Trees have a strong influence on the chemical properties of the soil in which they grow. Establishing plantations with different tree species combinations thus potentially leads to divergence in soil chemistry. To study the degree to which differentiation already occurs during the first years after establishment, we made use of a biodiversity–ecosystem functioning experiment in Belgium, FORBIO. The multi-site experiment replicates tree species richness (1–4 species) and composition in three sites. The sites represent contrasting site contexts, mostly land-use history, soil, and climate. Soil samples (0–10 cm) were taken at the time of planting and approximately 8 years later. We measured the total C and N concentration, the Olsen P, the pH-H₂O, and the concentration of base and Al cations. The change in chemical composition was strongly dependent on site conditions including former land use. Afforestation on former cropland had a positive impact on total C and Olsen P and a negative effect on base cations and pH. On sites reforested after clear-cut, soil texture and particular site preparation played an important role. On top of that, we found several significant effects of species composition. Strongest composition effects were detected in the reforested site on loamy soil with little soil disturbance. This study highlights that species choice can already affect soil chemistry in early stages of forest development, but that the nature of the effects may strongly depend on the context in which the plantations are established. Further research is needed to identify the most important contextual factors.

树木对树木生长土壤的化学特性有很大的影响。因此，建立具有不同树种组合的人工林有可能导致土壤化学差异。为了研究在建立后的头几年中分化的程度，我们在比利时的FORBIO进行了生物多样性-生态系统功能实验。多站点实验在三个站点上复制了树种的丰富度（1-4种）和组成。这些地点代表了不同的地点背景，主要是土地使用历史，土壤和气候。播种时和大约8年后取土样（0-10厘米）。我们测量了总的C和N浓度，Olsen P，pH-H ₂O，以及碱和Al阳离子的浓度。化学成分的变化在很大程度上取决于场地条件，包括以前的土地用途。退耕前造林对总碳和Olsen P产生积极影响，对碱性阳离子和pH产生负面影响。在砍伐后重新造林的土地上，土壤质地和特定的土地准备工作起着重要作用。最重要的是，我们发现了物种组成的几个重要影响。在壤土很少的情况下，在复垦土壤中发现了最强的成分效应。这项研究强调，树种的选择已经可以在森林发展的早期阶段影响土壤化学，但是影响的性质可能在很大程度上取决于人工林的建立背景。