Abstract

In recent years, there has been the phenomena of spruce dieback in Europe. Significant areas of spruce low mortality now cover both sides of the Polish southern border. We evaluated ecochemical parameters influencing the heavy dieback occurring in mature spruce stands in the Polish Carpathian Mountains. Dolomite, magnesite and serpentinite fertilizers were applied to experimental plots located in 100-year-old stands in the autumn of 2008. The experimental plots were located in the mid-elevational forest zone (900–950 m) on two nappes of the flysch Carpathians: Magura (Ujsoły Forest District) and Silesian (Wisła Forest District). The saturation of the studied soils demonstrates moderate resilience of soils in Wisła Forest District in relation to acid load and high flexibility of the Ujsoły soils. After application of the fertilizers, an increase of Mg, Ca and Mb was noted in the soil solution, determined in the overlaying highly acidic organic horizons through the ion-exchange buffering mechanism of highly protonated functional groups with high buffering capacity. Magnesium concentration increased following fertilization, presenting a potential improvement of forest growth capacity without the hazard of adverse side effects of liming. Aluminium stress in old spruce is unlikely, while trees in the control plots in Wisła Forest District may already be sensitive to aluminium stress. Serpentinite fertilization improved the supply of soils in magnesium without causing significant changes in the pH of the soil. Such changes in the pH were found in dolomite and magnesite fertilizer.

Highlights

  • Polish spruce (Picea abies) forests, especially in western part of the Beskidy Mountains, have experienced significant dieback in recent years (Małek et al 2012a, b)

  • Our results indicate a positive change of soil properties—liming resulted in the decrease of leaching of humic acids, and improvement of soil saturation with basic cations and soil solution showed lower acidity, higher conductivity and higher content of Ca and Mg

  • As a result of fertilization, ratio of Ca:Mg was significantly reduced in the soils and soil solutions

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Summary

Introduction

Polish spruce (Picea abies) forests, especially in western part of the Beskidy Mountains, have experienced significant dieback in recent years (Małek et al 2012a, b). Together with the high nitrogen deposition (Małek 2010) and nutrient loss caused by canopy leaching of K, Ca, Mn and Mg (Ulrich 1983; Bredemeier 1988; Draaijers and Erisman 1995; Draaijers et al 1997; Małek 2010; Šrámek et al 2010), the following properties of precipitation, throughfall and soil solution have become modified: acid-neutralizing capacity (Reuss and Johnson 1986; Heinrichs et al 1994; Jóźwiak and Kozłowski 2004; Małek 2009; Małek et al 2012a, b), alkalinity (Harriman et al 1990; Block et al 2000; Jóźwiak and Kozłowski 2004; Małek 2009), soil acidity and base cation saturation (Ulrich 1983; Kowalkowski 2002) following soil acidification (Falkengren-Grerup et al 1987), as well as Ca:Al ratio (Cronan and Grigal 1995) and BC:Al ratio (Sverdrup and Warfvinge 1993) These processes may increase tree demand for mineral nutrients, cause nutrient deficiency in the trees and change relations between elements (Cape et al 1990; Zwoliński 2003). The properties listed above can be good ecochemical indicators of forest soil conditions and stand damage from acidification (Block et al 2000; Kowalkowski 2002)

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