Articles

Soil and forest floor characteristics of Scots pine stands on drift sands

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Abstract

In  Flanders, important drift sand areas were afforestated with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) during the last  century. Drought stress and limited nutrient availability are two major  factors limiting tree growth on these sites. Nevertheless, afforestation  succeeded extremely well and tree growth can be considered as satisfactory.      Chemical soil analysis stresses the very poor quality of the mineral soil.  Nutrient content of the mineral soil is even poorer than that of neighbouring  heathland soils.     The formation of a well developed forest floor is the most important  feature of soil evolution during the last century. A seventy year old stand  has built up a thick forest floor, with a biomass of over 10 kg/m2. This  layer functions as a main nutrient source in the ecosystem.     Annually, 4000 to 5000 kg of tree litter per hectare return to the forest  soil. Sixty percent of this fraction consists of shed needles. Needles also  have a dominant share in the nutrient amounts returned with tree litter.  Annually, about 42 kg of N, 8 kg of K, 15 kg of Ca and 2 kg of P and Mg are  returned to the soil with tree litter. These values are, with exception of N,  very low compared to other forest ecosystems.    The herbaceous layer, poor in species and dominated by wavy-hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin.),  also produces over 2500 kg of litter per year and per hectare, and plays an  equally important role in the nutrient supply of the growing vegetation.          Key words: Scots pine, drift sand, forest floor, litter

How to Cite:

Maddelein, D. & Lust, N., (1992) “Soil and forest floor characteristics of Scots pine stands on drift sands”, Silva Gandavensis 57. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sg.v57i0.883