effect of different tree species on the chemical and microbial properties of reclaimed mine soils

• Published in: Biology and fertility of soils Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 555 - 566
• Main Authors: Chodak, Marcin, Niklińska, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.08.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abandoned mines; Agriculture; Alnus glutinosa; Betula pendula; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Forest soils; Larix; Larix decidua; Life Sciences; microbial biomass; Mine soils; near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy; Original Paper; Pinus sylvestris; Plant populations; Soil enzyme activities; Soil microorganisms; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Trees; Soil enzyme activities; Mine soils; Microbial biomass; NIR spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0178-2762; 1432-0789
• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-010-0462-z

The chemical and microbial properties of afforested mine soils are likely to depend on the species composition of the introduced vegetation. This study compared the chemical and microbial properties of organic horizons and the uppermost mineral layers in mine soils under pure pine (Pinus sylvestris), birch (Betula pendula), larch (Larix decidua), alder (Alnus glutinosa), and mixed pine-alder and birch-alder forest stands. The studied properties included soil pH, content of organic C (Corg) and total N (Nt), microbial biomass (Cmic), basal respiration, nitrogen mineralization rate (Min-N), and the activities of dehydrogenase, acid phosphomonoesterase, and urease. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) was used to detect differences in the chemical composition of soil organic matter under the studied forest stands. There were significant differences in Corg and Nt contents between stands in both O and mineral soil horizons and also in the chemical composition of the accumulated organic matter, as indicated by NIR spectra differences. Alder was associated with the largest Corg and Nt accumulation but also with a significant decrease of pH in the mineral soil. Microbial biomass, respiration, the percentage of Corg present as Cmic, Min-N, and dehydrogenase activity were the highest under the birch stand, indicating a positive effect of birch on soil microflora. Admixture of alder to coniferous stand increased basal respiration, Min-N, and activities of dehydrogenase and acid phosphomonoesterase as compared with the pure pine stand. In the O horizon, soil pH and Nt content had the most important effects on all microbial properties. In this horizon, the activities of urease and acid phosphomonoesterase did not depend on microbial biomass. In the mineral layer, however, the amount of accumulated C and microbial biomass were of primary importance for the enzyme activities.