Scholarly record

THE ANDOSOLS PROPERTIES OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM ON THE NEOVOLCANIC ROCKS IN KREMNICKE VRCHY MTS. (CENTRAL SLOVAKIA)

Melánia Feszterová

Abstract

The forests represent an important ecostabilizing factor in the country and soil is a component of the environment conditional on biodiversity, nutrition and the existence of life. Currently, there is shifting the focus from the protection of the soil fund area to the protection of soil and forest quality, while understanding the production function of soil and forest as part of their environmental function. The paper?s aim is to describe the chemical and physical characteristics of soils of the mixed forests. These mixed forests are situated on andosols at selected volcanic mountains in Kremnicke Mountains (Central Slovakia). It was proved that in the mixed forests there is a constant input of fresh organic matter, which affects the content of total organic carbon (TOC) and keeps it at a steady level. The value of TOC among seasons was different and the highest average value of TOC was proved to be in forest soil samples in autumn (4.91 ± 1.86%). The soil samples in forest ecosystem had active pH values from 5.34 to 6.21 were classified as acidic and slightly acidic. Total nitrogen (NT) was affected by land use and its values in samples were in the range from 1.46 mg.kg-1 to 6.05 mg.kg-1. The TOC content in samples negatively correlated with the sand fraction soils. The value variabilities of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and basic cation (S) between soils of mixed forest were statistically significant. When forest diversity is threatened (by overuse, resource exploitation, old age, and poor management) after that forest ecosystems can be disrupted and harmed and that why it is important to monitor of the forest soils? state.

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