The impact of agricultural land afforestation on soil water content in Central Bohemia

Abstract

In the Czech Republic, the afforestation of agricultural land has been supported by providing subsidies from the government and the European Union. Afforestation of less-productive agricultural land provides many benefits including carbon sequestration, soil erosion control, biodiversity, water retention, cooling, social benefits, decreasing noise and light pollution, increasing air quality, wind speed reduction, oxygen production, wood production and non-wood products. In some aspects, it is possible to produce wood of the same quality on former agricultural land compared to permanent forest land. In this study, we attempted to find out the course of temperatures and volumetric water content as well as some other physical soil properties (at depths of 20, 40 and 60 cm) 9 years after the afforestation of agricultural land (warm, mild dry region of the Czech Republic) with a mixture of broadleaved tree species (Quercus robur L., Quercus rubra L. and Acer platanoides L.) or monospecific Pinus sylvestris L. stand; the study was performed in the period from April to the beginning of November 2020. Concerning the studied physical soil properties, the value of bulk density was higher (and total porosity lower) at a depth of 20 cm in Pinus sylvestris L. compared with agricultural land or the mixture of broadleaves; the water stability of soil aggregates was higher after the afforestation with the mixture of broadleaves. The temperature was lower in the soil of afforested plots (at all studied depths) compared to the agriculturally used land. Differences in rainfall interception, transpiration, soil<br />(and forest floor) properties and other factors could influence the obtained values of water content in the soil of the studied plots. The average volumetric water contents were the highest in the plots with Scots pine (depth of 20 cm) and broadleaves (depth of 40 cm), and on the control plot (depth of 60 cm). The volumetric water content at a soil depth of 20 cm was not significantly (P > 0.05) different when the plot with Scots pine and agriculturally used land were compared. In all other cases and depths, the differences between plots were significant (P < 0.05).

The impact of agricultural land afforestation on air temperatures near the surface

“…As described by Vopravil et al (2021a), the experimental plots were established near Hovorčovice (north of Prague) in the Czech Republic on Hap-https://doi.org/10.17221/135/2022-JFS lic Chernozem (IUSS Working Group WRB 2015). This area (warm, mildly dry region of the Czech Republic) is characterised by the mean annual air temperature of 8-9 °C, mean annual precipitation of 500-600 mm and by the sum of average daily air temperatures above 10 °C between 2 600 and 2 800.…”

“…The afforestation was performed in 2011. As described by Vopravil et al (2021a), one of the experimental plots was afforested with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and the other plot with a mixture of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.). The control plot is used for agriculture.…”

“…Only the effect of afforestation on air temperatures (20-60 cm above the surface) is described in this publication. Selected physical and chemical soil properties on the study plots including the seasonal changes of temperature and volumetric water content at depths of 20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm (and precipitation) in the period from April to the beginning of November 2020 were described by Vopravil et al (2021a). The experimental plots were also established near Lipnice (a part of Dvůr Králové nad Labem) in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic.…”

“…In the Czech Republic, afforestation of agricultural land has been supported by providing subsidies from the government and the European Union (Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic 2018). Different reasons for afforestation of agricultural land, criteria (and identified areas in the Czech Republic), suitability of forest tree species or wood quality are described in the publication by Vopravil et al (2021a) and in the publications by Vopravil et al (2015Vopravil et al ( , 2017, Cukor et al (2020), Gallo et al (2020), Vacek et al (2021a, b). For example, different studies showed that afforestation increases carbon storage and can affect local and regional climate; forests have lower albedos https://doi.org/10.17221/135/2022-JFS than grasses or cultivated crops (e.g.…”

“…were found to influence soil temperatures and forest tree species litter can protect soils from frosts (e.g. Jackson et al 2005;Ilsted et al 2007;Kupka, Podrázský 2010;Holubík et al 2014;Vopravil et al 2014Vopravil et al , 2021aYao et al 2016;Jia et al 2017;Hrabovský et al 2020). For the vegetation season, Bedrna (1977) reported higher soil temperatures in the fields and meadows compared with forests.…”