Assessment by laboratory simulation of approaches to amelioration of peat acidification

The effects of different liming materials (CaCO(3), Ca(OH)(2), CaHPO(4), and dolomite) on soil and drainage-water chemistry have been investigated for upland acidic peats by using a soil-core-simulation experiment. Intact cores from three depths (0-30, 0-60, and 0-90 mm) were subjected to ten years of simulated rainfall. Drainage water was periodically analysed for Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), K(+) NH(4)(+), TOC, Cl(-), SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), PO(4)(3-), and pH, and at the end of the experiment the cores were destructively sampled and analysed. Temporal changes in soil and drainage-water chemistry are used to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different liming materials for the amelioration of soil and drainage-water chemistry.