干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Irrigated plantations of Eucalyptus microtheca especially under the existing drought, desertification and expansion of agricultural schemes, stand among the very few options left to meet the increasing demand of the society for energy and other forest products. Soil samples were collected randomly from forest, cultivated and fallow areas. Composite samples were taken from 0-30, 30-60, and 60-90 cm depths. The soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties to examine the effects of the land use practices. No nutrient depletion was detected under Eucalyptus plantation compared to the other two land use practices. Moreover, Eucalyptus in irrigated areas proved to be a successful exotic plantation which avail various forest products. Leguminous trees should be introduced to improve the soil nitrogen. The adverse effect of Eucalyptus plantation on soil nutrients is not universal. It depends mainly on the species, site characteristics and management practices. Research on the adverse effects of Eucalyptus on some crops as well as on the ecology should be encouraged since Eucalyptus is a recommended tree for community forest and agroforestry.