers sandy loams and loams
Spotted Gum	750 - 1750	22 - 31	1 - 8	0 - 60	0 - 950 m asl Lower slopes and ridges	Prefers heavy textured but well drained soils
Gympie Messmate	550 - 3200	29 - 34	5 - 18	0 - 5	75 - 950 m asl Moist lower slopes	Well drained acidic soils, low to moderate fertility, mainly of volcanic origin
Sydney Blue Gum	700 - 1800	22 - 32	1 - 14	0 - 60	10 - 1100 m asl Gullies to drier upper slopes	Alluvial sandy loams of shale, sandstone or conglomerate parent material
Dunns White Gum	1000 - 1750	27 - 30	0 - 30	20 - 60	300 - 750 m asl Moist valleys and lower slopes	Moist highly fertile soils of basalt origin, will tolerate free draining shales
Blue-leaved Stringybark	700 - 1150	25 - 31	-2 - 6	0 -80	10 - 1000 m asl Gentle to moderate slopes	Mainly of sedement origin
Silvertop Stringybark	800 - 1500	25 - 28	-1 - 3	40 - 70	750 - 1400 m asl Undulating to hilly or ridges	Best on basaltic soils but tolerates well drained granite soils with some clay
Shining Gum	750 - 1500	20 - 28	-3 - 5	50 - 150	600 - 1600 m asl Undulating tablelands and hills	Rich loamy soils over clay, includes bassalt, shist, shale and sandstone types
New Englang Blackbutt	750 - 1800	25 - 30	-2 - 3	40 - 70	40 - 1250 m asl Undulating to hilly terrain	Podsolic soils of granite or basaltic origin, may vary from moderate deep loamy to skeletal soils

Notes:
(1) Mean maximum temperature of the hottest month
(2) Mean minimum temperature of the coldest month
(3) Above sea level

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Site Requirements of Common Softwood Plantation Species in Northern NSW

Species	Rainfall (mm)	Max Temp (1)	Min Temp (2)	Frost Days	Preferred Sites	Soil Requirements
Slash Pine	1000	27	12	Yes	Near sea level to 750 m asl (3) Will grow over a broad range of topography	Sandy, moist soils
Radiata Pine	500 - 1200	25	2	Yes	850 - 1250 m asl Will grow over a broad range of topography	Well drained loams
Hoop Pine	1000	27	12	No	Near sea level to 1000 m asl Prefers ex rainforest sites	Deep well drained and fertile soils
Bunya Pine	1000	27	12	No	150 - 1000 m asl Prefers ex rainforest sites	Deep well drained and fertile soils

Notes:
(1) Mean maximum temperature of the hottest month
(2) Mean minimum temperature of the coldest month
(3) Above sea level

Produced by:
John Macgregor-Skinner NRRDB
Northern New South Wales Forestry Services
Max Egan Centre for Sustainable Tropical Forestry

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Updated: 18th September 2000