| Abstract: | Impact of liming and fertilization on ionic exchange and chemical composition of soil solutions from four forest sites in the colline region of Hesse Between February 1985 and July 1987 soil seepage experiments were carried out on fertilizer trial plots in mature beech stands of four forest districts of Hesse. Encompassed by this study are in addition the most important results from soil-chemical analyses of the subsequent years 1988 to 1991. Aim of the investigations was to study the influence of liming and K/Mg-fertilization on the chemical composition of soil and soil solution under different site conditions. In the percolated soil solution liming did not led to a significant pH increase in subsequent years. In contrast, in some cases the pH level dropped by 0.1 to 0.2 units on average and Al-concentration increased correspondingly. In most cases, fertilization led to a significant increase in soil solution concentrations of the metal cations potassium, calcium and magnesium, especially at a depth of 50 cm. On those trial plots where a pH decrease was observed, the concentrations of K, Ca and Mg exhibited either a slight or no increase at all. Furthermore on some trial sites with freely drained soils, liming led to a faster mineralisation of the humus layer and thus to an increase of nitrate contents in the percolated soil solution from about 1–2 mg/l to 10–20 mg/l on average. Increased concentrations of sulfate and in most cases also of heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cu. Cd) were observed in the soil solution which was attributed to the mobilizing effect of Ca-fertlization. In general, the mobility of most chemical parameters showed a slight increase following liming and soil tillage. Even after 5 to 8 years considerably higher pH-values and base saturation were evident in limed and fertilized soils, especially in the top 15 cm of soil profiles. |
