M. Szibalski et P. Felix-henningsen, Gradients of soil characteristics at fringe areas of small forest habitatsof the Eastern Munsterland, J PLANT NU, 162(1), 1999, pp. 49-55
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PFLANZENERNAHRUNG UND BODENKUNDE
In four habitats of the Eastern Munsterland transects, perpendicular to sou
th-western exposed forest fringes, were investigated. Subject of the invest
igation was to determine statistically detectable gradients of the followin
g soil properties: C/N-ratio, pH(H2O)- and pH(KCl)-value, ECEC standardize
with respect to the C-org content and the EDTA-extractible fraction of Pb a
nd Zn in the humic layers Of and Oh. Towards the inner forest, the C/N-rati
o increasingly expands, the pH-values and ECEC decrease and the Pb-contents
increase. Zinc does not show a trend concerning a gradient. Differences be
tween the C/N-ratio of the Oh-layer and the Of-layer are obviously a conseq
uence of the N-deposition. Higher pH-values at the forest fringe appear to
be due to the deposition of dust from the field clod. The interception depo
sition caused by the coniferous trees in the inner part of the forest effec
ts lower pH-values than that of the deciduous trees at the forest fringe. T
he Oh-layers have a higher Pb content than the Of-layers because of the spe
cific kind of solution concerning this heavy metal and the change of the si
tuation of deposition during the last years. For the same reasons the Of-la
yers have a higher zinc content than the Oh-layers. The result show that th
e forest fringes of the investigated habitats, in a range of 5-10 m, work a
s a buffer zone for laterally deposited substances.