Resource availability at three presumed stages of a heathland succession on the Lüneburger Heide, Germany

Abstract

Abstract. The availability of maj or plant resources was investigated in three vegetation types that were assumed to represent different stages of a secondary succession on heathland on the Lüneburger Heide, northwestern Germany. Canopy transmission and absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil‐water availability, and nutrient (Ca, K, Mg, N, P) availability were monitored with high spatial and temporal resolution in (1) a Calluna vulgaris heathland, (2) a pioneer birch‐pine forest and (3) a late‐successional oak‐beech forest, situated close to each other on comparable geological substrate (diluvial). Mean fractional transmission of PAR during summer decreased from 0.48 in the heathland to 0.04 in the oak‐beech forest while the fractional canopy absorption increased from 0.49 to 0.92.Soil‐water availability as indicated by the soil‐water potential, was significantly influenced by differential canopy interception loss and characteristic rooting patterns in the three vegetation types. Annual mean nutrient concentrations in the equilibrium soil solution were similar or, for some elements, increased from the heathland to the birch‐pine and the oak‐beech forest despite a growing demand. A marked increase was found for the total nutrient pools in the soil‐organic layer between early and late successional vegetation types. On the poor glacial parent material, nutrient pools seem to be strongly dependent on stand productivity and litter production which increased with succession. Thus, for nutrients, facilitation seems to be important in this type of succession.