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Natural pine site differentiation is instrumental in the modification of Scots pine cultivation to environmental change. The aim of this study was to distinguish azonal pine sites in prevailing beechwood conditions by the means of soil property interrelationships. The study aimed at verifying assumptions (i) that intrinsic soil properties suggest differences at naturalness among various communities in the same mesoclimate, relief or on same soil group and (ii) whether pines differ from beechwoods uniformly or unevenly among different regional population areas. The verification was carried out by discrimination analysis of the H- and A-horizon forest soil properties at selected pine and beech stands in the Czech Republic between 2006 and 2015. Homogeneous pines were confirmed either on poorly developed or very infertile soils. Mixed pines were found on Cambisols. Complete separability was found between pines and beechwoods on Podzols due to inverse proportions of correlations among acid phosphomonoesterase (APMEA) and urease (UA) activities, Corg, Cmic, base saturation, bulk density and aeration. The inverse proportions among UA, Ntot, Cmic and soil hydrophysical properties conditioned the separability of pines on different soil groups than beechwoods. Soil indications of natural pines are related to phosphorus release by APMEA and site resistance to drought due to soil organic matter and water-holding capacity.

Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) occurred rarely at submountain altitudes before reaching its present position as the most important economic tree species in Central Europe. Spruce cultivation outside of natural sites is under constant threat from harmful agents. In this study, we focused on the indication of potentially suitable planting sites for Norway spruce in areas of protected submountain (< 700 m a.s.l) populations using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of soil properties in oak-beech, mixed and spruce stands in the territory of the Czech Republic. The soil A-horizon properties in mixed stands were more similar to those in spruce than in broadleaved stands; stand mixtures resulted in lower soil property separability than the localization of individual populations (57% and 85%, respectively). The suitable sites were defined by acid phosphomonoesterase > 151 µg hour-1, soil porosity > 63%, aeration > 53%, bulk density < 0.86 g cm-3, cation exchange capacity < 18 cmol+ kg-1, Corg< 9% and Ntot< 0.5% in clusters comprising the Bohemian highlands, North Bohemian rock cities and the Outer Western Carpathians. The LDA of soil properties offered a useful tool for assessing both naturalness and forest threats to support sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest soil moisture limits (hydrolimits) suggest variation in soil water availability for tree species. In this study, we focused on estimations of soil hydrolimits using multiple regression with grain size, Corg, pH/H2 O and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in the overlays between forest site georelief and bedrock in the Czech Republic. The multiple regression parameters were optimized in a system of 615 pits from case studies in 32 natural forest areas during 2002–2020. Light anhydromorphic soils were characterized by a decrease in hydrolimits with a profile depth, while hydrolimit values were higher at greater depths in hydromorphic soils. The dependences of hydrolimits on the granularity and forest soil physico-chemical properties were closer in the subsurface horizons than in the top ones. Higher correlations suggested that the hydrolimit increase appears to be more easily achievable in subsurface soil horizons by stimulating variable contents of Corg and CEC. On the other hand, the dependence of hydrolimits on variable soil properties suggested sensitivity to environmental changes affecting ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degradation by wood-rotting fungi has been studied in Lignamon and beech wood modified by the Lignamon process. Different treatments that are used during Lignamon process were applied: gaseous ammonia treatment, densification (20 and 40% compression ratio) and heat treatment (180°C). These specimens were exposed to Trametes versicolor and Coniophora puteana for 16 weeks and the mass loss was evaluated. Changes in chemical structure, nitrogen content and pH caused by individual treatments or by fungal activity were also determined. The wood nitrogen content increased after ammonia treatment (1.0%) and was the highest in Lignamon (1.4%), its release during water leaching was very slow. The chemical analysis of wood revealed slight changes in the polysaccharide and lignin content in wood treated with ammonia. Bonded nitrogen was in the form of amides, which were partially thermally degraded by heat treatment. Neither densification nor heat treatment led to better resistance of wood against fungi, while ammonia treatment significantly restricted mass losses (C. puteana 2.5%; T. versicolor 7.5%) compared to untreated wood (both about 30%). Lignamon showed the best fungi resistance (mass loss < 5%), which was probably caused by the combined effect of hemicellulose degradation, an increased nitrogen content, and wood densification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the soil environment of eight charcoal kiln platforms and the neighboring soil in Czech and Bohemian low-altitude forest stands. Both mixed and undisturbed soil samples were used to assess the hydrophysical soil properties, nutrient content, cation exchange capacity, enzyme activity, and soil active carbon content, while soil color, stoniness, root density, and horizon thickness were estimated in the field. Charcoal-rich horizons had high total organic carbon concentrations and total nitrogen content (about 150% and 40% higher than in the organomineral horizons of the control plot, respectively), with total carbon stocks being higher than those in neighboring forest soils. Fine root density was highest in the charcoal-rich horizons, encouraged by high soil porosity, aeration, and favorable chemical properties. Enzyme group activity differed between individual soil horizons and kiln and control plots, with depolymerization enzyme activity highest in charcoal-rich horizons and humification enzyme activity highest in mineral horizons. Phosphatase, chitinase, and phenoloxidase activity were highest in charcoal-rich horizons, while β-glucosidase activity remained similar across horizons. After long-term abandonment, kiln sites shift from inhospitable sites to localized hotspots for plant and microbial growth, having more favorable physical, enzymatic, and chemical soil properties than the surrounding areas. This study confirmed that kiln production platforms act as microhabitat hotspots, also providing information on a wide spectrum of soil properties linked with soil microorganisms and root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]