%0 Research article
%T Phosphorus allocation in surface soil of two drained peatland forests following wood and peat ash application – why effective adsorption on low sorptive soils?
%A Nieminen, Mika
%A Moilanen, Mikko
%A Piirainen, Sirpa
%D 2007
%J Silva Fennica
%V 41
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.280
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/280
%X Fertilization of drained peatland forests with wood ash and different  commercial phosphorus fertilizers (calcium phosphates) generally give  similar stand growth responses. However, it has been shown that use of  calcium phosphate fertilizers generally lead to highly increased P  release to recipient water courses. On the other hand, no corresponding  release has been reported after ash fertilization. Soil samples from the  surface peats from a nutrient poor and a fertile drained peatland site  were collected before and 1–4 years after application of five different  types of ash products. The changes over time in the different chemical  forms of P in the substrate were studied. The results indicated that the  reason for the low liability to leaching of ash fertilizers was that  significant amounts of P are adsorbed by Al and Fe during weathering of  the ash fertilizers. However, further studies are needed to clarify  whether the adsorption of P occurs with the Al and Fe of the ash or the  native Al and Fe compounds present in soil before ash fertilization.