Examinando por Autor "Hegenberg, D."

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  • Miniatura
    ÍtemAcceso Abierto
    Black carbon and soil properties at historical charcoal production sites in Germany
    (Elsevier, 2014) Borchard, N.; Ladd, B.; Eschemann, S.; Hegenberg, D.; Möseler, B.M.; Amelung, W.
    The use of charcoal as a soil amendment is currently of great interest to sequester carbon and improve soil fertility, however, studies of sites where charcoal amendments to the soil have been made many years ago are lacking at the moment. In this study we investigated historical charcoal production sites in Germany that have not been in use for >60years, and evaluated the effects of the former charcoal inputs on soil and vegetation parameters relative to those of adjacent, unamended areas. Surface soil samples (0-5, 5-20cm) were taken from five sites located on extremely acidic (Siegerland, pH3.8-4.1) and base rich soils (Eifel, pH4.8-5.3) in species poor (Luzulo-Fagetum) and species rich (Hordelymo-Fagetum) beech forests, respectively. We determined stocks of black carbon (BC) and natural soil organic carbon (SOC=total C minus BC) as well as of soil nutrient stocks (NO3-N, P, K, Mg), cation exchange capacity and water holding capacity, and we mapped plant composition to calculate richness and evenness. The results showed that historical charcoal production sites were enriched with BC and also exhibited increased stocks of natural SOC and total N possibly due to enhanced stabilization of natural SOC by the charcoal. The availability of nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate and potassium was increased when the charcoal was added to the base rich soils and less so when charcoal was added to the extremely acidic soils. Plant biodiversity was not different between the sites of historical charcoal addition and the reference sites. We conclude that charcoal additions may increase soil carbon storage capacity over prolonged periods of time without negatively affecting plant ecological interactions over the long term. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.
  • Miniatura
    ÍtemAcceso Abierto
    Carbon accrual rates, vegetation and nutrient dynamics in a regularly burned coppice woodland in Germany
    (Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2017) Borchard, N.; Adolphs, T.; Beulshausen, F.; Ladd, B.; Gießelmann, U.C.; Hegenberg, D.; Möseler, B.M.; Amelung, W.
    Historically, large areas of forest in Europe were managed as coppice woodland to produce wood-based fuel for the smelting industry. We hypothesized that this practice produced a legacy effect on current forest ecosystem properties. Specifically, we hypothesized that the historical form of coppicing may have produced a legacy of elevated stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrients and black carbon (BC) in soil as fire was routinely used in coppiced woodland to clear land. We further hypothesized that these changes in soil properties would result in increased biodiversity. To test these hypotheses, we sampled the surface soil (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm) from a chronosequence of forest sites found in the Siegerland (Germany) that had been coppiced and burned 1, 2, 3.5, 6, 8, 11 and 17 years before present. Mature beech and spruce forests (i.e., >60 years) were also sampled as reference sites: to provide a hint of what might occur in the absence of human intervention. We measured stocks of SOC, BC, NO3-N, P, K, Mg, as well as cation exchange and water-holding capacity, and we mapped plant composition to calculate species richness and evenness. The results showed that coppicing in combination with burning soil and litter improved soil nutrient availability, enhanced biodiversity and increased SOC stocks. The SOC stocks and biodiversity were increased by a factor of three relative to those in the mature beech and spruce forests. This study shows that traditional coppicing practice may facilitate net C accrual rates of 20 t ha−1 yr−1 and maintain high biodiversity, indicating that aspects of traditional practice could be applied in current forest management to foster biodiversity and to mitigate climate change. © 2016 The Authors Global Change Biology Bioenergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.