<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The availability of phosphorus and potassium often limit growth of trees on well drained peatlands in the boreal region. Wood ash, which contains phosphorus and potassium, can be used for forest fertilization on peatlands or for nutrient compensation following intensive harvesting. This study was performed in order to investigate the effects on water chemistry of applying wood ash to a Pinus sylvestris L. stand on a drained peatland in southern Sweden. Runoff chemistry was monitored in the main ditch for one year before and three years after the application of self-hardened and crushed wood ash, applied at an average rate of 3.1×10<sup>3</sup> kg per hectare. In addition, groundwater was collected from the ash-treated peatland and from an adjacent reference peatland and chemically analysed. Shortly after woodash application, the concentrations of boron, calcium, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese and sulphate in the ditch water, and the electrical conductivity, all increased. Some variables showed elevated concentrations for a few months only, while pH and the concentrations of boron, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, total phosphorus and silica were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) elevated over the last one and a half or two years of the study, compared to the reference period. The concentrations of iron, total sulphur and sulphate were lower during the last one and a half or two study years than in the reference period. Several trace metals and anions did not appear to be affected. In general, the effects detected in groundwater were consistent with those found in ditch water. Groundwater flow through superficial soil layers seems to have facilitated leaching</p></abstract>

The availability of phosphorus and potassium often limit growth of trees on well drained peatlands in the boreal region. Wood ash, which contains phosphorus and potassium, can be used for forest fertilization on peatlands or for nutrient compensation following intensive harvesting. This study was performed in order to investigate the effects on water chemistry of applying wood ash to a Pinus sylvestris L. stand on a drained peatland in southern Sweden. Runoff chemistry was monitored in the main ditch for one year before and three years after the application of self-hardened and crushed wood ash, applied at an average rate of 3.1×103 kg per hectare. In addition, groundwater was collected from the ash-treated peatland and from an adjacent reference peatland and chemically analysed. Shortly after woodash application, the concentrations of boron, calcium, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese and sulphate in the ditch water, and the electrical conductivity, all increased. Some variables showed elevated concentrations for a few months only, while pH and the concentrations of boron, potassium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, total phosphorus and silica were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated over the last one and a half or two years of the study, compared to the reference period. The concentrations of iron, total sulphur and sulphate were lower during the last one and a half or two study years than in the reference period. Several trace metals and anions did not appear to be affected. In general, the effects detected in groundwater were consistent with those found in ditch water. Groundwater flow through superficial soil layers seems to have facilitated leaching

Water chemistry following wood-ash application to a Scots pine stand on a drained peatland in Sweden

Skogforsk, The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83 Uppsala, Sweden

SLU, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Economics, Box 7082, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden

SMHI, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Folkborgsvägen 1, SE-601 76 Norrköping, Sweden

Forestry Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The availability of phosphorus and potassium often limit growth of trees on well drained peatlands in the boreal region. Wood ash, which contains phosphorus...

Water chemistry following wood-ash application to a Scots pine stand on a drained peatland in Sweden

Published Online: Sep 19, 2014

Page range: 54 - 70

Received: Aug 16, 2011

Accepted: Dec 02, 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10132-011-0096-4

© 2014

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.