A European Classification of Terrestrial Humus Forms - 1st Approach

Wien

2005

S. 22

Artikel aus einer ZeitschriftUnselbständiges Werk

200123322

Humus plays an important role in the functioning of ecosystems acting as a link between above- and below-ground ecosystem compartments. The depth or depth ratio of different humus horizons is an indicator for velocity and manner of organic matter turnover as well as carbon storage in forest soils. Since classification and description of humus forms is a valuable tool, a unified European humus classification will contribute towards compatibility of national ecosystem analyses. In Europe as well as in North America a multitude of humus taxonomies exists starting with early approaches in the late 19th century. Due to the variety of sites throughout Europe, different methodological approaches are used, thus resulting in different classification systems. The Canadian (Green et al. 1993) and French (Brêthes et al. 1998) classification systems are frequently used in an international context, but don't cover all site conditions of European forest ecosystems. Throughout the last decade, new national classification systems were developed in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. Basic concepts of most national European classification systems are similar along general lines. Nevertheless ther are differences in parameters used for description and classification of humus forms as well as in scaling these parameters. This results in incompatibility of classification on the lower levels of the systems, similar designations of humus forms often having differing contents, and similar contents having differing names. This paper gives a general outline of a concept on a classification system of terrestrial humus forms at the European level.