Abstract
The aim of this work was to assess Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growth response and potential productivity on various reclaimed mine soils (RMS) developed on dominant parent rock in Poland (Central Europe). The study was conducted on four afforested post-mining sites after lignite, hard coal, sand and sulphur mining extraction. Site index (SI) was modeled as a function of the top height of a pine tree stand at a certain age and physico-chemical and biological properties of RMS. Field measurements were taken in tree stands ranging from 12 to 30 years of age. A total of 42 site trees (1–2 dominant trees on each plot) representing top height (H500) were cut and the age and height increment of each tree was estimated on the basis of distance between branch verticils. Soil samples were collected at 0–8, 8–50 and 50–110 cm depth and the following parameters were determined: soil texture, pH, total exchangeable bases TEB, cations exchangeable capacity, soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient content (N, Ca, Mg, K, Na, P) and microbial properties (dehydrogenase activity; DHG). Statistical models were developed describing relationships between tree growth as expressed by SI and key mine soil properties. The best model explained a relatively large part (>60 %) of SI variability. In this model, the most influential RMS properties were: clay sized (<0.002 mm) fraction content, base saturation (BS%), available phosphorus (Pav) and biological activity (DHG). However, in acidic and sulphurised tertiary sands neutralized by bog lime, the correlation between SI and phosphorus was negative. This phenomenon can be explained in part by the possible disturbance of nutrient relationships in RMS. Developed models may be used to predict site potential productivity and pine tree growth on newly reclaimed areas, or to plan forest management strategies and transformation of existing pine monocultures to mixed hardwood forests developed on mining sites similar to those analysed in presented research.
Highlights
The rehabilitation of post-mine lands requires site-specific knowledge to ensure that the chosen reclamation strategies will be sustainable (e.g. Bradshaw 1983; Pietrzykowski and Krzaklewski 2007; Zipper et al 2011a, b)
Growth trajectories of site index models may be dependent on soil properties (Johansson 1995), postmine soil properties significantly differ from natural forest soils and there is high spatial variability even on the same soil-substrate (Heinsdorf 1996; Torbert and Burger 2000; Pietrzykowski et al 2013)
Total nitrogen Nt content in the AC horizon varied from a minimum of 0.12 g kg-1 to a maximum of 4.59 g kg-1; soil organic carbon (SOC)-to-total nitrogen (TN) ratio in the AC
Summary
The rehabilitation of post-mine lands requires site-specific knowledge to ensure that the chosen reclamation strategies will be sustainable (e.g. Bradshaw 1983; Pietrzykowski and Krzaklewski 2007; Zipper et al 2011a, b). The most commonly used and widely accepted method in forestry for assessing potential site productivity and species growth reaction is the site index (SI) which is determined by the use of site index models on the basis of the height of a stand at a certain age (e.g. Nord-Larsen et al 2009). This approach is restricted to even-aged monocultures (Skovsgaard and Vanclay 2008; Sharma et al 2012). An additional factor is that during mine reclamation, there is no past history for that site to use as a basis for site index and the use of soil properties and site characteristics for potential productivity and afforestation planning is necessary
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