Effect of tree species and substrate properties on organic phosphorus
forms in afforested technosols
Abstract
Planted vegetation is considered one of the most important soil-forming
factors in the reclamation of degraded post-mining lands for forestry.
The objective of this study was to compare the effect of N-fixing tree
species and non-N-fixing species on the organic phosphorus (P
org) forms in technosols developing from various
substrates. Samples were taken from the uppermost layer (depth 0 – 5
cm) of technosols afforested with black locust ( Robinia
pseudoaccaccia), black alder ( Alnus glutinosa), silver birch (
Betula pendula) and Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris).
Samples of the tree foliage and the O horizons were taken as well. The
studied technosols developed from Quaternary sands (Sands), fly ashes
after lignite combustion (Ashes) and Miocene clays (Clays). The soil
samples were measured for the contents of labile (P
Olab) and moderately labile organic phosphorus (P
Omod), phosphorus contained in fulvic and humic acids (P
fulv and P hum, respectively) and
residual organic phosphorus (P Ores). The foliage and O
horizon samples were measured for the concentrations of C, N and P. The
N-fixing trees had higher P concentration in the foliage than
non-N-fixing species. However, in the O horizon the highest P
concentration was determined under birch and not under N-fixers. The
effect of tree species on the organic P (P org)
concentrations in the mineral soil was limited with significantly lower
P org concentrations under pine. Soil under this species
contained less P fulv, P hum and P
Ores. However, the percentages of P
Olab, P Omod, P fulv, P
hum and P Ores in soil P
org were nearly the same under all tree species. The
largest effect on the P org concentration and on the
contents of particular P org fractions was from the
substrate type. Sands contained much less P org than the
Clays and Ashes but their percentage of P Olab in P
org was much higher than in two other substrates. We
conclude that N-fixing trees do not affect the concentration of labile
organic P and the major factor controlling this P org
fraction is the soil substrate quality.