The added value of biomarker analysis to the genesis of plaggic Anthrosols; the identification of stable fillings used for the production of plaggic manure

Abstract

Abstract. Plaggic Anthrosols are the result of historical forms of land management in cultural landscapes on chemically poor sandy substrates. Application of plaggic manure was responsible for the development of the plaggic horizons of these agricultural soils. Pollen diagrams reflect aspects of the environmental development but the interpretation of the pollen spectra is complicated due to the mix of the aeolian pollen influx of crop species and species in the surroundings, and of pollen occurring in the used stable fillings. Pollen diagrams and radiocarbon dates of plaggic Anthrosols suggested a development period of more than a millennium. Calluna is present in almost all the pollen spectra, indicating the presence of heath in the landscape during the whole period of soil development. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of the plaggic horizon made clear that the deposition of plaggic covers started in the 16th century and accelerated in the 18th century. The stable fillings, used for the production of plaggic manure and responsible for the rise of the soil surface, cannot be identified with pollen diagrams alone. Biomarker analyses provide more evidence about the sources of stable fillings. The oldest biomarker spectra of the plaggic horizons of three typical plaggic Anthrosols examined in this study were dominated by biomarkers of forest species such as Quercus and Betula while the spectra of middle part of the plaggic horizons were dominated by biomarkers of stem tissue of crop species such as Secale and Avena. Only the youngest spectra of the plaggic horizons were dominated by biomarkers of Calluna. This indicates that the use of heath sods as stable filling was most likely introduced very late in the development of the Anthrosols. Before the 19th century the mineral component in plaggic manure cannot be explained by the use of heath sods. We conclude that other sources of materials, containing mineral grains must have been responsible for the raise of the plaggic horizon.

Improvement of soil fertility in historical ridge and furrow cultivation

“…Manuring using livestock waste and also partly plaggen appears to be one of the most essential factors for intensifying crop production according to these medieval and postmedieval descriptions (Enders, 2016; Giani et al, 2014; Jones, 2012; Käubler, 1972; Linke, 1976; van Mourik et al, 2016; Niemeier, 1961). For plaggen cultivation, organically enriched soil sods were cut and “used for animal bedding in stables or together with farmyard manure for composting, and applied to the fields” (Blume & Leinweber, 2004).…”

Paleosols can promote root growth of the recent vegetation – a case study from the sandy soil-sediment sequence Rakt, the Netherlands

“…Paleosols that developed in Late Glacial eolian sediments like, e.g., loess, dune sands or cover sands are valuable archives to reconstruct paleovegetation, soil and land use history (e.g., Pye and Sherwin, 1999;Van Mourik et al, 2012;Wallinga et al, 2013), with the prerequisite that individual phases of soil formation and sedimentation are distinguishable from each other. Traditionally, pedogenic processes are assumed to impact the uppermost tens of centimeters of soil, as visible, e.g., from soil models and soil classification systems commonly comprising at maximum the uppermost meter (Schmidt et al, 2011;IUSS Working Group WRB, 2014).…”

“…Plaggic agriculture was a historical form of agricultural land use which was applied on nutrient-poor sandy soils in northwestern Germany, the Netherlands and northeastern Belgium, amongst others, during the Middle Ages until the introduction of industrial fertilizers (Blume and Leinweber, 2004). Besides straw, additional stable fillings like fermented forest litter, grass and heath sods, obtained from the nearby landscape, were brought into stables (Van Mourik and Jansen, 2016). After enrichment with animal excrements the plaggic manure was brought back on the field, often together with compost (Giani et al, 2014).…”

“…Driessen and Dudal (1991) stated that several properties of plaggic horizons like high porosity and high SOC contents enable the unhampered penetration by roots. Evidence for modern root remains in buried micro-Podzols was found by Wallinga et al (2013).…”