Iron Forms and Peroxidase Activity in Forest Island Soils

Oxidation-reduction reactions play a key role in ecologically important biogeochemical processes in soil and influence soil chemical, biochemical, and biological properties. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of a forest island located on two kinds of soils on the concentrations of iron forms and peroxidase activity participating in oxidation-reduction processes. The investigations were carried out in the Agroecological Landscape Park in Turew (40 km south of Poznan, Western Polish Lowland, 16°45'E, 52°01'N). The subject of the study was a palace park, which can be considered as a forest island. Part of this forest island is located on mineral soil and another part on mineral-organic soil. Our results showed that the flow of groundwater was accompanied by an increase in peroxidase activity, total iron concentration, and Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions in the mineral soils in most periods of sampling. However, an increase of peroxidase activity and a decrease of total iron concentration and Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions accompanying the flow of groundwater were observed in the mineral-organic soils.