| Abstract: | Depth gradients of soil acidification In dystric Cambisols, developed from diabas and clay schist/greywacke in the Sösemulde (Harz), the depth gradient of the acid/base status has been assessed by measuring pH and the composition of exchangeable cations. After the soil in the root zone has acidified to within the aluminum buffer range, a marked acidification front is formed below the rooting zone. Strong acids (protons, Mn, Al ions) are buffered completely above the acidification front. Long-term measurements of the input and output of acids and bases in nine forest ecosystems in NW-Germany show that the acid input due to acid deposition into soil horizons in the Al- or Al/Fe- buffer range appears almost quantitatively as output in the seepage water from these horizons. The kind of acid responsible for the soil acidification can be identified by the anion composition of the seepage water. The deep reaching acidification is traced back to acid deposition. |
