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Which Soil Properties Determine Tree Nutrient Supply in Extreme Technosol Conditions?
AbstractIn recent years, there has been an increased interest in the selection of tree species for their adaptation to difficult habitat conditions in post-mining areas. As global climate change can cause changes in the circulation of elements, it is vital to understand how soil and habitat conditions affect the mineral nutritional status of trees.The study compared the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content in the leaves of various tree species on different substrates created by mining activities. The research was carried out in stands growing on reclaimed post-mining soils composed of various parent materials, including sands, clays, and ashes. The factors influencing the N and P supply to trees in the designated parent material were investigated. The soil’s physicochemical properties were determined, and biochemical analyses were conducted. The tests performed showed that there were no differences in the N and P content in the leaves of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), black alder (Alnus glutinosa), and common birch (Larix decidua) growing on different substrates. The results confirmed a significant relationship between the mineral nutritional status of trees and the chemical (N, Mg2+, and K+) and biological (AcdPhoSP) properties of soils. The N supply was related to the contents of nitrogen total (Ntot) and exchangeable magnesium (Mg2+) in soils and to the specific activity of acid phosphatase (AcdPhoSP). The level of phosphorus (P) supply to the studied tree species growing on technogenic soils was shown to be a factor related to the activity of acid phosphatase (AcdPhoSP).
The Impact of the Method of Reclamation of the Coal Ash Dump from the “Adamów” Power Plant on the Survival, Viability, and Wood Quality of the Introduced Tree Species
The aim of this research was to determine the survival rate, dimensions, and wood quality of black locust, ash-leaf maple, common maple, and American ash introduced to the landfill of the “Adamów” Power Plant as part of the reclamation process. The experimental area consisted of 13 research plots. On the three plots where the trees were planted directly into the ash, the trees completely collapsed. As a result of this research, it was found that the black locust had the best survival rates, whereas the American ash had the worst. The black locust and ash-leaf maple reached larger sizes on the plots where the ashes were covered with a 50-centimetre layer of sewage sludge (S50) or with a 50-centimetre layer of clay (C50), while the common maple grew the largest on the plots where a 25-centimetre layer of sewage sludge (S25) was used. Our research shows that about 40% of the examined species of wood were of good quality (Q1, Q2), which in the future will make it possible to obtain sawmill raw material. On the other hand, lower quality wood (Q3, Q4), which accounted for over 50% of the assessed wood material, can be successfully used as a biomass for energy purposes.