and acquisition. Higher retention was partly due to the higher
CECpH4.8, and probably to reduced erosion and increased,
continuous fine root density in the garden topsoils. Higher
field CEC in gardens was likely to result from generally
higher C contents and from the reversal of acidification,
presumably caused by base accumulation and decomposition
processes. Our results suggest that forest garden establishment
on degraded grasslands can lead to accumulation of
mobile nutrients in the topsoil, probably due to increased
nutrient retention, subsoil uptake and litter input exceeding
nutrient uptake by the standing biomass.