Dynamic soil processes on heathland due to changes in vegetation to oak and Sitka spruce

Soil and soil water chemistry under three different vegetation-types on a former heath area were investigated in Jutland, Denmark. An unmanaged heathland left undisturbed since the start of this century is now invaded by the oaks. Together with a small Sitka plantation (age 60 years), soil development due to vegetation changes was investigated. The typical heathland podzol soil had changed within decades under the oak trees towards an acid brown soil. The soil under the Sitka spruce had changed towards a more strongly podzolized soil compared to the former heath soil. Present processes occurring within the soil were investigated by analysis of soil solution chemistry. The leaching of inorganic ions and soluble organic matter had increased manifold under Sitka spruce. Nitrification increased markedly with soil depth probably due to effects of higher pH. The increase of nitrate with soil depth was followed by a similar increase in dissolved aluminium. The equivalence of the dissolved organic carbon varies under oak and heath between 6 and 10 m eqv g −1 TOC and under Sitka the equivalence of the dissolved carbon was between 10 and 15 m eqv g −1. No nitrate and only traces of ammonium were found in soil water from the upper 30 cm of the soil under heath. Soil nitrogen was almost exclusively (more than 90%) connected to the carbon cycle. Under Sitka spruce generally less than 20% of soil water nitrogen was coupled to the carbon cycle, i.e. most of the nitrogen in the soil water leaving the rooting zone under Sitka spruce was nitrate. In the oak forest, nitrate only appeared as traces in the soil water in the winter period and in the summer period in relatively higher amounts. Generally, between 80% and 90% of the nitrogen was coupled to the carbon cycle in the winter and in the summer only 50%.