<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The coastal dunes of Southwest Estonia have been undergoing a process of stabilisation and are today covered predominantly with Scots pine forests. For the investigation of soils on dunes sampling sites were selected according to topographical positions and forest site types: two sites in <italic>Cladina</italic> and two sites in <italic>Vaccinium vitis-idaea</italic> site types on dunes of different heights. The prevailing soils on dunes are Gleyic Podzols, which are generally poor in humus, water and mineral nutrients. Great differences in soil chemical components were found on the foots, slopes and tops of the dunes depending on the height of the dune. The study showed that the concentration of macronutrients (N, K, Ca, Mg) in soil decreased from the foot towards the top. On the other hand, a serious decrease in the nutrient concentration from the O horizon to the BC horizon was typical of the dunes. The soils were generally acidic, with the pH of 3.4-5.5 in the studied sampling sites. The soils were more acidic on the foots of the dune and in the O and A horizons.</p></abstract>

The coastal dunes of Southwest Estonia have been undergoing a process of stabilisation and are today covered predominantly with Scots pine forests. For the investigation of soils on dunes sampling sites were selected according to topographical positions and forest site types: two sites in Cladina and two sites in Vaccinium vitis-idaea site types on dunes of different heights. The prevailing soils on dunes are Gleyic Podzols, which are generally poor in humus, water and mineral nutrients. Great differences in soil chemical components were found on the foots, slopes and tops of the dunes depending on the height of the dune. The study showed that the concentration of macronutrients (N, K, Ca, Mg) in soil decreased from the foot towards the top. On the other hand, a serious decrease in the nutrient concentration from the O horizon to the BC horizon was typical of the dunes. The soils were generally acidic, with the pH of 3.4-5.5 in the studied sampling sites. The soils were more acidic on the foots of the dune and in the O and A horizons.

Chemical characteristics of soils in Scots pine forests of <italic>Cladina</italic> and <italic>Vaccinium vitis-idaea</italic> site types on coastal dunes of Baltic Sea

Department of Ecophysiology, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Viljandi mnt. 18b, 11216 Tallinn, Estonia

Surju Forest District, Surju vald, 80060 Pärnumaa, Estonia

Forestry Studies

Chemical characteristics of soils in Scots pine forests of  and  site types on coastal dunes of Baltic Sea

The coastal dunes of Southwest Estonia have been undergoing a process of stabilisation and are today covered predominantly with Scots pine forests. For the...

Chemical characteristics of soils in Scots pine forests of Cladina and Vaccinium vitis-idaea site types on coastal dunes of Baltic Sea

Published Online: Mar 24, 2011

Page range: 5 - 12

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10132-011-0058-x

Keywords
coastal dunes, Scots pine forest, soil, soil horizons, partitioning of nutrients in soil

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