Implications of soil substrate and land use for properties of fen soils in North-East Germany Part II: Aspects of structure in the peat soil landscape

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of peat soil substrate governed by the hydrological type of mire, land use and state of anthropogenic changes on the fen soil structure in terms of the water retention curve, soil aggregates and topsoil strength. Our hypothesis was that morphological parameters of the peat soil landscape, like peat thickness and water table, are correlated with functional parameters of internal soil structure like water retention or cone resistance. These parameters were measured along several transects in fens of the Rhin-Havelluch and the Uckermark region. Results confirmed our hypothesis. The peat thickness was cross-correlated with the state of anthropogenic soil changes and soil structure. The type of land use (grassland, forest) had significant implications for the moisture status and structure in terms of density, strength, pore size distribution and aggregate sizes of topsoils.