Veluwe coniferous forest acidifying: science or lobby?

In the Stentor of April 16, 2026, there was a extensive article with the headline: "The soil in this forest is almost as acidic as cola." Scientists almost immediately link this observation to nitrogen deposition originating from livestock farming. In response to comments on this article, a forest ranger states that conifers belong in the Netherlands. Both claims are highly debatable.

Scientists from Wageningen University claimed in the article that the soil beneath the coniferous forests on the Veluwe is becoming severely acidified. The reason: the soil life was unable to digest the needles of the pine trees and convert them into new nutrients within the biological food chain.

Podsol formation
The scientists observe acidified soil and then immediately switch to a—possible, desirable?—cause, in this case nitrogen deposition. And without further investigation, they draw a single conclusion from this: nitrogen emissions must be reduced, or in other words, the livestock population must be reduced. It is scientifically reprehensible to present the public with quasi-science and biased conclusions in this manner.

It would have been to the credit of these scientists if they had conducted further research into the condition of the soil. With their knowledge of the field of soil science, they would undoubtedly have discovered that natural processes (leaching and leaching) create stratification in the soil profile (podsols). And this podsolization, in turn, leads to a decline in soil fertility. In coniferous forests, for example, these processes naturally lead to (acidic) podsol soil. Dr. ir. SF Kuipers wrote about this on page 32 of his book "Bodemkunde": "On soil covered with heather, blueberries, and conifers, podsol formation is very strong because the humus from these plants is so acidic."

In short, the acidification of the soil beneath the coniferous forests on the Veluwe is not directly and solely the result of nitrogen deposition on the forests, but a natural process in the soil of a coniferous forest that has been ongoing for approximately two centuries.

Unnatural biotope
A forest ranger's answer regarding whether conifers belong in the Netherlands or the Dutch climate was very clear: yes, because we needed conifers in the nineteenth century for industrialization and they were planted for that reason. And so, they belong here. This is a debatable answer.

Information centers of the nature reserve management authorities provide a great deal of information about the geology and geomorphology of the Netherlands. Little used to grow on the barren sandy soils. But certainly no conifers. The forest ranger was right in that respect: naturally (and before roughly 1820), conifers do not occur on the sandy soils of the Veluwe. They were planted there in a habitat unnatural for those trees. The cause was entirely economic gain. Fast-growing timber was needed for new developments, for example, to support the shafts in the mines. The fact remains that the conifers therefore not naturally occur or belong on the poor sandy soils of the Netherlands and in the Dutch climate.

The size of the livestock population over the past 40 years certainly does not play as significant a role in soil acidification as the scientists here claim. In fact, even if the entire livestock population disappears from the Netherlands, the soil acidification process beneath the coniferous forests will simply continue as a natural phenomenon.   

Jaap Uenk, in collaboration with Drs. IJ.L. Boom (geographer)

Jaap Uenk

Jaap Uenk is the owner of consultancy Mestem and has more than 40 years of experience in various positions in the Dutch fertilizer sector.

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