<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Pines are widely planted for sand dune stabilization and their cultivation results in the changes in physical, chemical, hydro-physical and water repellency properties. Soil properties were evaluated at three Scots pine plantations (PF1, PF2 and PF3) close to Studienka village, Borská nížina lowland (southwestern Slovakia) during hot and dry summer period. The PF1 site is a newly established plantation, the PF2 site is about 30 years old plantation, and the PF3 site is about 100 years old plantation. Here, we estimated the differences in pH, soil organic carbon content, Cox, particle size distribution, PSD, saturated, <italic>k</italic>s, and unsaturated, <italic>k</italic>(–2 cm), hydraulic conductivity, water, <italic>Sw</italic>, and ethanol, <italic>Se</italic>, sorptivity, water drop penetration time, WDPT, and repellency index, RI. It was found that Cox varies most significantly with plantation age, and relative differences in PSD and pH were lower than the relative difference in Cox. The PF3 site differs the most from the other two, especially in Cox and in the content of sand fraction. It can be attributed to the older age of the plantation, which represents a more advanced stage of succession accompanied by an accumulation of soil organic matter. Relationships between Cox, <italic>k</italic>(–2 cm), RI, and WDPT and pine forest age were described by appropriate mathematical models. We found a similarity between <italic>k</italic>(–2 cm) and RI relationships vs. pine forest age (exponential models), and between Cox and WDPT relationships vs. pine forest age (first and second-order polynomial models). The latter similarity can be supported by the fact that soil water repellency is induced by the hydrophobic and amphiphilic components of soil organic matter.
</abstract>

Pines are widely planted for sand dune stabilization and their cultivation results in the changes in physical, chemical, hydro-physical and water repellency properties. Soil properties were evaluated at three Scots pine plantations (PF1, PF2 and PF3) close to Studienka village, Borská nížina lowland (southwestern Slovakia) during hot and dry summer period. The PF1 site is a newly established plantation, the PF2 site is about 30 years old plantation, and the PF3 site is about 100 years old plantation. Here, we estimated the differences in pH, soil organic carbon content, Cox, particle size distribution, PSD, saturated, ks, and unsaturated, k(–2 cm), hydraulic conductivity, water, Sw, and ethanol, Se, sorptivity, water drop penetration time, WDPT, and repellency index, RI. It was found that Cox varies most significantly with plantation age, and relative differences in PSD and pH were lower than the relative difference in Cox. The PF3 site differs the most from the other two, especially in Cox and in the content of sand fraction. It can be attributed to the older age of the plantation, which represents a more advanced stage of succession accompanied by an accumulation of soil organic matter. Relationships between Cox, k(–2 cm), RI, and WDPT and pine forest age were described by appropriate mathematical models. We found a similarity between k(–2 cm) and RI relationships vs. pine forest age (exponential models), and between Cox and WDPT relationships vs. pine forest age (first and second-order polynomial models). The latter similarity can be supported by the fact that soil water repellency is induced by the hydrophobic and amphiphilic components of soil organic matter.

Evaluation of soil properties in variously aged Scots pine plantations established on sandy soil

Department of Biometeorology and Hydrology, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Pines are widely planted for sand dune stabilization and their cultivation results in the changes in physical, chemical, hydro-physical and water repellency...

Evaluation of soil properties in variously aged Scots pine plantations established on sandy soil

Published Online: Aug 10, 2021

Page range: 347 - 355

Received: Mar 25, 2021

Accepted: May 12, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2021-0012

Keywords
Sandy soil, Scots pine, Plantation, Forest restoration, Soil water repellency, Soil hydrophysical properties

© 2021 Peter Šurda et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Evaluation of soil properties in variously aged Scots pine plantations established on sandy soil

Published Online: Aug 10, 2021

Page range: 347 - 355

Received: Mar 25, 2021

Accepted: May 12, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2021-0012

KeywordsSandy soil, Scots pine, Plantation, Forest restoration, Soil water repellency, Soil hydrophysical properties

© 2021 Peter Šurda et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Sandy soil, Scots pine, Plantation, Forest restoration, Soil water repellency, Soil hydrophysical properties