Tree species influence on soil acidification: long-term trends and modeling

Abstract

Forest ecosystems belong to the part of environment most affected by the anthropogenic acidification. The structure of Central European forests was historically converted mostly into the Norway spruce monocultures. Such a forests received elevated acidic deposition since 1950s, from which large parts of mountain forests were killed by air pollution in 1970s and 1980s. After reduction of acidic deposition the forest soils were significantly delayed in chemical recovery compared to stream chemistry (Alewell et al., 2000). In this thesis we focused on long-term changes in soil chemistry at highly polluted area of Ore Mts., with particular interest in the tree species influence on soil acidification. The presented results including measurements of biogeochemical cycles within forest ecosystem at the Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.]) stand in the period 1992-2005 and at the European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) stand between 2003-2005. The desorption of previously stored sulfur and the decrease of Ca deposition are the main factors controlling the recovery of soil solution at spruce stand. The reduction in Ca availability resulted in lower uptake by tree assimilatory tissues, measured as concentration in needles. The unexpected disappearing of nitrogen leaching from soil was undoubtedly the most...

Forest ecosystems belong to the part of environment most affected by the anthropogenic acidification. The structure of Central European forests was historically converted mostly into the Norway spruce monocultures. Such a forests received elevated acidic deposition since 1950s, from which large parts of mountain forests were killed by air pollution in 1970s and 1980s. After reduction of acidic deposition the forest soils were significantly delayed in chemical recovery compared to stream chemistry (Alewell et al., 2000). In this thesis we focused on long-term changes in soil chemistry at highly polluted area of Ore Mts., with particular interest in the tree species influence on soil acidification. The presented results including measurements of biogeochemical cycles within forest ecosystem at the Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.]) stand in the period 1992-2005 and at the European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) stand between 2003-2005. The desorption of previously stored sulfur and the decrease of Ca deposition are the main factors controlling the recovery of soil solution at spruce stand. The reduction in Ca availability resulted in lower uptake by tree assimilatory tissues, measured as concentration in needles. The unexpected disappearing of nitrogen leaching from soil was undoubtedly the most...