Changes in soil chemistry associated with the establishment of forest gardens on eroded,acidified grassland soils in Sri Lanka

Topsoil properties were determined in forest gardens established about 20 years ago on eroded grassland soils (abandoned tea lands) in the wet zone of the Sri Lankan highlands. They were compared with adjacent, eroded grasslands (abandoned tea lands) on strongly weathered soils vs soils at earlier stages of pedogenic development in a two-way analysis of variance. Soil pH in forest gardens was, on average, 6.1, nearly one unit higher than in the adjacent grasslands. In the garden soils, the cation exchange capacity (CEC measured at pH 4.8) was nearly double, exchangeable calcium concentrations five times and exchangeable magnesium three times as high as in the grasslands soils. Total soil N content was found to be nearly 40% higher in the gardens. Topsoil gravel contents in the gardens were less than half as high as in the grasslands. The increases in exchangeable bases and N in gardens, relative to grasslands, were attributed to increased nutrient retention and acquisition. Higher retention was partly due to the higher CEC_pH4.8, and probably to reduced erosion and increased, continuous fine root density in the garden topsoils. Higher field CEC in gardens was likely to result from generally higher C contents and from the reversal of acidification, presumably caused by base accumulation and decomposition processes. Our results suggest that forest garden establishment on degraded grasslands can lead to accumulation of mobile nutrients in the topsoil, probably due to increased nutrient retention, subsoil uptake and litter input exceeding nutrient uptake by the standing biomass.     

Effects of liming on chemical properties of soil, needle nutrients and growth of Scots pine transplants

The effects of limestone (2.0 and 4.0 Mg ha⁻¹) on chemical properties of soil, nutrient concentrations of needles and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) transplants were investigated on three reforestation areas on infertile acidic sites in southern Finland. The limestone was applied either on the soil surface (unploughed plots) or was mixed into the topsoil (ploughed plots). All the treatments were replicated four times. Surface broadcast of lime elevated the pH in the organic layer and in the 0-10 cm layer of mineral soil. The increase in the pH of the organic layer after 21 years was, on average, 0.7 and 1.1 pH units, with a dose of lime 2 and 4 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. On the ploughed plots, the pH in the uppermost 0-10 cm soil layer was 0.4-0.5 units higher than on the corresponding unlimed plots. Both doses of lime significantly increased the amount of exchangeable Ca and the base saturation (BS) in the topsoil on the ploughed plots, and the amount of exchangeable Ca and Mg, as well as the base saturation (BS) in the organic layer + the 0-10 cm layer of mineral soil on the unploughed plots. Regardless of the techniques used for application of lime, after 21 growing seasons the Ca and Mg concentrations in needles were significantly higher on the limed plots than on the controls. In needles, the Ca/Mn ratio was the best indicator for measuring the response to liming. Only on the unploughed plots did liming increase stand volume and dominant diameter of pines. Intensive disc ploughing produced significantly more stems and increased both stand volume and the dominant height of pines compared to unploughed plots.     

Assessment of sugar maple tree growth in relation to the partitioning of elements in xylem along a soil acidity gradient

Partitioning of elements in tree xylem is being increasingly studied, as it suggests that elements are potentially mobile within the xylem long after their uptake. A recent study revealed that only the most mobile xylem fraction (water-soluble) of base cations (calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg], and potassium [K]) increased at higher soil acidity, while the two mobile fractions (water- and acid-soluble) of acidic metals—potentially phytotoxic aluminium (Al), cadmium (Cd) and manganese (Mn)—were significantly enhanced on very acid soils. The current paper presents an investigation of soil-wood chemistry relationships with basal area tree growth. It was hypothesized that the growth of sugar maple would be reduced by low base cation and high acidic metal concentrations in the xylem mobile fractions. Sugar maple trees (n = 55) from six watersheds in southern Quebec, Canada were analysed by sequential chemical extractions for the water-soluble, acid-soluble and residual fractions of base cations (Ca, K, Mg) and acidic metals (Al, Cd, Mn) in xylem. Generally, tree growth was positively correlated to concentrations of base cations in wood (ρ = 0.27-0.50) and soil (ρ = 0.41-0.67), and negatively correlated to concentrations of acidic metals in wood (ρ = −0.33 to −0.52) and soil (ρ = −0.67). However, these relations differed depending on the element fraction considered. Water- and acid-soluble xylem concentrations of base cations and Al were among the best predictors of growth trends (R² = 0.46-0.51). The relationship between acidic metals and tree growth is further discussed.     

我国滨海酸性硫酸盐土壤中几种不同形态的酸

本研究结果表明,我国滨海酸性硫酸盐土壤中含有大量的黄铁矿,它是一种潜在性酸,氧化后产生硫酸,是这种土壤的主要致酸原因.酸性硫酸盐土壤的pH值很低,一般在3.2至5.5,交换性酸和水解性酸的量很大,一般在0.2至10.5cmol/kg和5.0至31.0cmol/kg.几种形态的酸处于动态平衡,相互制约.随酸性硫酸盐土的剖面发育,黄铁矿的最高含量层、pH值最低层、以及交换性酸和水解性酸的最高含量层都不断向下移动.     

Population densities of clover rhizobia in Texas pastures and response to liming

Summary Clovers are widely used forage legumes on acidic soils in Texas and need inoculation with appropriate rhizobia when first introduced. Acidic soils are not conducive to survival of clover rhizobia. A survey of pastures was undertaken to determine the number of rhizobia present. The effect of liming acidic soils on the survival of clover rhizobia was also evaluated in the laboratory. The number of clover rhizobia was more than 100 cells g^-1 soil in 70% of the pastures surveyed but populations within pastures varied by more than two orders of magnitude. The number of years of clover production beyond 1 year did not affect the rhizobial population density. The soil pH of twelve samples was below 5.0 and six samples had populations of rhizobial lower than 100 g^-1 soil. Eleven out of sixteen samples from fields that had grown clover and had pH values above 6.0 had populations exceeding 1000 g^-1 soil and only three samples had populations lower than 100 g^-1 soil. Incubating indigenous or inoculated rhizobia in well-mixed soils having pH values of 5.1 or below resulted in populations declining to below 10 g^-1 soil in 6 weeks. Mixing of soils with pH values of up to 5.4 induced reduction of rhizobial numbers, possibly by destroying microsites. Liming of soils to increase pH values above 5.5 improved survival of native or inoculated rhizobia in most cases.     

施用碱稳定固体减轻酸性土壤的酸度和铝毒

A pot experiment was catried out to study alleviation of soil acidity and Al toxicity by applying analkaline-stabilised sewage sludge product (biosolids) to an acid clay sandy loam (pH 5.7) and a strongly acidsandy loam (pH 4.5). Barley (Hondeum vulgare L. cv. Forrester) was used as a test crop and was grownin the sewage sludge-amended (33.5 t sludge DM ha^-1) and unamended soils. The results showed that thealka1ine biosloids increased soil pH from 5.7 to 6.9 for the clay sandy loam and from 4.5 to 6.0 for the sandyloam. The sludge product decreased KCl-extractable Al from 0.1 to 0.0 cmol kg^-1 for the former soil and from 4.0 to 0.1 cmol kg^-1 for the latter soil. As a result, barley plants grew much better and grain yield increased greatly in the amended treatments compared with the unamended controls. These observations indicate that alkaline-stabilised biosolids can be used as a liming material for remedying Al phytotoxicity instrongly acid soils by increasing soil pH and lowering Al bioavailability.     

含氨基酸水溶肥料和EM微生物菌剂对设施莴笋生长和品质的影响

以莴笋为供试材料,研究在莴笋叶面喷施、根部灌施EM微生物菌剂和含氨基酸水溶肥料对其植株生长、光合特性、产量和果实品质的影响。本试验设4个处理:不施用任何肥料(CK)、常规施肥处理(T1)、喷施+灌施EM微生物菌剂(T2)、喷施+灌施含氨基酸水溶肥料(T3)。试验结果表明:与对照CK相比,喷施+灌施EM微生物菌剂和喷施+灌施含氨基酸水溶肥料能显著提高莴笋的株高和茎粗,有效促进作物的生长;从光合特性看,T3处理的光合速率、气孔导度、胞间CO2浓度和蒸腾速率均显著优于对照CK,和常规施肥T1相比也有明显提高,说明喷施+灌施含氨基酸水溶肥料能提高莴笋的光合作用。产量上,T3T2T1CK,T1、T2和T3的产量相较于CK的增长幅度分别为20.17%、26.05%、31.65%,T2和T3相较于T1的增长幅度分别达到4.90%和9.99%,T3相较于T2的增长幅度为4.44%,表明EM微生物菌剂和含氨基酸水溶肥料均能提高莴笋的产量,而含氨基酸水溶肥料的效果更佳。     

草炭水溶解态有机质与金属离子络合稳定常数的测定

采用离子交换平衡法测定草炭水溶解态有机质与 Cu2 +、Pb2 +、Zn2 +、Cd2 + 4种金属离子 ,在 2种 p H条件下的络合稳定常数 .结果表明 ,金属离子与草炭水溶解态有机质通常形成混合或多核络合物 ;2种 p H条件下的络合配位数和稳定常数序列均为 :Cu2 + >Pb2 + >Zn2 + >Cd2 + ,高 p H条件下 ,络合配位数和稳定常数均明显增大     

树皮对大气污染和降水酸度的指示作用

通过对南平地区森林降水酸度和化学成分的定位监测，结合１０个树种的树皮浸提液的分析表明，树皮酸化和大气污染之间存在着明显的相互关系。在大气污染较重、降水酸度较高的西芹林场，所有树皮样品的酸度均比对照的福建林学院实验林的高，对碱的缓冲能力也较大。明显酸化的树干茎流影响了林下土壤的酸度。在一定范围内，离树干越近，土壤的酸度越高。因此，树皮对南平地区大气污染和降水酸度具有比较敏感的指示作用。