Suitability of soils developed on the basis of black coal ash as a forest habitat

Tomasz Tomaszewicz,Renata Gamrat,Sławomir Stankowski,Justyna Chudecka

doi:10.17951/pjss.2017.50.2.131

Tomasz Tomaszewicz, Renata Gamrat + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.17951/pjss.2017.50.2.131

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness as a forest habitat, the technogenic soils developed by applying overlays containing organic matter in the waste substances, onto the layer of black coal ash. Properties of these soils, located in the power plant “Dolna Odra” in Nowe Czarnowo (West-Pomeranian province), were studied in 2015, i.e. 13 years after founding the experiment upon the use of waste materials in soilless land reclamation. Analysis required samples from the ash overlays and bottoms of the soils, in which applying methods commonly used in soil science, following properties were determined to enable calculation of the indicators used in the evaluation: forest soil trophism index (FSTI), soil site index (SSI), and mine soil quality index (MSQI). Values of FSTI allowed for classify studied soils as forest habitats, values of SSI as mixed forests and forest habitats, and values of MSQI as mixed forest habitats.

Highlights

Among the reasons for which the landfills of ash – by-products of coal combustion – are burdensome to the environment, is dust (Siuta 2005)
The increase in the effectiveness of trees planting occurring after application of organic matter, including sewage sludge, was comparable with the use of pasty material layers, regardless of whether the sludge is mixed with the ash (Pacewicz et al 2007, Bajor et al 2014, Pietrzykowski et al 2015), or overlays containing organic components are placed on ash (Nowak 2007, Nowak and Zieliński 2008, Nowak 2012), or trees are planted in holes treated with sewage sludge (Gilewska and Otremba 2010)
In lysimeters L-1 and L-2, the overlay was a blend of low peat and ash in the volume ratio of 1:3, while in lysimeters L-3 and L-4, the overlay consisted of: conifers bark, loose sand, compost produced by means of GWDA, and ferment

Summary

Introduction

Among the reasons for which the landfills of ash – by-products of coal combustion – are burdensome to the environment, is dust (Siuta 2005). Natural stand and undergrowth vegetation does not occur on anthropogenic lands created from ashes In this case, determination of the potential habitat type of forest can be made only on the basis of results of current soil science research that allow to calculate the forest soil trophism index – FSTI (Brożek 2001) and soil site index – SSI (Brożek et al 2008, 2011). Determination of the potential habitat type of forest can be made only on the basis of results of current soil science research that allow to calculate the forest soil trophism index – FSTI (Brożek 2001) and soil site index – SSI (Brożek et al 2008, 2011) These indices were used in the studies characterizing the forest habitats on natural soils (Trawczyńska and Tołoczko 2007, Kondras et al 2012), on post-agricultural soils (Wanic and Błońska 2011, Meller et al 2013), and on reclaimed areas (Pietrzykowski et al 2010, 2011). To determine the suitability for afforestation, the reclaimed landfill of ash, mine soil quality index – MSQI (Pietrzykowski 2014, 2016), can be used to assess the post-mining wooded lands

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