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Deciduous oak coppices (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) of the "Sierra de Gata" mountains (central western Spain) are located on acid rocks and subjected to annual rainfall higher than 700 mm year −1 . Accordingly, the soils are acidic (soil pH is often below 5.0) and feature the presence of Mn 2+ and Al 3+ in the exchangeable complex. The aim of the present study was to assess the response of these soils to the addition of a lime residue from a sugar beet mill to reach pH values close to 7.0 and 6.0 with in situ and in vitro experiments, respectively. Initially, the quality of the lime by-product was evaluated, which showed content close to 75 % CaCO 3 . Based on that analysis, calculations were accomplished to determine the dose of lime by-product necessary for achieving the targeted soil pH. We first performed an in vitro liming experiment, incubating 0.50 kg soil (0-20 cm layer) with 23.92 g CaCO 3 kg −1 soil (20 °C and soil moisture equivalent to that of field capacity). Subsequently, another experiment was done adding an equivalent quantity of sub-product in lieu of the pure CaCO 3 ; the factors monitored were: soil pH, exchange acidity, CEC, and exchangeable bases, every 24 h. The in situ experiment was performed in a forest plot located in Western Spain (Navasfrías), liming with 16.0 Mg DM by-product ha −1 (September 1999). Soil samples (two depths: 0-10 and 10-20 cm) were taken from both the control and the experimental forest plots for monitoring the liming effect. Sampling dates were September