Sammanfattning

Increasing exports of Fe and DOC from soils, causing browning of freshwaters, have been reported in recent decades in many regions of the northern hemisphere. Afforestation, and in particular an increase of Norway spruce forest in certain regions, is suggested as a driver behind these trends in water chemistry. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the gradual accumulation of organic soil layers in spruce forests, and subsequent increase in organic acid concentrations and acidity enhances mobilization of Fe. First generation Norway spruce stands of different ages (35, 61, 90 years) and adjacent arable control plots were selected to represent the effects of aging forest. Soil solutions were sampled from suction lysimeters at two depths (below organic soil layer and in mineral soil) during two years, and analyzed for Fe concentration, Fe speciation (XAS analysis), DOC, metals, major anions and cations. Solution Fe concentrations were significantly higher in shallow soils under older spruce stands (by 5- and 6-fold) than in control plots and the youngest forest. Variation in Fe concentration was best explained by variation in DOC concentration and pH. Moreover, Fe in all soil solutions was present as mononuclear Fe(III)-OM complexes, showing that this phase is dominating Fe translocation. Fe speciation in the soil was also analyzed, and found to be dominated by Fe oxides with minor differences between plots. These results confirmed that Fe mobilization, by Fe(III)-OM complexes, was higher from mature spruce stands, which supports that afforestation with spruce may contribute to rising concentrations of Fe in surface waters.

Nyckelord

Iron; DOC; Soil biogeochemistry; Browning; Norway spruce; Afforestation

Publicerad i

Biogeochemistry
2022, Volym: 157, nummer: 3, sidor: 273-290
Utgivare: SPRINGER

SLU författare

• Johansson, Ulf

  • Enheten för skoglig fältforskning, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Berggren Kleja, Dan

  • Institutionen för mark och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen

Skydda, återställa och främja ett hållbart nyttjande av landbaserade ekosystem, hållbart bruka skogar, bekämpa ökenspridning, hejda och vrida tillbaka markförstöringen samt hejda förlusten av biologisk mångfald


UKÄ forskningsämne

Markvetenskap
Skogsvetenskap


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-021-00874-9

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/114697