Soil and humus (Forest)
Range of services: Soil and humus (Forest)
LUFA Speyer has been cooperating with the Rhineland-Palatinate Research Institute for Forest Ecology and Forestry for more than 40 years and carries out chemical analyses as part of forest environmental monitoring.
The matrices soil, water and plant are analyzed. Sample preparation and analysis is carried out according to the documented methods of the Handbook of Forestry Analysis (HFA).
The following methods are used for soil and humus samples:
- Sample preparation (drying, sieving, grinding)
- Extractions with aqua regia, citric acid, oxalate, aqueous 1:2 extract
- Determination of elements from the extracts (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn)
- Determination of carbon and nitrogen
- Determination of the pH value (in H2O, KCl or CaCl2) as well as the exchange capacity and base saturation of soil or humus
- Determination of microbial biomass
- Determination of particle size
Frequently asked questions
Can LUFA Speyer also carry out sampling?
Unfortunately, we are not able to take forest samples.
Does LUFA Speyer also accept orders from other federal states in the field of forest analysis?
We also accept orders from other federal states on request.
What quality assurance measures does LUFA Speyer carry out in the field of forest analysis?
The quality of the analytical results is ensured by various quality assurance measures, such as the analysis of reference material and the keeping of control charts, as well as by annual participation in national and European interlaboratory comparisons (GAFA, ICP Forests, EMEP).
Briefly explained
Forest environmental monitoring In forest environmental monitoring, long-term national and international studies are carried out on the condition of forests and the impact of natural and man-made influences on them. For example, the vitality of trees has been recorded nationwide every year since 1983 in the so-called “Forest Condition Survey”. LUFA Speyer is currently examining samples as part of the NFSI III (National Forest Soil Inventory, see below). |
Handbook of Forestry Analysis (HFA) The HFA is a loose-leaf collection of analytical methods in the forestry sector, which was developed to ensure the comparability of measured values and their method documentation. The HFA is published by the Expert Committee for Forest Analysis of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The forestry research and testing institutes of the federal and state governments and the laboratory managers of the federal and state departments responsible for forestry environmental monitoring analysis as well as the soil science chairs of the forestry faculties of the universities are represented on this committee. The methods summarized in the HFA are used as part of the National Forest Soil Inventory (NFSI), which are coordinated by the Thünen Institute. |
The National Forest Soil Inventory (NFSI) The NFSI, coordinated by the Thünen Institute, provides nationwide and science-based information on the condition of and changes to our forest soils. The current NFSI III is a central component of forest environmental monitoring in Germany. Soil and vegetation data is being collected over an 8 x 8 km grid at 1900 sampling points over a period of 3 years. More information can be found on the corresponding pages of the Thünen Institute. |
Contact persons
