PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S. J. Hodge
AU  - R. Boswell
AU  - K. Knott
TI  - Development of the Steel Rod Technique for the Assessment of Aeration in Urban Soils
AID  - 10.48044/jauf.1993.045
DP  - 1993 Sep 01
TA  - Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF)
PG  - 281--288
VI  - 19
IP  - 5
4099  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/19/5/281.short
4100  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/19/5/281.full
SO  - JOA1993 Sep 01; 19
AB  - Diagnosis of poor performance in urban trees requires means of evaluating soil aeration. A technique using 60 cm long steel rods inserted into the ground has been developed into an effective and practical means of assessing the vertical and spatial distribution of soil aeration in urban soils; even those covered by hard surfaces. A laboratory study verified the interpretation of the four types of corrosion found on steel rods with respect to soil aeration, although the presence of uncorroded metal could not be clearly related to suitability for root growth. A field study indicated that the best numerical reflections of soil aeration are the total presence of corrosion types indicative of inhospitable soil conditions, and the contrast between inhospitable conditions in the top 30 cm and the bottom 30 cm of the rod.