Long-term soil hydrological data of a Pleistocene region in North-East Germany

Uwe Georg Schindler

doi:10.18174/odjar.v3i1.15764

Abstract

Long-term soil hydrological studies were carried out at the ZALF Muencheberg Experimental Station. Muencheberg is located in a Pleistocene end moraine landscape in NE Germany about 50 km east of Berlin and 40 km west of the Oder river, the border with Poland. The soils are formed on Pleistocene parent material, classified as Haplic Albeluvisol with a Bt horizon mostly beginning at about 70 cm depth. From 1994-1999 the site was used as arable land managed by different farming systems (integrated, integrated with irrigation, ecological and low input). From 2000 to 2005 the effect of different tillage systems (plough and no till) was investigated. Furthermore, soil water was extracted by use of suction cups for analysing the soil water nitrate concentrations. The data were used for quantifying deep drainage rates and nitrate losses as described in (Schindler and Mueller, 2008 and Schindler et al., 2010). All basic data (soil water content, tension, precipitation, potential evapotranspiration and soil water nitrate concentrations) are accessible via DOI 10.4228/ZALF.1995.282.

Highlights

Soil type, land use and agro-management practices as combined with the climatic conditions are decisive factors for seepage flow and solute leaching (Benson et al, 2006, Köhler et al, 2006, Schindler et al, 2010)
There is a lack of reliable methods and measured values for quantifying deep seepage and solute leaching and predicting the effects of land use and climate changes on the soil water and solute status
The impact of arable management on the water balance and nitrate leaching has been studied at the Müncheberg experimental field in the period between 1994 and 2005

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Land use and agro-management practices as combined with the climatic conditions are decisive factors for seepage flow and solute leaching (Benson et al, 2006, Köhler et al, 2006, Schindler et al, 2010). Soil water content and tension are important hydrologic variables that reflect effects of land surface processes. There is a lack of reliable methods and measured values for quantifying deep seepage and solute leaching and predicting the effects of land use and climate changes on the soil water and solute status. We present the associated soil hydrological data (soil water content, soil water tension, nitrate concentration of the seepage water) down to 3 m depth for the period 1994 to2005. Additional information is given to the soil, weather, agro-management and yields

SITE AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF DATA BASE

ARABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

SOIL HYDROLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS

CONCLUSIONS