Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate, texture, and history of land-use

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Günther Springob
  • Sven Brinkmann
  • Nicole Engel
  • Holger Kirchmann
  • Jürgen Böttcher

Externe Organisationen

  • Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Forschungs-netzwerk anzeigen

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)681-690
Seitenumfang10
FachzeitschriftJournal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
Jahrgang164
Ausgabenummer6
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Dez. 2001

Abstract

We evaluated the contents of organic carbon (Corg) of Ap horizons from 11 North German study areas along a Southeast to Northwest precipitation gradient with respect to their general levels and as related to C : N ratio, soil texture (clay content), bulk soil density, climate, and historical land-use since 1780. The focus was on sandy soils, with the largest group of samples originating from 308 km2 of the Fuhrberg catchment north of Hannover/Lower Saxony. Data from loess areas were used for comparisons. Major aims were (1) to quantify current Corg stocks, (2) to provide data on site-specific, steady-state Corg levels in old arable soils, and (3) to identify the main controls of Corg levels in the studied sands. The mean Corg content in sandy, well-drained, old Ap horizons (uplands, > 200 years under cultivation, near steady-state) increased with precipitation from < 8 g kg-1 in the dry eastern parts of the study area (530 mm year 1, 8.3°C) to 25 g kg-1 in the moist Northwest (825 mm year-1, 8.4°C). The Corg levels in lowlands which have been drained for more than 40 years were approximately 3 g kg-1 higher than those of uplands under a similar climate. The factor clay content had no predictive value because low contents were associated with high Corg levels. Large proportions of refractory organic matter in sands resulting from specific features of historical land-use and soil development (calluna heathland, heath plaggen fertilization, podzolization) appeared to be the most probable reason for such high Corg levels. However, the high Corg levels of these old arable sites were still exceeded by those of younger arable areas formerly under continues grassland. A chrono-sequence suggested that a period of about 100 years is necessary until a new steady-state Corg level is established after conversion of grassland into arable land. Elevated Corg levels in current Ap horizons were also found for former woodland and heathland soils. The main conclusion is that sands can contain a lot of stable organic matter, sometimes more than finer textured soils.

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Zitieren

Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate, texture, and history of land-use. / Springob, Günther; Brinkmann, Sven; Engel, Nicole et al.
in: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Jahrgang 164, Nr. 6, 12.2001, S. 681-690.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Springob G, Brinkmann S, Engel N, Kirchmann H, Böttcher J. Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate, texture, and history of land-use. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 2001 Dez;164(6):681-690. doi: 10.1002/1522-2624(200112)164:6<681::AID-JPLN681>3.0.CO;2-V
Download
@article{faa27fd2adad4d9585d75e6da8085237,
title = "Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate, texture, and history of land-use",
abstract = "We evaluated the contents of organic carbon (Corg) of Ap horizons from 11 North German study areas along a Southeast to Northwest precipitation gradient with respect to their general levels and as related to C : N ratio, soil texture (clay content), bulk soil density, climate, and historical land-use since 1780. The focus was on sandy soils, with the largest group of samples originating from 308 km2 of the Fuhrberg catchment north of Hannover/Lower Saxony. Data from loess areas were used for comparisons. Major aims were (1) to quantify current Corg stocks, (2) to provide data on site-specific, steady-state Corg levels in old arable soils, and (3) to identify the main controls of Corg levels in the studied sands. The mean Corg content in sandy, well-drained, old Ap horizons (uplands, > 200 years under cultivation, near steady-state) increased with precipitation from < 8 g kg-1 in the dry eastern parts of the study area (530 mm year 1, 8.3°C) to 25 g kg-1 in the moist Northwest (825 mm year-1, 8.4°C). The Corg levels in lowlands which have been drained for more than 40 years were approximately 3 g kg-1 higher than those of uplands under a similar climate. The factor clay content had no predictive value because low contents were associated with high Corg levels. Large proportions of refractory organic matter in sands resulting from specific features of historical land-use and soil development (calluna heathland, heath plaggen fertilization, podzolization) appeared to be the most probable reason for such high Corg levels. However, the high Corg levels of these old arable sites were still exceeded by those of younger arable areas formerly under continues grassland. A chrono-sequence suggested that a period of about 100 years is necessary until a new steady-state Corg level is established after conversion of grassland into arable land. Elevated Corg levels in current Ap horizons were also found for former woodland and heathland soils. The main conclusion is that sands can contain a lot of stable organic matter, sometimes more than finer textured soils.",
keywords = "Climate, Historical land-use, Organic carbon levels, Sandy arable soils",
author = "G{\"u}nther Springob and Sven Brinkmann and Nicole Engel and Holger Kirchmann and J{\"u}rgen B{\"o}ttcher",
note = "Copyright: Copyright 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.",
year = "2001",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1002/1522-2624(200112)164:6<681::AID-JPLN681>3.0.CO;2-V",
language = "English",
volume = "164",
pages = "681--690",
journal = "Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science",
issn = "1436-8730",
publisher = "Wiley-VCH Verlag",
number = "6",

}

Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Organic C levels of Ap horizons in North German Pleistocene sands as influenced by climate, texture, and history of land-use

AU - Springob, Günther

AU - Brinkmann, Sven

AU - Engel, Nicole

AU - Kirchmann, Holger

AU - Böttcher, Jürgen

N1 - Copyright: Copyright 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.

PY - 2001/12

Y1 - 2001/12

N2 - We evaluated the contents of organic carbon (Corg) of Ap horizons from 11 North German study areas along a Southeast to Northwest precipitation gradient with respect to their general levels and as related to C : N ratio, soil texture (clay content), bulk soil density, climate, and historical land-use since 1780. The focus was on sandy soils, with the largest group of samples originating from 308 km2 of the Fuhrberg catchment north of Hannover/Lower Saxony. Data from loess areas were used for comparisons. Major aims were (1) to quantify current Corg stocks, (2) to provide data on site-specific, steady-state Corg levels in old arable soils, and (3) to identify the main controls of Corg levels in the studied sands. The mean Corg content in sandy, well-drained, old Ap horizons (uplands, > 200 years under cultivation, near steady-state) increased with precipitation from < 8 g kg-1 in the dry eastern parts of the study area (530 mm year 1, 8.3°C) to 25 g kg-1 in the moist Northwest (825 mm year-1, 8.4°C). The Corg levels in lowlands which have been drained for more than 40 years were approximately 3 g kg-1 higher than those of uplands under a similar climate. The factor clay content had no predictive value because low contents were associated with high Corg levels. Large proportions of refractory organic matter in sands resulting from specific features of historical land-use and soil development (calluna heathland, heath plaggen fertilization, podzolization) appeared to be the most probable reason for such high Corg levels. However, the high Corg levels of these old arable sites were still exceeded by those of younger arable areas formerly under continues grassland. A chrono-sequence suggested that a period of about 100 years is necessary until a new steady-state Corg level is established after conversion of grassland into arable land. Elevated Corg levels in current Ap horizons were also found for former woodland and heathland soils. The main conclusion is that sands can contain a lot of stable organic matter, sometimes more than finer textured soils.

AB - We evaluated the contents of organic carbon (Corg) of Ap horizons from 11 North German study areas along a Southeast to Northwest precipitation gradient with respect to their general levels and as related to C : N ratio, soil texture (clay content), bulk soil density, climate, and historical land-use since 1780. The focus was on sandy soils, with the largest group of samples originating from 308 km2 of the Fuhrberg catchment north of Hannover/Lower Saxony. Data from loess areas were used for comparisons. Major aims were (1) to quantify current Corg stocks, (2) to provide data on site-specific, steady-state Corg levels in old arable soils, and (3) to identify the main controls of Corg levels in the studied sands. The mean Corg content in sandy, well-drained, old Ap horizons (uplands, > 200 years under cultivation, near steady-state) increased with precipitation from < 8 g kg-1 in the dry eastern parts of the study area (530 mm year 1, 8.3°C) to 25 g kg-1 in the moist Northwest (825 mm year-1, 8.4°C). The Corg levels in lowlands which have been drained for more than 40 years were approximately 3 g kg-1 higher than those of uplands under a similar climate. The factor clay content had no predictive value because low contents were associated with high Corg levels. Large proportions of refractory organic matter in sands resulting from specific features of historical land-use and soil development (calluna heathland, heath plaggen fertilization, podzolization) appeared to be the most probable reason for such high Corg levels. However, the high Corg levels of these old arable sites were still exceeded by those of younger arable areas formerly under continues grassland. A chrono-sequence suggested that a period of about 100 years is necessary until a new steady-state Corg level is established after conversion of grassland into arable land. Elevated Corg levels in current Ap horizons were also found for former woodland and heathland soils. The main conclusion is that sands can contain a lot of stable organic matter, sometimes more than finer textured soils.

KW - Climate

KW - Historical land-use

KW - Organic carbon levels

KW - Sandy arable soils

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0011979441&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/1522-2624(200112)164:6<681::AID-JPLN681>3.0.CO;2-V

DO - 10.1002/1522-2624(200112)164:6<681::AID-JPLN681>3.0.CO;2-V

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0011979441

VL - 164

SP - 681

EP - 690

JO - Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science

JF - Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science

SN - 1436-8730

IS - 6

ER -