Dynamics and drivers of the protozoic Si pool along a 10-year chronosequence of initial ecosystem states

Idiosomic Si pools ranged from 3 to 680 g Si ha−1 and were about 3-4 times higher at vegetated compared to uncovered spots. They increased significantly with age and were related to temporal development of soil chemical properties. The calculation of annual biosilicification resulted in maxima between 2 and 16 kg Si ha−1 with rates always higher at vegetated spots. Our results showed that the BSi pool of idiosomic TA is built up rapidly during the initial phases of ecosystem development and is strongly linked to plant growth. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of TA for Si cycling in young artificial ecosystems.