The effects of liming and gypsum applications on a sessile oak (Quercus petraea (M.) Liebl.) stand at La Croix-Scaille (French Ardennes) I. Site characteristics, soil chemistry and aerial biomass
Mr. Bakker et al., The effects of liming and gypsum applications on a sessile oak (Quercus petraea (M.) Liebl.) stand at La Croix-Scaille (French Ardennes) I. Site characteristics, soil chemistry and aerial biomass, PLANT SOIL, 206(1), 1998, pp. 99-108
In a former 45 to 50 year old sessile oak (Quercus petraea (M.) Liebl.) cop
pice mixed with birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia
L.) on a poor acidic forest soil at la Croix-Scaille in the French Ardennes
, several liming amendments were applied in 1990 and 1994. Data on soil and
soil solution composition, as well as stand growth and foliar composition
were collected between 1994 and 1997. All treatments, containing 1.4 t ha(-
1) equivalent of CaO supplied as lime, gypsum or a mixture of the two, resu
lted in an increase of cation exchange capacity and base saturation down to
15 cm and for CaSO4 treatments down to 30 to 45 cm, increases of soil pH a
nd Ca concentration at the surface and a decrease of Al concentration in th
e soil and soil solution in the surface layers. No negative effects like in
creased nitrate or cation leaching were observed. Although Mg nutrition was
not improved by the treatments (not containing Mg), a relative and maintai
ned gain of radial increment of sessile oak in the order of 40% for both li
me and gypsum applied, was observed immediately from the first year on, aft
er the application (1991).