%0 Research Notes
%T Nutrient amounts of afforested peat fields and neighbouring peatland forests
%A Hytönen, Jyrki
%A Wall, Antti
%D 1997
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 48
%N 2
%U http://suo.fi/article/9764
%X Chemical and physical characteristics of afforested peat fields were compared with those of neighbouring peatland forests, i.e. naturally forested peatland sites drained to improve forest growth. Six study sites were selected with such sites located alongside an afforested peat field. On three of the fields, mineral soil had been added during cultivation as a soil amelioration agent. Most of the fields had been cultivated for 15–20 years before afforestation. Volumetric soil samples were taken and analysed for their total and ammonium acetate extractable nutrient concentrations (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn). Kjeldahl N and B in H3PO4–H2SO4 were also analysed. The soil layers 0–20 cm (the field cultivation depth) and 20–40 cm were compared. The physical and chemical characteristics of the top soil in peat fields and neighbouring forests differed in many respects even after 25 years had passed since their afforestation. Bulk density, ash content and pH of the peat were higher in the cultivation layer of the fields than in the corresponding layer in peatland forests. In cases where mineral soil had been added to the peat fields, the amounts of P, K, Ca, Mn and Zn were higher in the 0–20 cm soil layer whereas the amounts of N and B did not significantly differ from those in the soils of peatland forests. The differences in the amounts of extractable nutrients between the field soils and forests soils were smaller; Ca and (when mineral soil had been added) also Fe and Zn concentrations were higher in the peat field soils than in the soils of peatland forests.