The interaction between organic layer and forest growth and forest development on former heathland

Heathland soils are characterized by high acidity and poor nutrient contents. Nutrient availability could then be an important factor in forest growth and development on these soils. The hypothesis to be verified was 1. The enduring change in vegetation composition and production is of great influence especially on the development of the organic layer and on the nutrient distribution between this compartment and the mineral soil, and 2. As a result, forest nutrition and water supply will change during forest growth with consequences for forest development itself. In NW Germany heathland forest development are dominated by heathlands as the initial stage of the succession, naturally established pioneering pine dominated woodlands, and oak and beech dominated forests as the terminal stages. In a comparative study, within these stages of forest succession the nutrient and water supply in the organic layer were investigated with regards to the nutrient and water supply in the mineral soil and to the morphology of the organic layer itself. The successional development was associated with an increased productivity and a marked enrichment of organic material and nutrients in the organic layer, whereas the nutrient storage in the mineral soil was unchanged. The nutrient storage in the organic layer in the forested sites amounted to up to 80% of the plant-available nutrients within the organic layer–mineral soil system. The water supply increased too due to higher water storage and increasing root penetration within the organic layer. However, the increase in water supply was less marked than the nutrient enrichment. Especially the beech-dominated broad-leaved forests depend on higher nutrient and water supply of the organic layer. They have better growth conditions in the late stages of succession, due to an intense humus accumulation by the pioneering birch–pine woodlands. Consequently, the development of the organic layer facilitates the change of coniferous woodlands to forests and woodlands dominated by broad-leaved trees. Using pine as first planted tree is recommended to support this development.