Micro vertical changes in soil pH and base cations over time after application of wood ash on forest soil

Pugliese, S., Jones, T., Preston, M. D., Hazlett, P., Tran, H. and Basiliko, N. 2014. Wood ash as a forest soil amendment: The role of boiler and soil type on soil property response. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 621–634. Wood ash is produced in large quantities in Canada as a by-product of the pulp and paper, sawmill, and bioenergy industries and it is anticipated that its disposal in landfills will not be a viable option. An alternative option may be to use it to amend forest soils. Wood ash is a complex mixture and its composition depends on several variables, including the combustion parameters of the boiler in which it is generated. We present an analysis of the amendment of two Canadian forest soils (a Brunisol from the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence and a Luvisol from the Carolinian forest regions of Ontario) with six different wood ashes collected from different biomass boilers through short-term controlled incubations. We show that following an 8-wk incubation period, amendment of the soils with wood ash led to small to moderate increases in soil pH, but had little effect on soil microbial activity and biomass. The concentration of important base cations such as calcium, magnesium and potassium as well as phosphorus generally increased in both soil types following amendment with different ash. This practice can return nutrients lost from forest ecosystems during harvesting; however, effects were found to be boiler-specific. Lastly, we show that four ash types led to small increases in cadmium in either soil; the concentration of all other measured heavy metals was not significantly increased following amendment, and in certain cases decreased, particularly with lead. The only potentially negative aspect encountered was elevated sodium, particularly with ash from one boiler, but unacceptable Na-absorptivity ratios were not exceeded. These results demonstrate that with proper characterization and selection of wood ash type and application rates, amendment of Canadian forest soils with wood ash may benefit forest ecosystems and is unlikely to disrupt the chemical and biological processes in soil environments.

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Soil and Stream Water Chemistry During Spring Snowmelt

Hydrology Research ◽

10.2166/nh.1992.0002 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 13-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

W. H. Hendershot ◽

L. Mendes ◽

H. Lalande ◽

F. Courchesne ◽

S. Savoie

Keyword(s):

Stream Water ◽

Base Cations ◽

Stream Chemistry ◽

Stream Water Chemistry ◽

The Matrix ◽

Adsorption Desorption ◽

The Relationship ◽

Best Fit ◽

Spring Snowmelt ◽

Over Time

In order to determine how water flowpath controls stream chemistry, we studied both soil and stream water during spring snowmelt, 1985. Soil solution concentrations of base cations were relatively constant over time indicating that cation exchange was controlling cation concentrations. Similarly SO4 adsorption-desorption or precipitation-dissolution reactions with the matrix were controlling its concentrations. On the other hand, NO3 appeared to be controlled by uptake by plants or microorganisms or by denitrification since their concentrations in the soil fell abruptly as snowmelt proceeded. Dissolved Al and pH varied vertically in the soil profile and their pattern in the stream indicated clearly the importance of water flowpath on stream chemistry. Although Al increased as pH decreased, the relationship does not appear to be controlled by gibbsite. The best fit of calculated dissolved inorganic Al was obtained using AlOHSO4 with a solubility less than that of pure crystalline jurbanite.

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The complexity of wood ash fertilization disentangled: Effects on soil pH, nutrient status, plant growth and cadmium accumulation

Environmental and Experimental Botany ◽

10.1016/j.envexpbot.2021.104424 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 185 ◽

pp. 104424

Author(s):

Jesper Liengaard Johansen ◽

Maiken Lundstad Nielsen ◽

Mette Vestergård ◽

Louise Hindborg Mortensen ◽

Carla Cruz-Paredes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Nutrient Status ◽

Cadmium Accumulation ◽

Wood Ash

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Effect of wood ash application on soil pH and soil test nutrient levels

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/0167-8809(90)90162-7 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 32 (3-4) ◽

pp. 223-239 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Tsutomu Ohno ◽

M Susan Erich

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

Wood Ash ◽

Soil Test ◽

Nutrient Levels

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Do fungi and bacteria respond similar across a steep local pH gradient?

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5720 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rasmus Kjoller ◽

Carla Cruz-Paredes

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Wood Ash ◽

Ph Gradient ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Ph Effects ◽

Fungal Community Composition ◽

Ph Gradients ◽

Field Samples ◽

Bacterial Richness

Soil pH is consistently recorded as the single most important variable explaining bacterial richness and community composition locally as globally. Bacterial richness responds to soil pH in a bell-shaped pattern, highest in soils with near-neutral pH, while lower diversity is found in soil with pH >8 and <4.5. Also, community turnover is strongly determined by pH for bacteria. In contrast, pH effects on fungi is apparently less pronounced though also much less studied compared to bacteria. Still, pH appears to be a significant determinant for fungal communities but typically not the most important. Rarely are bacterial and fungal communities co-analyzed from the same field samples taken across pH gradients. Here we analyze the community responses of fungi and bacteria in parallel over an extreme pH gradient ranging from pH 4 to 8 established by applying strongly alkaline wood ash to replicated plots in a Picea abies plantation. Bacterial and fungal community composition were assessed by amplicon-based meta-barcoding. Bacterial richness were not significantly affected by pH, while fungal richness and a-diversity were stimulated with higher pH. We found that both, bacterial and fungal communities increasingly deviated from the untreated plots with increasing amount of wood ash though fungal communities were more resistant to changes than bacterial. Soil NH4, NO3 and pH significantly correlated with the NMDS pattern for both bacterial and fungal communities. In the presentation we will discuss resistance versus sensitivity of different fungal functional guilds towards higher pH as well as the underlying factors explaining the community changes.

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Effect of soil coarseness on soil base cations and available micronutrients in a semi-arid sandy grassland

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-7-549-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 549-556 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Linyou Lü ◽

Ruzhen Wang ◽

Heyong Liu ◽

Jinfei Yin ◽

Jiangtao Xiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Base Cations ◽

Main Process ◽

Soil Base ◽

Exchangeable Ca ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Sandy Grassland

Abstract. Soil coarseness is the main process decreasing soil organic matter and threatening the productivity of sandy grasslands. Previous studies demonstrated negative effect of soil coarseness on soil carbon storage, but less is known about how soil base cations (exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Na) and available micronutrients (available Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) response to soil coarseness. In a semi-arid grassland of Northern China, a field experiment was initiated in 2011 to mimic the effect of soil coarseness on soil base cations and available micronutrients by mixing soil with different mass proportions of sand: 0 % coarse elements (C0), 10 % (C10), 30 % (C30), 50 % (C50), and 70 % (C70). Soil coarseness significantly increased soil pH in three soil depths of 0–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm with the highest pH values detected in C50 and C70 treatments. Soil fine particles (smaller than 0.25 mm) significantly decreased with the degree of soil coarseness. Exchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations significantly decreased with soil coarseness degree by up to 29.8 % (in C70) and 47.5 % (in C70), respectively, across three soil depths. Soil available Fe, Mn, and Cu significantly decreased with soil coarseness degree by 62.5, 45.4, and 44.4 %, respectively. As affected by soil coarseness, the increase of soil pH, decrease of soil fine particles (including clay), and decline in soil organic matter were the main driving factors for the decrease of exchangeable base cations (except K) and available micronutrients (except Zn) through soil profile. Developed under soil coarseness, the loss and redistribution of base cations and available micronutrients along soil depths might pose a threat to ecosystem productivity of this sandy grassland.

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Soil properties determine the elevational patterns of base cations and micronutrients in plant-soil system up to the upper limits of trees and shrubs

10.5194/bg-2017-298 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Ruzhen Wang ◽

Xue Wang ◽

Yong Jiang ◽

Artemi Cerdà ◽

Jinfei Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Base Cations ◽

Base Cation ◽

Plant Tissues ◽

Soil System ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Total Soil ◽

Upper Limits ◽

Trees And Shrubs

Abstract. To understand whether base cations and micronutrients in the plant-soil system change with elevation, we investigated the patterns of base cations and micronutrients in both soils and plant tissues along three elevational gradients and three different climate zones in China. Base cations of Ca, Mg and K and micronutrients of Fe, Mn and Zn were determined in soils, trees and shrubs growing at lower and middle elevations as well as at their upper limits on Balang (subtropical, SW China), Qilian (dry-temperate, NW China) and Changbai (wet-temperate, NE China) mountains. No consistent elevational patterns were found for base cation and micronutrient concentrations in both soils and plant tissues (leaves, roots, shoots and stem sapwood). Rather, soil pH, total soil nitrogen (TN), the soil organic carbon (SOC) to TN ratio (C:N), and total soil inorganic nitrogen (TIN) determined the elevational patterns of soil exchangeable Ca and Mg. Furthermore, multiple regression models showed that soil pH and C:N were pivotal factors affecting soil Fe, Mn and Zn availabilities. In return, soil base cation and micronutrient availabilities played fundamental roles in determining the base cation and micronutrient concentrations in plant tissues. Our results highlight the importance of soil physicochemical properties (mainly SOC, C:N and pH) rather than elevation (i.e., canopy cover and environmental factors, especially temperature), in determining base cation and micronutrient availabilities in soils and subsequently their concentrations in plant tissues.

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Effects of biochars generated from crop residues on chemical properties of acid soils from tropical and subtropical China

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr12118 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 50 (7) ◽

pp. 570 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Jin-Hua Yuan ◽

Ren-Kou Xu

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Base Cations ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Subtropical China ◽

Exchangeable Base Cations ◽

Exchangeable Acidity

The chemical compositions of biochars from ten crop residues generated at 350°C and their effects on chemical properties of acid soils from tropical and subtropical China were investigated. There was greater alkalinity and contents of base cations in the biochars from legume residues than from non-legume residues. Carbonates and organic anions of carboxyl and phenolic groups were the main forms of alkalis in the biochars, and their relative contributions to biochar alkalinity varied with crop residues. Incubation experiments indicated that biochar incorporation increased soil pH and soil exchangeable base cations and decreased soil exchangeable acidity. There were greater increases in soil pH and soil exchangeable base cations, and a greater decrease in soil exchangeable acidity, for biochars from legume than from non-legume residues. The biochars did not increase the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils with relatively high initial CEC but did increase the CEC of soils with relatively low initial CEC at an addition level of 1%. The incorporation of biochars from crop residues not only corrected soil acidity but also increased contents of potassium, magnesium, and calcium in these acid soils from tropical and subtropical regions and thus improved soil fertility.

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Biological and biochemical properties in evaluation of forest soil quality

Folia Forestalia Polonica ◽

10.2478/ffp-2014-0003 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 23-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ewa Błońska ◽

Jarosław Lasota

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Activity ◽

Forest Soil ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Essential Elements ◽

Forest Site ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Density And Biomass

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using biological and biochemical parameters in the evaluation of forest soil quality and changes caused by land use. The study attempted to determine a relationship between the enzymatic activity of soil, the number of earthworms and soil physico-chemical properties. The study was carried out in central Poland in adjoining Forest Districts (Przedbórz and Smardzewice). In soil samples taken from 12 research plots, basic physico-chemical properties, enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, urease) and density and biomass of earthworms were examined. Enzyme activity showed a large diversity within the forest site types studied. The correlations between the activity of the enzymes studied and C/N ratio indicated considerable importance of these enzymes in metabolism of essential elements of organic matter of forest soils. Urease and dehydrogenase activity and earthworm number showed susceptibility to soil pH, which confirmed relationships between enzyme activity and abundance of earthworms and soil pH in H2O and KCl.

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Effects of Non-Industrial Wood Ash (NIWA) Applications on Soil Chemistry and Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) Seedling Growth in an Acidic Sugar Bush in Central Ontario

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11060693 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 693

Author(s):

Holly D. Deighton ◽

Shaun A. Watmough

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Soil Chemistry ◽

Acer Saccharum ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Sugar Maple ◽

Base Cation ◽

Yellow Birch ◽

Metal Concentrations

Research Highlights: In central Ontario, large quantities of non-industrial wood ash (NIWA) are generated and could be used as a forest soil amendment to counteract soil acidification and base cation depletion caused by decades of acid deposition. Background and Objectives: The properties and biogeochemical responses of NIWA have not been thoroughly explored, and field experiments must be conducted before NIWA can be regulated as a forest soil amendment in Ontario. Materials and Methods: In this study, soil chemistry and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) seedling growth and chemistry were measured in an acidic sugar bush over twelve months following a NIWA field experiment. Plots (2 m by 2 m) were established with sugar maple, white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) NIWA treatments applied at rates of 6 Mg ha−1 along with untreated control plots. Results: Ash chemistry varied significantly among species and yellow birch ash generally had much higher metal concentrations compared with other species. Following ash application, significant increases in soil pH and calcium and magnesium concentrations were observed, however the level of response varied by treatment. Foliar concentrations of base cations in sugar maple seedlings significantly increased in ash treatments and there was no significant treatment effect on foliar metal concentrations or seedling growth. In roots and shoots, concentrations of several metals (manganese, aluminum, iron, boron, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and nickel) increased after ash application, however response was most pronounced in yellow birch ash. Conclusions: These results suggest that application of NIWA can counteract the lasting effects of acid rain by increasing soil pH and base cation concentrations, as well as increasing sugar maple seedling foliar nutrient concentrations, but ashes from species with high metal contents may also increase metal availability to vegetation, at least in the short-term.

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