Biogeochemical plant site conditions in stream valleys after winter flooding: a phytometer approach

Abstract. Reintroduction of winter flooding events will have strong effects on the plant growth conditions in the parts of stream valleys that have not been accustomed to flooding in recent years. The major goal of this research is, firstly, to investigate the plant growth conditions in floodplain soils in the period after a winter flood and, secondly, to assess whether a phytometer setup is suitable for the evaluation of winter flooding on plant growth conditions. Soil cores of three agricultural and three semi-natural grassland sites have been exposed to a simulated winter flooding event. Then, cores were subjected to spring conditions in a growth chamber and were planted with seedlings of Anthoxantum odoratum and Lythrum salicaria. The growth conditions changed in opposite directions for our two phytometer species, expressed as biomass and nutrient changes. We discuss possible causes of an increase or decrease in biomass, such as (1) soil nutrient effects (N, P and K), (2) toxic effects of NH₄, Fe and Al, and (3) possible shortage of other macro- and micronutrients. The conclusions are that plant growth after winter flooding was affected by enhanced nutrient and toxicant availabilities in agricultural sites and mainly by soil nutrients in the semi-natural sites. The use of the two species selected had clear advantages: Lythrum salicaria is well-suited to assess the nutrient status in previously flooded soils, because it is a well-known invader of wetlands and not easily hampered by potentially toxic compounds, while A. odoratum is less frequently found at wetland soils and more sensitive to toxic compounds and, therefore, a better indicator of possible toxic effects as a result of winter flooding than L. salicaria.