Relations between organic horizon properties andforest plant composition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
stands in south west Poland

Piotr Sewerniak
Department of Soil Science
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
PolandHumic Substances in Ecosystems 8, Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Materialand methods

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Location of the investigated area
shown on the map of polish State Forests division for 17 Regional DirectoratesGdańsk
Szczecinek
Olsztyn
Białystok
Toruń

Piła

SzczecinWarszawa
Poznań

ZielonaGóra

Głogów

Łódź

WrocławBolesławiec
Oława

Radom

LublinKatowice

Kraków

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

KrosnoField works• The researches were conducted on 100 study
plots in timber Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
stands. In each plot Scots pine was dominant
tree species in overstory.
Soil• Type
HaplicIn eachplot: Gleyic/Subtype
Podzols
Podzols

Cambic Cambisols
Arenosols

Luvisols

Gleysols- organic horizon sample (Of or Ofh subhorizon)
Number of181446
87
wascollected,
study plots- phytosociological relevé using Braun-Blanquet
method was taken.
Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

7

Field works• The researches were conducted on 100 study
plots in timber Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
stands. In each plot Scots pine was dominant
tree species in overstory.
• In each plot:- organic horizon sample (Of or Ofh subhorizon)
was collected,- phytosociological relevé using Braun-Blanquet
method was taken.
Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Analytical methods
In each collected soil sample it was determined:- reaction (pHH2O and pHKCl) by potentiometricmethod,- total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (Nt)content by CNS analyser,- hydrolytic acidity (Hh) by the Kappen method,- content of exchange basic cation (Ca2+, Mg2+,K+, Na+) following extraction of samples in
1M CH3COONH4 at pH 7.0, and the ASA method.
Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Data analysis• For each soil sample it was calculated:-total exchangeable base cations (S) as a sum of Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+,capacity of the sorption complex (T) as Hh + S,
base saturation (BS) as: (S/T) x 100%.

• For each study plot Broad-leaved Species Cover Indicator(BSCI) was calculated as:
BSCI = a + 0,75b + 0,25c,
where: a – cover of broad-leaved species in an overstory,b – cover of broad-leaved species in a second story,c – cover of broad-leaved species in a shrub layer.

• Relations between vegetation and organic horizon properties
were examined using: Spearman correlation in STATISTICA 4.0;
DCA (Detrended Correspondence Analysis) and CanonicalCorrespondence Analysis(CCA) in CANOCO 4.5 package
Humic Substances in Ecosystems
8, Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia[ter Braak, Šmilauer 2002]

Results

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Chosen properties of phytocoenosis
Broad-leavedSpecies CoverIndicator(BSCI)

Amount ofplant species

Cover of broad-leaved species[%]
second story

shrub layer

1914916±19(0-75)±22(0-85)±17(0-80)±5(7-31)

Amount ofvascular plantspecies

Cover [%]

herb layer

moss layer1367

44±5(4-29)±20(5-95)±26(0-90)

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Properties of organic horizons
Reaction, TOC, Nt and TOC:Nt ratio
pHTOC
[%]

Nt[%]

TOC:NtH2O

KCl

3,8

3,0

38,6

1,462

27,0±0,3(3,2-4,9)±0,3(2,5-4,4)±6,9(19,4-64,4)±0,344(0,805-2,615)±4,4(12,9-41,0)

Na+

K+

STBS[%]

Sorption properties
HhCa2+

Mg2+[mmol(+)/100g]

145

8,68

1,490,280,85

11,3156

7,62±30(56,7-223)±5,73(0,64-30,1)±0,74(0,26-3,78)±0,11(0,07-0,74)±0,30(0,22-1,74)±6,6(1,19-34,8)±28(57,9-231)±5,44(1,94-30,0)

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Correlation between propertiesof organic horizon and of phytocoenosis
Cation content [mmol(+)/100g]
BS [%]pHKCl

Nt [%]TOC:Nt0,290*

0,343*

0,324*

0,244*-0,247*-0,0020,139

0,456*

0,358*

0,186-0,353*0,399*-0,0120,279*

0,431*

0,432*

0,208*-0,381*

0,538*

0,562*-0,021

0,161

0,592

0,424*

0,251*-0,449*

0,124

0,006

0,081

0,055

0,029

0,001

-0,1160,208*-0,164

0,249*-0,509*-0,560*-0,016-0,264*-0,490*-0,536*-0,348*0,379*

Ca2+

Mg2+

Na+

K+

-0,216*

0,337*

0,378*

0,083-0,296*

0,437*

0,424*

BSCI-0,355*0,367*

Amount of vascularplant species-0,479*herb layer(c)moss layer(d)Cover[%]

Cover of broad
broadleaved species [%]Hhsecondstory
shrub layer

0,437* p < 0,01Humic Substances in Ecosystems
0,208* Slovakia
0,01 < p < 0,05
8, Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009

DCA ordination diagram of forest floor vegetation species

Cetraria islandica
Cladonia:
Alliariasilvatica,
petiolata
rangiferina and fimbriata

Alliaria petiolata
Dactylis
aschersoniana
Alliaria
petiolata
Brachypodium sylvaticum

DDC

Substances in Ecosystems
Axis 1 (horizontal) represents soil fertility8,Humic
gradient.
It explains 11,6% of total forest floor species variation.
Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

DCA ordination diagram of forest floor vegetation species
Vaccinium oxycoccus
Erica tetralix
Alliaria petiolata
Sphagnum sp.
Calamagrostis canescens

DDC

Festuca ovina
Agrostis capillaris
Cytisus scoparius
Alliaria
petiolata
Hypericum perforatum
Veronica officinalis
Euphorbia cyparissias

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Axis 1 (horizontal) represents soil fertility
gradient. It explains 11,6% of total forest floor species variation.
Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

DCA ordination diagram of forest floor vegetation species

DDC
dry.fil

Red marked species are
typical not for pine, butfor deciduous forests.
The species were stated in18 of 100 investigated plots.

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Axis 1 (horizontal) represents soil fertility
gradient. It explains 11,6% of total forest floor species variation.
Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

CCA ordination diagram
showing correlation
between species compositionand organic horizon properties

ggg

The soil properties usedin the diagram explain
22,1% of the total forest
floor species variation
in investigated plots.

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Forest humus type: moder-mor

Ol 4-2cm
Ofh 2-0cm
ABw
BwQuercus robur in thesecond story(cover: 70%)

ggg
Forest floor plants:
BwC

IIC
Cambisol
Parent material:
loess silt on fluvioglacial sandHumic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Herbs:
Vaccinium myrtillus
Deschampsia flexuosa
Calamagrostis arundinacea
Pteridium aquilinum
Rubus plicatus
Dryopteris carthusiana
Calamagrostis epigejos
Rubus idaeus
Maianthemum bifolium
Epilobium angustifolium
Calluna vulgaris
Carex pilulifera
Mosses:Pseudoscleropodium purum

32222111
1+++2

Mainconclusions

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

1. Organic horizon properties are strongly related to broad-leaved
species portion in pine stands. The portion is positively correlated tosoil properties that are connected with high soil fertility (basesaturation, base cation content, pH). The correlation is significant
negatively for biological activity soil indicator (TOC:Nt).
2. The analysis of forest floor species compositions suggests thatmany of (1)pine stands in south west Poland are planted on soils thatWnioski
are originally connected with deciduous forests....... .... .... ............
3. Organic horizon properties are more related to vegetation species
composition than to potential soil fertility. Even on eutrophic soils,
when forming under pine stands, organic horizon morphology ismore similar to Mor than to Mull forest humus type.......................
Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

The researches werefinanced by the polish
Ministry of Science and Higher Education(project N309 007 32/1037)

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8, Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

CCA ordination diagram
showing correlation
between species compositionand organic horizon properties
with BSCIggg

The soil properties usedin the diagram explain
24,3% of the total forest
floor species variation
in investigated plots.

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Correlation between propertiesof organic horizon and phytocoenosis
Cation content [mmol(+)/100g]
BS [%]

pHKClNt [%]C:N

0,290*

0,343*

0,324*

0,244*-0,247*-0,161-0,0020,139

0,456*

0,358*

0,186-0,353*-0,0880,399*-0,0120,279*

0,431*

0,432*

0,208*-0,381*-0,1250,538*

0,562*-0,021

0,161

0,592

0,424*

0,251*-0,449*-0,184

0,006

0,081

0,055

0,029

0,001

-0,1160,208*-0,164

0,274*-0,509*-0,560*-0,016-0,264*-0,490*-0,536*-0,348*0,379*

0,196

Ca2+

Mg2+

Na+

K+

lower
story

-0,216*

0,337*

0,378*

0,083

shrub
layer

-0,296*

0,437*

0,424*

BSCI-0,355*0,367*

Amount ofvascular plantspecies-0,479*

herb
layer
(c)

0,124

mosslayer(d)0,249*

Cover of broad
broadleaved species [%]HhCover[%]Thickness ofO hor.
[cm]

0,437* p < 0,01

Humic Substances in Ecosystems
0,208* Slovakia
0,01 < p < 0,05
8, Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009

Korelacje między właściwościami poziomu
organicznego a cechami fitocenozy
H+ +
Al3+

Ca2+Mg2+Na+K+

ST

BS
[%]

pHKC
l[mmol(+)/100g]

H2O

Nt[%]

C:N

Miąższośćpoz.
O[cm]KCl1458,68

1,490,28

0,85

7,62

3,0

1,462

27,0

6,5±30(56,7-223)±5,73(0,64-30,1)±0,74(0,26-3,78)±0,11(0,07-0,74)±0,30(0,22-1,74)±5,44(1,94-30,0)±0,3(2,5-4,4)±0,344(0,805-2,615)±4,4(12,9-41,0)±1,7(3-12)

Cation content [mmol(+)/100g]
BS[%]

pHKClNt [%]

C:N

0,85

7,62

3,0

1,462

27,0

6,5±0,30(0,22-1,74)±5,44(1,94-30,0)±0,3(2,5-4,4)±0,344(0,805-2,615)±4,4(12,9-41,0)±1,7(3-12)

H+ +Al3+Ca2+

Mg2+Na+K+

145

8,68

1,49

0,28±30(56,7-223)±5,73(0,64-30,1)±0,74(0,26-3,78)±0,11(0,07-0,74)

0,437* p < 0,01STMiąższość
poz. O[cm]

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,0,208*Slovakia
0,01 < p < 0,05Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009

Properties of investigated organic horizons
Thickness of O horizon, pH, TOC, Nt and TOC:Nt ratio
Thicknessof O horizon
[cm]

pHTOC
[%]

Nt[%]

TOC:NH2O

KCl

6,5

3,83,038,6

1,462

27,0

±1,7(3-12)±0,3(3,2-4,9)±0,3(2,5-4,4)±6,9(19,4-64,4)±0,344(0,805-2,615)±4,4(12,9-41,0)

Mg2+

Na+K+

STBS[%]

Sorption properties
Hh

Ca2+

[mmol(+)/100g]

145

8,68

1,49

0,28

0,85

11,3

156

7,62

±30(56,7-223)±5,73(0,64-30,1)±0,74(0,26-3,78)±0,11(0,07-0,74)±0,30(0,22-1,74)±6,6(1,19-34,8)±28(57,9-231)±5,44(1,94-30,0)

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia

Properties of organic horizons
Thickness of O horizon, pH, TOC, Nt and TOC:Nt ratio
Thicknessof O horizon[cm]

TOC[%]Nt[%]

TOC:NH2O

KCl

6,5

3,8

3,0

38,6

1,462

27,0±1,7(3-12)±0,3(3,2-4,9)±0,3(2,5-4,4)±6,9(19,4-64,4)±0,344(0,805-2,615)±4,4(12,9-41,0)

Mg2+

Na+K+

ST

BS[%]

pH

Sorption properties
HhCa2+[mmol(+)/100g]

145

8,68

1,490,280,85

11,3156

7,62±30(56,7-223)±5,73(0,64-30,1)±0,74(0,26-3,78)±0,11(0,07-0,74)±0,30(0,22-1,74)±6,6(1,19-34,8)±28(57,9-231)±5,44(1,94-30,0)

Humic Substances in Ecosystems 8,Šoporňa 13.-17.9.2009 Slovakia