Soil moisture condition in a spruce ecosystem after applying wood ash on the soil surface

Abstract

We examined the effects of wood ash applied on soil surface in a spruce ecosystem on the course
of soil moisture content, available water reserves and soil water conductivity in the upper 20 cm
soil layer. The study was carried out in the growing seasons 2011 and 2012, on three parallel
plots: a plot supplied with wood ash at an amount of 5 t ha –1 in spring, a plot supplied with the
wood ash in the same amount in autumn, and a non-treated control plot. In the layer with the
highest occurrence of sucking roots, we analysed two hydro-pedological cycles: the prevailing
semi-uvidic interval defined with the limits of maximum capillary capacity (MCC) and the point
of diminished availability (PDA), and the semi-arid interval defined with the hydrolomits PDA
and wilting point (WP) in the growing season 2011 in summer. The soil moisture content and
hydraulic conductivity (with several exceptions due to micro-differences in soil properties) were
higher on plots supplied with the wood ash.