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Regional and site-related patterns of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium stocks and Norway spruce nutrition in mountain forests of the Bavarian Alps

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Abstract

Background and aims

For the mountain forests of the Alps, limited comprehensive information is available about soil stocks of important nutrients (N, P, K), stand nutrition, and relationships between soil status and stand nutrition.

Methods

We investigated total and plant-available soil N, P, and K stocks and the nutritional status of Picea abies concerning these elements on 14 forest soil monitoring sites in the Bavarian Alps.

Results

Mean soil N, P, and K stocks are 8.0 Mg N ha−1, thereof 14 % bound in the forest floor, 1.7 Mg P ha −1 (2 % in forest floor), and 42 Mg K ha−1 (0.2 % in forest floor). Citric acid-extractable orthophosphate and exchangeable K contribute to 3 and 0.7 % of total P and K, respectively. Spruce N, P, K, and Mn nutrition differs considerably among sites, with Rendzic Lithosols being most critical, whereas trees on deeply weathered soils are well supplied.

Conclusions

According to our estimation, the forest is characterized by an insufficient supply with N, P, and/or K at about 30, 20 and 10 % of the forest area in the Bavarian Alps, respectively. A large part of the Bavarian Alps can be judged critical and prone to nutrient shortage in the course of humus degradation and associated SOM losses.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Christine Pfab, Tabea Bartelt, Gertraud Harrington, and Sigrid Hiesch for their invaluable help in sample preparation and analysis. Dr Stephan Raspe and Dr Lothar Zimmermann (Bayerische Landesanstalt für Wald und Forstwirtschaft) provided data on atmospheric N deposition for study sites 44, 47, and 55 (Forest Meteorological Stations Sonthofen, Kreuth, and Berchtesgaden) and regionalized air temperature and precipitation data for all study sites, which is gratefully acknowledged. Funding for this study was provided by the Bavarian Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry (Grants B 69 and ST 307).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Soil Science, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 2, D-85354, Freising, Germany

    Jörg Prietzel, Dominik Christophel & Christopher Traub

  2. Fachgebiet Waldernährung und Wasserhaushalt, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl von Carlowitz-Platz 3, D-85354, Freising, Germany

    Eckart Kolb

  3. Bavarian State Institute for Forest and Forest Management, Hans-Carl von Carlowitz-Platz 1, D-85354, Freising, Germany

    Alfred Schubert

Authors
  1. Jörg Prietzel
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  2. Dominik Christophel
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  4. Eckart Kolb
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  5. Alfred Schubert
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Correspondence to Jörg Prietzel.

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Prietzel, J., Christophel, D., Traub, C. et al. Regional and site-related patterns of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium stocks and Norway spruce nutrition in mountain forests of the Bavarian Alps. Plant Soil 386, 151–169 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2248-9

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