Research Highlights: In central Ontario, large quantities of non-industrial wood ash (NIWA) are generated and could be used as a forest soil amendment to counteract soil acidification and base cation depletion caused by decades of acid deposition. Background and Objectives: The properties and biogeochemical responses of NIWA have not been thoroughly explored, and field experiments must be conducted before NIWA can be regulated as a forest soil amendment in Ontario. Materials and Methods: In this study, soil chemistry and sugar maple (Acer saccharum, Marsh.) seedling growth and chemistry were measured in an acidic sugar bush over twelve months following a NIWA field experiment. Plots (2 m by 2 m) were established with sugar maple, white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) NIWA treatments applied at rates of 6 Mg ha⁻¹ along with untreated control plots. Results: Ash chemistry varied significantly among species and yellow birch ash generally had much higher metal concentrations compared with other species. Following ash application, significant increases in soil pH and calcium and magnesium concentrations were observed, however the level of response varied by treatment. Foliar concentrations of base cations in sugar maple seedlings significantly increased in ash treatments and there was no significant treatment effect on foliar metal concentrations or seedling growth. In roots and shoots, concentrations of several metals (manganese, aluminum, iron, boron, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and nickel) increased after ash application, however response was most pronounced in yellow birch ash. Conclusions: These results suggest that application of NIWA can counteract the lasting effects of acid rain by increasing soil pH and base cation concentrations, as well as increasing sugar maple seedling foliar nutrient concentrations, but ashes from species with high metal contents may also increase metal availability to vegetation, at least in the short-term.

中文翻译：

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非工业木灰（NIWA）施用对安大略中部酸性糖灌木丛中土壤化学和枫糖（Acer saccharum，Marsh。）幼苗生长的影响

研究重点：在安大略省中部，产生了大量非工业用木灰（NIWA），可用作森林土壤改良剂，以抵消数十年来酸沉降导致的土壤酸化和碱性阳离子消耗。背景与目的：尚未对NIWA的性质和生物地球化学反应进行深入研究，必须先进行野外试验，然后才能将NIWA作为安大略省的森林土壤改良剂进行监管。材料和方法：在本研究中，在进行NIWA田间试验后的12个月内，在酸性糖树丛中测量了土壤化学和糖枫（枫树枫树（Acer saccharum，Marsh））幼苗的生长和化学。用糖枫，白松（Pinus strobus L.）和黄桦（2 m x 2 m）建立样地。Betula alleghaniensis Britt。）NIWA处理量为6 Mg ha ^-1以及未处理的对照样地。结果：灰化学在物种之间变化很大，并且与其他物种相比，黄桦灰通常具有更高的金属浓度。施灰后，观察到土壤pH值以及钙和镁浓度显着增加，但是响应水平因处理而异。在灰分处理中，糖枫幼苗中碱性阳离子的叶面浓度显着增加，并且对叶面金属浓度或幼苗生长没有明显的处理作用。在根和芽中，施用灰分后几种金属（锰，铝，铁，硼，砷，镉，锌，铜，铅，铬和镍）的浓度增加，但是在黄桦灰中响应最为明显。结论：