Tussock grassland

Ross, D. J. and Speir, T. W. (1979). Biochemical activities of organic soils from subantarctic tussock grasslands on Campbell Island 2 Enzyme activities. N. Z. J. Sci. 22, 173-182. 

Tate, K.R. and Newman, R.H. (1982) Phosphorus fractions of a climosequence of soils in New Zealand tussock grassland. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 14, 1 91 -1 95. 

Davis, M.R. (1 994) Topsoil properties under tussock grassland and adjoining pine forest in Otago, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 37, 455 59. 

Yeates, C.W. and Saggar, S. (1998) Comparison of soil microbial properties and fauna under tussock-grassland and pine plantation. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 28, 523-535. 

ROSS D.J. and McNEILLY B.A. 1975. Studies of a climosequence of soils in tussock grasslands. 3. Nitrogen mineralization and protease activity. New Zealand Journal of Science,... 

ROSS D.J., TATE K.R., CAIRNS A. and MEYRICK K.F. 1981. Fluctuations in microbial biomass indices at different sampling times in soils from tussock grasslands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 1, 109-114. 

Table 1. The amounts of organic C, total P and and available (0.5 M HoSOt,)P in a development sequence of New Zealand zonal soils in tussock grassland.

As a soil develops, P appears in different forms, and both the distribution of P among these forms and the total amount of P present in the soil provides a useful index of the extent of soil development. In a climosequence of New Zealand soils in tussock grassland, for example, total P (P ) mainly declined with increasing soil development (Table 1) with lowest levels in the three podzolised members. The proportion of available P (0.5 M H2SOj -soluble P) also declined across the sequence, while the proportion in organic forms increased. Levels of P that can occur in soils vary widely from near zero to over 0.2%. In some New Zealand soil chronosequences, P levels have been shown to reach a maximum eventually which is maintained up to soil ages of about 20,000 years. Levels then decline as a result of leaching losses, such as occur in the humid tropics. 

Some of the more readily mineralised forms of P in a soil development sequence were recently identified by a P-nmr technique . Orthophosphate diesters, including phospholipids, and phosphonates, but not orthophosphate monoesters, appeared able to supply plant-available P in these mainly undisturbed New Zealand tussock grassland ecosystems, given soil and climatic conditions favourable to P mineralisation. Similarly, orthophosphate diesters were more readily mineralised than monoesters in an old grassland soil after 21 y of bare fallowing, because the diesters declined sharply during this period. ... 

MOLLOY L.F. and BLAKEMORE L.C. 1974. Studies on a climo-sequence of soils in tussock grasslands. 1. Introduction, sites and soils. New Zealand Journal of Science, 20, 167-177. 

Weeds such as rashes, sedges, horsetail, tussock grass and meadowsweet are common in grassland. These weeds usually disappear after drainage. Peat forms in places which have been very wet for a long time. 

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