The high contents of soluble and exchangeable aluminum (Al) in soils are believed to be main factors of forest damage in large areas. Krkonoše National Park, in the Czech Republic, is one of the most damaged areas in Central Europe, although the industrial emissions have declined in the past years. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the present concentration of soluble and exchangeable Al in some soils of that area, with different degrees of forest decline. The total Al concentration in water extracts was found to range within the limits 0.022-0.102 mM. According to the commonly used criteria, these values do not exceed the limit of toxicity for most plant species. Aluminum compounds in water extracts are represented predominantly by Al organic complexes and Al polymers. The percentage of the most toxic for plants, Al monomeric hydroxocomplex, ranges within the limits 0-52% of the total Al concentration and is higher in water extracts from the upper parts of the solum as compared with those from the subsoils, in compliance with the increase in pH values down the profile. The molar ratios of calcium (Ca)/Al and (Ca+Mg+K)/Al in water extracts exceed 1, but no clear relation with the forest status is found. The content of exchangeable Al is instead very high, especially in mineral horizons, and the lowest ratios between Ca or the sum of base cations and Al in the exchange complex occurs under the most degraded forest stands.

Water soluble and exchangeable Aluminum in some forest soils of Czech Republic affected by acid precipitation

BONIFACIO, Eleonora;
2007-01-01

Abstract

The high contents of soluble and exchangeable aluminum (Al) in soils are believed to be main factors of forest damage in large areas. Krkonoše National Park, in the Czech Republic, is one of the most damaged areas in Central Europe, although the industrial emissions have declined in the past years. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the present concentration of soluble and exchangeable Al in some soils of that area, with different degrees of forest decline. The total Al concentration in water extracts was found to range within the limits 0.022-0.102 mM. According to the commonly used criteria, these values do not exceed the limit of toxicity for most plant species. Aluminum compounds in water extracts are represented predominantly by Al organic complexes and Al polymers. The percentage of the most toxic for plants, Al monomeric hydroxocomplex, ranges within the limits 0-52% of the total Al concentration and is higher in water extracts from the upper parts of the solum as compared with those from the subsoils, in compliance with the increase in pH values down the profile. The molar ratios of calcium (Ca)/Al and (Ca+Mg+K)/Al in water extracts exceed 1, but no clear relation with the forest status is found. The content of exchangeable Al is instead very high, especially in mineral horizons, and the lowest ratios between Ca or the sum of base cations and Al in the exchange complex occurs under the most degraded forest stands.
2007
38
159
169
TOLPESHTA I.I; SOKOLOVA T.A; BONIFACIO E.; CUDLIN P; KIRYUSHIN A.V
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2007 Tolpeshta et al Comm Soil Sci Plant An.pdf

Accesso riservato

Tipo di file: PDF EDITORIALE
Dimensione 108.56 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
108.56 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1794
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 1
social impact