Liming leads to changes in the physical properties of acidified forest soils

IF 2.6 3区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY

Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science Pub Date : 2023-12-11 DOI:10.1002/jpln.202300055

Peter Hartmann, Lelde Jansone, Lucas Mahlau, Martin Maier, Verena Lang, Heike Puhlmann

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Forest liming is a common practice in many German forests, which aims primarily at improving soil chemical properties that have been negatively impacted by acid rain. Effects on physical functions have not yet been studied widely.

Aims

The hypothesis of this study is that chemical changes after liming lead to changes in the physical properties of the humus layer and mineral soil.

Methods

We studied soil physical characteristics (water retention characteristics, air and water permeabilities, and conductivities) of limed and adjacent control plots of sandy to loamy, acidified soils under spruce and beech-dominated stands.

Results

We found differences between limed and control plots, especially in the humus layer and mineral top soil. Here, air capacity values (representing air-filled macropores at −6 kPa) have experienced an increase, while available water capacities (representing the sum of dewatered mesopores between −6 and −1500 kPa) were reduced to a variable extent. These changes in pore size distributions affected gas diffusion as well as gas permeability positively. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was not affected. Below the top mineral soil, a tendency to a reduced macroporosity and gas permeability was observed, but no clear changes were detected.

Conclusions

Small but significant changes of soil physical properties and functions in the humus layer and top mineral soil are discussed to be an indirect effect of forest liming. Liming improves pH and nutrient availability, which in turn should have stimulated activity and abundance of soil fauna, especially earthworms. Where observed, their activity could explain the observed changes in soil physical properties. We believe that effects below the top soil might be due to mobilization and translocation of soil particles and a clogging of pores, but these depths were only studied at three plots. Compared to common liming practices, however, the investigated sites are characterized by significantly higher lime applications. The effects on practice liming areas in forestry praxis are therefore likely to be smaller than in this study.

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石灰化导致酸化森林土壤的物理特性发生变化

森林石灰化是德国许多森林的普遍做法，主要目的是改善受酸雨负面影响的土壤化学性质。对物理功能的影响尚未得到广泛研究。

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来源期刊

Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

8.00%

发文量

审稿时长

8-16 weeks

期刊介绍： Established in 1922, the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (JPNSS) is an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to cover the entire spectrum of plant nutrition and soil science from different scale units, e.g. agroecosystem to natural systems. With its wide scope and focus on soil-plant interactions, JPNSS is one of the leading journals on this topic. Articles in JPNSS include reviews, high-standard original papers, and short communications and represent challenging research of international significance. The Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science is one of the world’s oldest journals. You can trust in a peer-reviewed journal that has been established in the plant and soil science community for almost 100 years. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (ISSN 1436-8730) is published in six volumes per year, by the German Societies of Plant Nutrition (DGP) and Soil Science (DBG). Furthermore, the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science (JPNSS) is a Cooperating Journal of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS). The journal is produced by Wiley-VCH. Topical Divisions of the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science that are receiving increasing attention are: JPNSS – Topical Divisions Special timely focus in interdisciplinarity: - sustainability & critical zone science. Soil-Plant Interactions: - rhizosphere science & soil ecology - pollutant cycling & plant-soil protection - land use & climate change. Soil Science: - soil chemistry & soil physics - soil biology & biogeochemistry - soil genesis & mineralogy. Plant Nutrition: - plant nutritional physiology - nutrient dynamics & soil fertility - ecophysiological aspects of plant nutrition.