The chemical composition of forest soils and their degree of acidity in Central Europe

0507906 - ÚVGZ 2020 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Santrucková, H. - Cienciala, Emil - Kaňa, Jiří - Kopáček, Jiří
The chemical composition of forest soils and their degree of acidity in Central Europe.
Science of the Total Environment. Roč. 687, oct (2019), s. 96-103. ISSN 0048-9697. E-ISSN 1879-1026
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2015075; GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000797; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-12262S; GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_013/0001782; GA ČR GA17-15229S
Research Infrastructure: CzeCOS II - 90061
Institutional support: RVO:86652079 ; RVO:60077344
Keywords : data quality-control * norway spruce * cation-exchange * tree growth * nitrogen * acidification * deposition * aluminum * climate * sulfur * Forest soil * Soil acidification * Cation exchange capacity
OECD category: Ecology; Ecology (BC-A)
Impact factor: 6.551, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Open access with time embargo
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0048969719326464?token=ED9B954EAF2DA9A27AE94EB3E3B93D0B74AD4A424855F9282E319A87F4CD63448F7DA494AF3B283D88AF460EB600F8A6

We conducted an extensive screening of forest soils in the whole area of the Czech Republic to determine their degree of acidification and potential degradation. Soils were sampled at 480 forest sites (in a 7 x 7 km grid covering the entire Czech Republic) from the upper 30-cm layer and included both organic and mineral horizons. Based on values of water extractable pH (pH(H2O)), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation (BS), soils were divided into three categories by their degree of acidity, i.e., non-or-low-acidic (NLA, pH(H2O) >= 4.2, CEC >= 150 meq kg(-1), BS >= 15%), moderately acidic (MA, at least one parameter is below the limits for the NLA category), and strongly acidic (SA, all three parameters are below the limits for the NLA category). Only 11% of sampled soils were classified in the NLA category, while 58% and 31% belonged to the MA and SA category, respectively. The SA soils had median values of pH(H2O), CEC, and BS of 3.9, 102 meq kg(-1), and 10.2%, respectively, and their molar ratios between exchangeable concentrations of base cations to aluminum (BCex/Al-ex) were <0.6, indicating a high likelihood of adverse Al effects on plant growth. Moreover, the SA soils exhibited lowest ratios between extractable nutrients (base cations and phosphorus) and dissolved N (DN), indicating other than N limitation of plant growth at these sites, and elevated risks of reactive N leaching. In contrast, the NLA soils had median values of pH(H2O), CEC, BS and BCex/Al-ex of 5.4, 199 meq kg(-1), 95%, and 0.7 respectively. For these soils, neither adverse effects of Al nor elevated N losses are likely. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0298870