Effects of Lime and Wood Ash on Soil-solution Chemistry, Soil Chemistry and Nutritional Status of a Pine Stand in Northern Germany

Abstract

Lime and wood ash may be useful to improve acidic forest soils. A field experiment was conducted in a pine stand on a sandy podzol at Fuhrberg, Germany, which involved an application of dolomitic lime (3 t ha-1) with three replications or wood ash (4.8 t ha-1) without replications on the forest floor. During the 2 yr study period, lime affected the soil solution composition only slightly. Ash had a marked effect on solution chemistry of the mineral soil at 10 cm and the pH values dropped temporarily from 3.7 to 3.1. Nineteen months after the treatments, exchangeable calcium in the organic layer and mineral soil increased by 222 (lime addition) or 411 kg ha-1 (ash addition) and exchangeable magnesium increased by 101 (lime addition) or 39 kg ha-1 (ash addition). After ash addition, no marked change in heavy metal content was found below 4 cm of the organic layer. In the ash treatment, the potassium concentration of the 1-yr-old pine needles increased from 5.6 to 5.9 g kg-1. This study suggests that ash from untreated wood may be recommended for amelioration of forest soils.