Effects of topsoil removal as a nature management technique on soil functions

Geissen, Violette; Wang, S.; Oostindie, K.; Huerta, Esperanza; Zwart, K.B.; Smit, A.; Ritsema, C.J.; Moore, Demie

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2012.10.002

Cited by 24 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…2). These results were inconsistent with previous studies, which have shown that SOC content played an important role in soil pHBC (Aitken, 1992;Magdoff and Bartlett, 1985;Nelson and Su, 2010;Geissen et al, 2013). The discrepancy is probably caused by different types of organic matter involved (Nelson and Su, 2010).…”

Section: Effects Of Soil Properties On Soil Phbccontrasting

confidence: 57%

“…The discrepancy is probably caused by different types of organic matter involved (Nelson and Su, 2010). In the carbonate-containing soils, the low SOC content and the small range of SOC content (due to aridity and low net primary production) can help explain the lack of significant relationship between pHBC and SOC content (Nelson and Su, 2010;Geissen et al, 2013). Moreover, those soils had a wide range of clay mineralogy, and the effect of this variability on CEC and hence pHBC may have masked any effect of SOC.…”

Section: Effects Of Soil Properties On Soil Phbcmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China

Luo

Nelson

et al. 2015

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) plays a crucial role in predicting acidification rates, yet its large-scale patterns and controls are poorly understood, especially for neutral-alkaline soils. Here, we evaluated the spatial patterns and drivers of pHBC along a 3600 km long transect (1900 km sub-transect with carbonate-containing soils and 1700 km sub-transect with non-carbonate-containing soils) across northern China. Soil pHBC was greater in the carbonate-containing soils than in the non-carbonatecontaining soils. Acid addition decreased soil pH in the non-carbonate-containing soils more markedly than in the carbonate-containing soils. Within the carbonate soil subtransect, soil pHBC was positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC), carbonate content and exchangeable sodium (Na) concentration, but negatively correlated with initial pH and clay content, and not correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Within the non-carbonate sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively related to initial pH, clay content, CEC and exchangeable Na concentration, but not related to SOC content. Carbonate content was the primary determinant of pHBC in the carbonate-containing soils and CEC was the main determinant of buffering capacity in the non-carbonate-containing soils. Along the transect, soil pHBC was different in regions with different aridity index. Soil pHBC was positively related to aridity index and carbonate content across the carbonate-containing soil sub-transect.Our results indicated that mechanisms controlling pHBC differ among neutral-alkaline soils of northern China, especially between carbonate-and non-carbonate-containing soils. This understanding should be incorporated into the acidification risk assessment and landscape management in a changing world.

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Section: Effects Of Soil Properties On Soil Phbccontrasting

confidence: 57%

Section: Effects Of Soil Properties On Soil Phbcmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China

Luo

Nelson

et al. 2015

Biogeosciences

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“…Kiehl & Pfadenhauer, 2007) and became a promising tool for nature conservation agencies and practitioners in various European countries (Kiehl, Kirmer, Donath, Rasran, & Hölzel, 2010). However, in Switzerland, its implementation provoked an ongoing debate between nature conservation (pro) and soil protection (contra) agencies as topsoil removal-although favouring species-rich plant communities-strongly reduces soil communities and affects physical and chemical soil properties and the processes that emerge from them (Geissen et al, 2013). The opponents fear that systems are unable to overcome the negative effects of topsoil removal and therefore may not reach the targeted above-and below-ground community composition in the long term (Suding, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does topsoil removal in grassland restoration benefit both soil nematode and plant communities?

Resch

Schütz

Graf

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Successful restoration of semi-natural grasslands on grasslands previously subject to intensive management needs to overcome manifold barriers. These include high soil fertility, the dominance of a few fast-growing plant species, degraded soil faunal communities and missing propagules of the targeted above-and belowground flora and fauna. A combination of removing the topsoil and introducing propagules of target plants has become one of the major tools for nature conservation agencies and practitioners to reduce soil fertility and restore former species-rich grasslands in various European countries.2. Using topsoil removal as a restoration measure has provoked an ongoing debate between supporting nature conservation and rejecting soil protection agencies. Although it favours species-rich plant communities, it strongly disturbs soil communities and affects physical and chemical soil properties and processes.Currently, there is a lack of long-term data to assess how restored grassland ecosystems develop and recover after topsoil removal. Here, we used two well-established bioindicators, soil nematodes and plants, to quantify restoration success of topsoil removal in comparison with alternative restoration measures and target communities 22 years after intervention.3. The nematode community composition indicated reduced nutrient availability in the restored systems, as was aimed at by topsoil removal. Nevertheless, after this 22-year period following topsoil removal, nematode composition and structure revealed successful recovery. 4. Plant communities benefitted from the reduction of soil nutrients after topsoil removal as indicated by higher numbers of plant species and higher Shannon diversity. Furthermore, topsoil removal strongly promoted the re-establishment of plant species of the target plant community. Synthesis and applications.Overall, our study demonstrates how a massive intervention by topsoil removal proved successful in converting intensively managed into species-rich grasslands. This contrasts with the mild intervention of repeated mowing and removing of the harvested plant material. We show that, in the long run, potential negative effects of topsoil removal on the soil fauna can be | 1783

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“…However, Geissen et al. () suggested topsoil removal as a nature management technique had negative effects on soil quality and soil biota. It has indeed been reported that after topsoil removal only a small subset of the target plant species was able to recolonize restoration sites (Verhagen ; Bekker ), even when target species occurred in adjacent communities (Dobson et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of adding an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum and of distance to donor sites on plant species recolonization following topsoil removal

Torrez

Ceulemans

Mergeay

et al. 2015

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions: Does addition of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum increase the short-term restoration success of nutrient-poor grassland (NPG) after topsoil removal? Does distance to intact remnant grassland (IRG) patches affect restoration success, and does the effect of inoculum addition depend on distance to IRGs?Location: Meerdaal forest, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium.Methods: In a topsoil-removed site of 8.5 ha, where 24 IRG patches (ca. 10% of the area) were kept, 48 plots (1 m 2 ) were established at three distances (5, 10 and 20 m) from the edge of IRG patches. Half of the plots at each distance class were inoculated with a custom-made AMF inoculum, whereas the remaining plots were used as controls. We recorded plant species abundance in the plots, just before addition of the AMF inoculum and 1 yr after. We used repeated measures ANOVA to test for effects of inoculum addition, distance to IRG patches and their interaction on plant species richness, diversity and plant community similarity between IRG patches and plots. We also evaluated the response of AMF-dependent plant species, specialist species of NPG and species with specific seed dispersal adaptations.Results: Adding the inoculum positively affected species richness and/or diversity of all plant species, AMF-dependent species and specialist species. It increased plant community similarity to the IRG patches. Increasing distance from IRG patches had a negative effect on richness and/or diversity of all plant species and specialist species. The positive effect of inoculum addition on richness and/or diversity of all species, AMF-dependent species and specialist species decreased with increasing distance from IRG patches to the plots, likely indicating priority effects. Conclusions:The application of a custom-made AMF inoculum increased the short-term restoration success of NPG after topsoil removal. Dispersal limitation of specialist plant species of NPG, however, likely negatively affected the effect of inoculum addition. Apart from the AMF effect, the reported strongly positive short-time effect of inoculation was likely due to the high density of IRG patches at the site, and the presence of organic matter and other micro-organisms in the inoculum.

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Effects of topsoil removal as a nature management technique on soil functions

Cited by 24 publications

References 17 publications

Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China

Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China

Does topsoil removal in grassland restoration benefit both soil nematode and plant communities?

Effects of adding an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculum and of distance to donor sites on plant species recolonization following topsoil removal

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