ABSTRACT:The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of alginite on the growth parameters of seedlings of Douglas-fir, Scots pine and line mixture of pedunculate oak, red oak and Norway maple (broadleaves) on former agricultural land with an unfavourable hydrophysical regime. The research plot consists of 36 sub-plots, each subplot has a size of 400 m 2 . The following doses of alginite were applied: control (variant A without alginite), 0.5 kg of alginite (B) and 1.5 kg of alginite (C) when planting both conifers and mixtures of broadleaves. Number of seedlings on the sub-plots was 400 individuals, only in the case of Douglas-fir the number was 200 individuals. Therefore every combination of tree species and the amount of alginite had 4 replications. The parameters of growth and development of individual trees (height, increment and mortality) show that after 2 years, both doses of alginite had statistically positive effects on height increments.

Tužinský, L., Bublinec, E., Tužinský, M., 2017. Development of soil water regime under spruce stands. Folia Oecologica, 44: 46-53.The aim of this paper is to analyse the water regime of soils under spruce ecosystems in relation to long-lasting humid and drought periods in the growing seasons 1991-2013. The dominant interval humidity in observing growing seasons is semiuvidic interval with soil moisture between hydro-limits maximal capillary capacity (MCC) and point of diminished availability (PDA). Gravitationally seepage concentrated from accumulated winter season, water from melting snow and existing atmospheric precipitation occurs in the soil only at the beginning of the growing season. The supplies of soil water are significantly decreasing in the warm climate and precipitant deficient days. The greatest danger from drought threatens Norway spruce during the summer months and it depends on the duration of dry days, water supply at the beginning of the dry days, air temperature and the intensity of evapotranspiration. In the surface layers of the soil, with the maximum occurrence of active roots, the water in semiarid interval area between hydro-limits PDA and wilting point (WP) decreases during the summer months. In the culminating phase occurs the drying to moisture state with capillary stationary and the insufficient supply of available water for the plants. Physiological weakening of Norway spruce caused by set of outlay components of the water balance is partially reduced by delivering of water by capillary action from deeper horizons. In extremely dry periods, soil moisture is decreasing also throughout the soil profile (0-100 cm) into the bottom third of the variation margin hydro-limits MCC-PDA in the category of capillary less moving and for plants of low supply of usable water (60-90 mm). The issue of deteriorated health state of spruce ecosystems is considered to be actual. Changes and developments of hydropedological conditions which interfere the mountain forests represent the increasing danger of the drought for the spruce.

Abstractcukor J., Baláš M., Kupka i., tužinský M. (2017): The condition of forest stands on afforested agricultural land in the orlické hory Mts. J. for. sci., 63: 1-8. the paper presents an evaluation of the growth of newly established forest stands on former agricultural land and furthermore describes the state of the upper part of the soils in these stands in comparison with neighbouring grassland in the orlické hory Mountains. the new norway spruce stands show an extremely high growth potential, usually significantly higher in comparison with areas forested for more generations/rotations. the formation of the surface humus layer also showed fast progress, the amount of dry mass of soil organic matter reaching values almost typical of permanently forested sites. the soils of newly afforested lands tend to resemble the status of forest soil -there was observed a process of acidification and nutrient depletion, probably connected with accumulation of the tree biomass.

The paper presents the research results of soil water regime under the spruce stand in the Upper Orava, in Oravská Polhora - Borsučie in the growing seasons of 2012 and 2013. There are characterized different ranges of soil moisture, soil water categories and its accessibility for plants, particularly for the surface layer from 20 cm to 100 cm deep physiological soil profile. Dominant interval of moisture during the growing season is the semiuvidic interval with the soil moisture between hydrolimits MCC and PDA. Amount of water presents mostly capillary less moving water, in the surface layer of soil sufficient, for short time insufficient supply of usable water. The amount of water decreseases for a short time after dry days. Semiaridic interval with the soil moisture between hydrolimits PDA and WP, up to the upper third of the variation range means that the vegetation has available stationary capillary water in the surface layer. In prolonged dry season such humidity condition can be one of the main causes of physiological weakening of spruce.