Bodenatmung,Stickstoffmineralisation und Humusabbau ostafrikanischer Böden nach Trocknung und Wiederbefeuchtung

Soil respiration, nitrogen mineralization and humus decomposition of East African soils after drying and remoistening Soil respiration and nitrogen mineralization of 51 East African cultivated, savanna and forest soils were compared after 3 and 21 weeks of air drying. The average soil respiration after 21 weeks of drying was 1.221 ± 0.106 times higher than that after 3 weeks of drying whereas the average nitrogen mineralization was not increased significantly (factor 1.132 ± 0.256). The increase in soil respiration was correlated positively with the water soluble organic matter. During air dryings of 3 days and moist incubations of 4 days at 30°C, which were repeated 20 times in 10 soils, 3–10% of the organic carbon and 8–19% of the organic nitrogen (low humus vertisol 69%) were mineralized. Changes in the amount and the extinction of humic and fulvic acids were considered to be indicative for an increased humification during the drying and remoistening of soils.