Effect of black alder (Alnus glutinosa) admixture to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantations on chemical and microbial properties of sandy mine soils

Sroka, Katarzyna; Chodak, Marcin; Klimek, Beata; Pietrzykowski, Marcin

doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.10.031

Cited by 31 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Artificial fertilization, spreading previously collected topsoil and/or introducing appropriate plant species may directly or indirectly influence soil development ( [12][13][14][15], but see [16]). Moreover, even specified modes of admixtures can increase autogenic repair of the soil [17,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Site Type Effect on Litter Decomposition Rates: A Three-Year Comparison of Decomposition Process between Spoil Heap and Forest Sites

Horodecki

Jagodziński

2019

Forests

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Research Highlights: Direct comparison of leaf litter decomposition rates between harsh soil conditions of degraded lands and adjacent “closer to natural” forest areas has not been done before. Background and Objectives: We aimed to fill this knowledge gap by determining the differences in amounts of carbon and nitrogen released by species-specific litter depending on decomposition rates in various stand and habitat conditions, which enables selection of the most ecologically and economically appropriate (for fast soil organic layer development) tree species for afforestation of reclaimed lands. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on the external spoil heap of the “Bełchatów” lignite mine (Central Poland) and adjacent forests. In December 2013, we established a litterbag experiment beneath the canopies of birch and pine stands. We used litter of Alnus glutinosa (Gaertn.), Betula pendula (Roth), Pinus sylvestris (L.), and Quercus robur (L.) collected ex situ, which we installed (after oven-drying) beneath the canopies of eight stands. The experiment lasted for three years (with sampling of three-month intervals). Results: Harsh soil conditions of degraded lands are unfavorable for litter mineralization. It was found that 23%–74% of decomposed materials were mineralized in spoil heap stands, whereas in forest stands these amounts ranged from 35%–83%. Litter of Q. robur in birch stands on the spoil heap is predicted to take 12 years longer for total decomposition than in forest stands of the same species. This hinders organic carbon turnover and could result in elongation of the time for full biological and economic reclamation of degraded lands. On the other hand, decomposition of relatively fast decomposable litter (A. glutinosa and B. pendula) in pine stands on the spoil heap was faster than in pine stands in forest sites (17% and 13% faster, respectively). We did not observe this trend for decomposition of more recalcitrant litter types of P. sylvestris and Q. robur. Conclusions: The results show the value of selective choice of tree species for afforestation of post-mining areas to accelerate the development of technogenic soil substrates. We recommend introducing all tree species studied in the cluster form of admixtures as all of them could bring some profits in ecological and economical reclamation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Site Type Effect on Litter Decomposition Rates: A Three-Year Comparison of Decomposition Process between Spoil Heap and Forest Sites

Horodecki

Jagodziński

2019

Forests

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“…Therefore, the question arises: Why is the highest share of European postindustrial sites afforested mainly with monocultures? Planting admixture species in a high share of stands improves ecosystem functionality (Horodecki & Jagodziński, ; Sroka et al, ) and enhances ecosystem subsistence because climate change‐mediated threats to single tree species existence have lesser impacts in mixed tree stands (Dyderski et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biological restoration of novel ecosystems on postindustrial sites is extremely difficult due to the initially soilless substrates, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of which are much worse than on 'natural' sites (Helingerová, Frouz, & Šantrůčková, 2010;Indorante, Jansen, & Boast, 1981;Jagodziński, Kałucka, Horodecki, & Oleksyn, 2014;Shrestha & Lal, 2011). Because of the economy-based need for continuous exploitation, reclamation by management processes (mainly afforestation) is preferred over leaving the sites for natural succession (Macdonald et al, 2015;Pietrzykowski & Socha, 2011;Sroka et al, 2018). To shorten the time for reestablishment of productivity, managers need to understand the key role played by initiation of soil formation processes (Esperschütz et al, 2013;Kałucka & Jagodziński, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advantages of mixed tree stands in restoration of upper soil layers on postmining sites: A five‐year leaf litter decomposition experiment

2018

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No in‐depth studies covering litter decomposition were previously conducted on afforested postmining sites despite the importance of litter decomposition on soil formation, especially in degraded areas. We aimed to compare leaf litter decomposition rates of 14 tree species growing in mixed stands on a postmining spoil heap, and to compare their decay rates with those obtained in pure stands of tree species that are very often planted in postmining areas. The study was conducted on the Bełchatów Lignite Mine spoil heap, central Poland. We studied litter decomposition rates over 5 years using the litterbag method. Leaf litter decomposition rates (k constants; yr−1) after 5 years of the experiment were arranged from highest to lowest as follows: Prunus serotina (1.04), Alnus glutinosa (0.86), Fraxinus excelsior (0.81), Ulmus laevis (0.73), Acer pseudoplatanus (0.68), Populus tremula (0.63), Populus × canadensis (0.59), Betula pendula (0.54), Populus nigra ‘Italica’ (0.38), Quercus rubra (0.36), Pinus sylvestris (0.34), Robinia pseudoacacia (0.34), Fagus sylvatica (0.25), and Quercus robur (0.22). Decomposition rates increased with Mg, Ca, and summed Mg + Ca + P + K contents in freshly fallen leaves (%). All species‐specific decomposition rates were higher in mixed than in Scots pine stands. Half of them were also higher than in pure stands of other tree species. Our results indicate that tree species composition could significantly affect the physiochemical properties of upper soil horizons on reclaimed areas. Based on these findings, we recommend planting high share of not only A. pseudoplatanus, A. glutinosa, and U. laevis but also F. sylvatica and Q. robur in stands on postmining spoil heaps, because mixed stands can accelerate soil development more than pure stands.

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“…In addition, as a result of open mineral metabolism, black alder leaf fall contributes 30-130 kg•ha −1 •year −1 of nitrogen to the soil [1], and increases the availability of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and zinc [1]. These ecological properties of the black alder make it suitable for reclamation of post-industrial sites [5,6]. In addition to providing valuable timber, black alder stands for unique niches, offering habitats to riverine and riparian flora and fauna.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Diameter Distribution of Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) Stands in Poland

Pogoda

Ochał

Orzeł

2019

Forests

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We present diameter distribution models for black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) derived from diameter measurements made at breast height in 844 circular sample plots set in 163 managed stands located in south-eastern Poland. A total of 22,530 trees were measured. Stand age ranged from six to 89 years. The model formulation was based on the two-parameter Weibull function and a non-parametric percentile-based method. Weibull function parameters were recovered from the first raw and second central moments estimated using the stand quadratic mean diameter. The same stand characteristic was used to predict values of 12 percentiles in the percentile-based method. The model performance was assessed using the k-fold cross-validation method. The goodness-of-fit statistics include the Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistic, mean error, root mean squared error, and two variants of the error index introduced by Reynolds. The percentile model developed, accurately predicted diameter distributions in 88.4% of black alder stands, as compared to 81.9% for the Weibull model (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test). Alternative statistical metrics assessing goodness-of-fit to empirical distributions suggested that the non-parametric percentile model was superior to the parametric Weibull model, especially in stands older than 20 years. In younger stands, the two models were accurate only in 57% of the cases, and did not differ significantly with respect to goodness-of-fit measures.

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Effect of black alder (Alnus glutinosa) admixture to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantations on chemical and microbial properties of sandy mine soils

Cited by 31 publications

References 45 publications

Site Type Effect on Litter Decomposition Rates: A Three-Year Comparison of Decomposition Process between Spoil Heap and Forest Sites

Site Type Effect on Litter Decomposition Rates: A Three-Year Comparison of Decomposition Process between Spoil Heap and Forest Sites

Advantages of mixed tree stands in restoration of upper soil layers on postmining sites: A five‐year leaf litter decomposition experiment

Modeling Diameter Distribution of Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) Stands in Poland

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