Open AccessLimited effect of wood ash application on soil quality as indicated by a multisite assessment of soil organic matter attributes
Author(s) -
Joseph Ruth,
Diochon Amanda,
Morris Dave,
Venier Lisa,
Emilson Caroline E.,
Basiliko Nathan,
Bélanger Nicolas,
Jones Trevor,
Markham John,
Rutherford Michael P.,
Smenderovac Emily,
Van Rees Ken,
Hazlett Paul
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
gcb bioenergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.378
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1757-1707
pISSN - 1757-1693
DOI - 10.1111/gcbb.12928
Subject(s) - wood ash , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , soil fertility , soil quality , soil water , soil organic matter , nutrient , bioenergy , organic matter , productivity , soil carbon , agronomy , carbon sequestration , nitrogen , biofuel , soil science , ecology , chemistry , biology , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , economics
Abstract In Canada, the combustion of forest biomass for bioenergy production has been increasing with an associated increase in residual wood ash. Wood ash is typically landfilled as waste but there is growing interest in applying wood ash to the soils of commercial forests. Ideally, wood ash supplies nutrients that may have been removed through biomass harvesting, increases soil pH, which improves nutrient availability, and potentially improves site productivity, but there is also potential for detrimental effects, such as toxicity, that impair soil functions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of wood ash application on soil organic matter attributes at eight experimental sites across Canada that are examining the effects of wood ash application on site fertility, productivity, and soil biodiversity. Wood ash application had an effect on total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), hot water extractable carbon (HWEC), mineralizable C, sand size C, and HWEC and MBC normalized to TC, but changes were typically restricted to single sites or differed in their direction, that is, positive or negative. Based on the limited and inconsistent effects of ash on established indictors of soil quality measured in this study, there does not appear to be any advantageous or detrimental effects of adding wood ash to forest soil quality.