Chemical Properties of Pachiterric Histosol As Influenced by Different Land Use
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ISSN 1392-3196 Zemdirbyste-Agriculture Vol. 102, No. 2 (2015) 123 ISSN 1392-3196 / e-ISSN 2335-8947 Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, vol. 102, No. 2 (2015), p. 123‒132 DOI 10.13080/z-a.2015.102.016 Chemical properties of Pachiterric Histosol as influenced by different land use Jonas VOLUNGEVIČIUS1, Kristina AMALEVIČIŪTĖ2, Inga LIAUDANSKIENĖ2, Alvyra ŠLEPETIENĖ2, Jonas ŠLEPETYS2 1Vilnius University M. K. Čiurlionio 21/27, Vilnius, Lithuania 2Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Instituto 1, Akademija, Kėdainiai distr., Lithuania E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The study, aimed to determine the properties of peat soil (Pachiterric Histosol, HSs-ph) as influenced by different land use, was carried out in two sites – in Varėna (South Lithuania, 53°57′11.98″ N, 24°19′02.07″ E) and Radviliškis (Central Lithuania, 55°49′43.19″ N, 23°28′36.34″ E) districts. During the renaturalization of drained Pachiterric Histosol, an intensive mineralization in the 0–30 cm soil is taking place; therefore the concentrations of organic carbon and labile organic carbon are unfavourable for the soil. The distribution of total N and P in profile of Pachiterric Histosol is directly related to the vertical gradient of mineralization intensity; higher contents of N and P accumulated where mineralization was more intensive. The distribution of total K is related to land use of Pachiterric Histosol, whereas the highest quantity of total K was established in arable land which had been fertilised with mineral fertilizers. Key words: Pachiterric Histosol, peat soil, renaturalization, soil organic carbon, water extractable carbon. Introduction Because of human activities, the concentration macromolecules of variable chemical composition, shape of atmospheric CO2 is increasing rapidly, while the long- and size (Zavarzina et al., 2000). The processes of peat term storage capacity of terrestrial and ocean ecosystems formation and organic carbon accumulation are replaced is declining (Canadell et al., 2007). Understanding the by the processes of peat degradation, mineralization and role played by soil in global carbon dynamics requires settling of peat layer after the peat was drained. The estimation of soil carbon stocks. In recent years increased degree of peat drainage, soil tillage, and fertilization has attention has been focused on the role of soils in the a significant impact on the intensity of organic matter global carbon cycle, where the world’s soils contain mineralization and changes in the structure of soil profile roughly three times the carbon contained in all the world’s (Szajdak et al., 2002). The published research evidence on vegetation and twice the amount of carbon (as CO2) in the changes in chemical composition of peat soils under the earth’s atmosphere (Cotrufo et al., 2011), and the renaturalization is relevant from the environmental point changes in soil carbon content can affect the composition of view. Considerable attention is given to anthropogenic of the atmosphere (Lal, 2004). transformation and renaturalization of these soils, On a global scale, wetland and peatland which leads to changes of their chemical and physical soils (Histosols) are an important reservoir of organic properties. Due to the negative impact of human activity carbon and their use contributes to carbon emissions or on the environment the studies of global carbon cycle accumulation processes (Rabenhorst, Swanson, 2000). and quantitative evaluations have become particularly Peat soils occupy about 9.54% of the Lithuanian soil relevant. cover (Motuzas et al., 2009); some of them are used for Soil organic matter (SOM), the main constituent agriculture. of which is soil organic carbon (SOC), is derived from Organic carbon in these soils is stored in the form complicated mixture of fresh organic materials from of plant residues in various stages of decomposition as plants, soil fauna, root exudates, microbial residues and well as in the form of heterogeneous humic compounds, chemically or physically protected substrates (von Lützow which can be described as a complex mixture of et al., 2007), and is one of the most complex components 124 Chemical properties of Pachiterric Histosol as influenced by different land use of terrestrial ecosystems and serves many vital functions The hypothesis of our investigation is based on in terms of regulating the flow and supply of nutrients the fact that after the draining of low moor shallow peat to plants, regulating water flow and water retention in soil Pachiterric Histosol the water is replaced by the air soils (Cotrufo et al., 2011). On the other hand, soil type, in the soil pores, the microorganisms are activated in water regime and the composition of the mineral fraction oxygen-enriched peat column, and they intensively use (quantities of sand, silt and clay) can influence SOM organic carbon for existence. As a result of this process, properties. Total SOC is not always a useful indicator for organic carbon content decreases in the upper layer of the monitoring purposes, and in the last decades more attention drained Pachiterric Histosol. Changes in morphological has been paid to the discrete SOC pools having different characteristics of peat soil in vertical profile are related properties and rates of turnover (Kolář et al., 2009). Due directly to the applied tillage and its intensity. The aim of to cultivation of peat soil, the ratio of total organic carbon this study was to determine the properties of a Pachiterric and labile organic carbon is changed, and this affects the Histosol depending on changes in land-use, ranging carbon balance in agroecosystem and contributes to the over arable land, semi-natural grassland and abandoned emission of CO2. Soluble water extractable organic matter grassland. is known to contribute significantly to the C and N cycles in terrestrial ecosystems (Hilli et al., 2008; Smith, 2008), Materials and methods soil formation and pollutant mobilization and transport (Marschner, 1999). Experimental site and conditions. A Pachiterric The content of humic substances in organic soils Histosol (HSs-ph) was investigated in this research and increases as a result of humification. Humic substances the treatments of different land-use in Varėna district of different origins differ in composition and chemical (53°57′11.98″ N, 24°19′02.07″ E) were: 1) abandoned structure, participate in sorption processes in the soil, grassland, 2) arable land and 3) semi-natural grassland and form soluble and insoluble complexes with cations (uncultivated for 15 years). Specific herbal vegetation is (Donisa et al., 2003).The classic fractionation of humus is characteristic of abandoned grassland, formed in earlier based on extracting fulvic acids, humic acids and humin cultivated peat soil: mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), that differ in solubility in various solutions of variable pH common nettle (Urtica dioica L.), cleavers (Galium (Valladares et al., 2007). aparine L.), lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum L.), tufted Less is known about the dynamics of SOC after hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv.) and agricultural abandonment or renaturalization (La Mantia valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.). The surviving single et al., 2007; Alberti et al., 2011); this process is connected cultivated plants show signs of former cultivation with the development of the natural vegetation through in arable land: sheep fescue (Festuca ovina L.) and secondary succession processes (Van Rompaey et al., timothy-grass (Phleum pratense L.). Potatoes (Solanum 2001; Novara et al., 2011). Peat soils used for agriculture tuberosum L.) were grown in the arable land, here typical have been little investigated in Lithuania (Šlepetienė et al., weeds were growing: potato weed (Galinsoga parviflora 2010; Amalevičiūtė et al., 2013; 2014). One of the few Cav.), common chickweed (Stellaria media (L.) Vill.), experiments was carried out in Radviliškis Experimental cockspur (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.), Station of Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture in a peat goosefoot (Chenopodium L.) and fumitory (Fumaria L.). bog with a removed and non-removed peat layer during Semi-natural grassland where the soil samples were taken 1995–2001 (Petraitytė et al., 2003). Evident changes is characterized by a community of cultural perennial in soil properties were determined after ending of soil- vegetation: red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), white use after 3–4 years (Šlepetienė et al., 2006). The effect clover (Trifolium repens L.), smooth-stalked meadow of renaturalization on soil agrochemical properties has grass (Poa pratensis L.), timothy-grass (Phleum pratense been investigated in a Haplic Luvisol in Vokė Branch L.) and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina L.). of Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture (Marcinkonis, The Radviliškis peat bog eastern edge borders 2007) and in a Haplic Arenosol in Perloja Experimental Radviliškis town (Fig. 1), and covers an area of 1203 Station of Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture ha (55°49′43.19″ N, 23°28′36.34″ E). Soil samples and Forestry (Armolaitis et al., 2011). The changes in were taken in 2012, 12 years after the completion of the chemical and microbiological properties of peat soil as field experiment. Semi-natural pasture has formed in influenced by different land-use and soil degradation the field of this long-term experiment. The treatments processes in tropical latitudes have been examined in the investigated in the soil with a non-removed peat layer United