Ernährung und Wachstum der Birke (Betula pendula Roth) auf Sulfat-, Karbonat- und Silikatstandorten Thüringens

Abstract

Summary On 30 different Thuringian sites the nutrition and growth of birch ( Betula, pendula R oth ) were investigated. Silicate (Palaeozoic slates, Bunter Sandstone), carbonate (Zechstein carbonate, Muschelkalk) and sulfate sites (Zechstein gypsum and anhydrite) with natural and anthropogenic soils were included. Nutrition and growth conditions for birch are best on acid silicate sites (particularly on the fresh slate sites which are richer in nutriens), they are worse on neutral carbonate and sulfate sites (incipient K, P and Mn deficiency). The natural gypsum sites have often the lowest nutrient content, the latter is extremely low in the case of potassium. The lesser supply of nutrient elements and water is balanced out to a certain degree by the trees due to a wider distance between them.