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3.3.2 Treatment Comparisons <br />`. General soil temperature results in relation to aspect, slope, and <br /> mulch are outlined below. Hypotheses for observed patterns follow. <br /> 3.3.2.1 Slope versus Hulch <br /> a. 4:1 Slopes - North (Appendix C-1 through C-3) <br /> When compared to the control, both mulched plots are cooler is <br />•- the spring at 5® indicating a mulch insulating effect. The <br /> straw mulch plot is also slightly cooler in the fall. Because <br /> of the limited amount of straw present, this result may also <br /> be related to plant cover. At 15®, no mulch effect was <br /> evident. At 25cm, the straw mulch plot was 5 to 7F cooler <br /> than the control throughout the sampling period, while there <br /> vas little difference between the control and excelsior treat- <br />s meat. At 50®, the excelsior treatment was only slightly <br /> cooler than the control with no difference between control and <br />.- straw mulch treatment. When mulches were compared, the straw <br /> treatment was slightly cooler during a portion of the fall at <br /> 5® and in the spring at 15cm. The straw treatment was cooler <br /> than excelsior treatment throughout the sampling period with <br /> greatest differences noted, in the fall. At 50~, this trend <br /> .was reversed with the straw treatment being consistently <br /> warmer. The 5, 15, and 25 ® temperature readings for the <br />• control and excelsior treatments became tightly clustered <br />_. through fall indicating a uniform temperature at lower depths. <br /> b. 4:1 Slopes - South (Appendix C-4 through C-6) <br />i Oa 4:1 south aspect plots there was little difference between <br />. <br /> the control and straw mulch treatments at 5® though the straw <br /> treatment appeared to be slightly less sensitive to air temper- <br /> ature fluctuations. In contrast, the excelsior treatment <br /> averages nearly lOF cooler (greatest differences in early <br />- spring and fall) than, the control at this depth indicating a <br /> mulch effect and is noticeably less sensitive to ambient <br /> fluctuations than the control. There is no benefit of mulch <br /> at the 15, 25, and 50® depths. riulch treatments were warmer <br /> than the control in several eases. It was noted that the 15 <br /> ezcelsior depth temperatures equal or exceed those at 5® <br />18 <br />