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Soil changes in different age classes of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on afforested farmland

  • Nutritional Processes in The Soil
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that afforestation changes the content and distribution of soil organic carbon, nutrients and pH in the A-horizon of land previously used in agriculture, and that such soil changes depend on stand development. The investigation was evaluated as a completely randomised design with three treatments representing different age classes of trees: 20 years (Y20), 40 years (Y40) and 55 years (Y55). Eighteen trial plots, six per treatment, were established in plantations of Picea abies (L.) Karst. on soils of similar texture and mineralogy. Tree volume was 220 m3 ha-1 in Y20, 400 in Y40 and 440 m3 ha-1 in Y55.

Concentrations of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were significantly higher in the uppermost part of the soil in the older stands Y40 and Y55 than in Y20. The total amount of organic C in the litter layer plus the top 15 cm of the soil differed between age classes, with Y40 and Y55 having the largest amounts. A reference layer (15–20 cm) was used in calculating the amount of soil C that had accumulated in the horizon since afforestation, being about 10 tonnes ha-1 of C in Y20 and 19 tonnes ha-1 in Y40 and Y55.

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation (BS) was higher in the older stands. Carbon contents and CEC were strongly correlated. In Y40 and Y55, pH was significantly lower than in Y20 in the lower part of the soil horizon. There was a general decrease with depth of C, N, CEC, K+ and Mg2+ in the soil horizon. BS, Ca2+, Na+ and pH showed a somewhat different pattern of distribution, with deceasing values in the upper part of the soil horizon and increasing values in the lower part of the soil horizon.

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Abbreviations

BD:

Bulk density

CEC:

cation exchange capacity

BS:

base saturation

Ca2+ :

calcium ion

Mg2+ :

magnesium ion

K+ :

potassium ion

Na+ :

sodium ion

C:

carbon

Ca a :

accumulated carbon content

C t :

total carbon content

N:

nitrogen

Y20:

age class 20 years

Y40:

age class 40 years

Y55:

age class 55 years

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Soils, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7001, S-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    A. Alriksson & M. T. Olsson

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  1. A. Alriksson
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  2. M. T. Olsson
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Alriksson, A., Olsson, M.T. Soil changes in different age classes of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on afforested farmland. Plant Soil 168, 103–110 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029319

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