Impact of Shelterbelts on Oxidation-Reduction Properties and Greenhouse Gases Emission from Soils

The Typic Hapludalfs soils under two old shelterbelts (200 years old) Robinia pseudacacia and Crataegus monogyna, multi species of trees (young shelterbelt - 20 years old) and neighbouring cultivated fields were investigated. The function of shelterbelts of different age and plant composition in agricultural landscape and estimation of biochemical and chemical soil conditions for the decrease of greenhouse gases release from soil to the atmosphere was the aim of the research. In soils under shelterbelts were estimated activities of several enzymes participating in the oxidation-reduction processes, ferric and ferrous ions and the evolutions of gases like N₂, N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄. The soils under old shelterbelts characterized higher peroxidase activity than in young shelterbelt and adjoining cultivated fields. However, no significant differences were observed for nitrate reductase activity between old and young shelterbelts. There were proved differences between emission of N₂O in soils under shelterbelts and in adjoining cultivated fields. Furthermore, it was observed significant effect of the young shelterbelt on the decrease of carbon dioxide release than in the adjoining cultivated field. The manipulation of the landscape through the introduction of shelterbelts of different age and the composition of plants leads to the modification of biogeochemical soil conditions for N₂O and N₂ formation and finally decrease of the greenhouse gases evolution from soils to the atmosphere. Thus the creation of new shelterbelts is favourable factor for agricultural landscape.