Afforestation of Abandoned Agricultural Land: Growth of Non-Native Tree Species and Soil Response in the Czech Republic

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41320%2F25%3A103572" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41320/25:103572 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/62156489:43410/25:43927343

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/16/7/1113" target="_blank" >https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/16/7/1113</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f16071113" target="_blank" >10.3390/f16071113</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Afforestation of Abandoned Agricultural Land: Growth of Non-Native Tree Species and Soil Response in the Czech Republic

Original language description

Non-Native Tree Species (NNTs) play crucial roles in global and European forests. However, in the Czech Republic, NNTs represent a tiny fraction of the forested areas due to limited research on their potential use. The country is actively afforesting abandoned agricultural lands; NNTs which are already tested and certified could enhance the country's forestry system. This study aimed to evaluate the initial growth of Castanea sativa, Platanus acerifolia, and Corylus colurna under three soil treatments on abandoned agricultural soil, evaluate the survival and mortality of the tree species, and further compare the soil dynamics among the three ecosystems to describe the initial state and short-term changes in the soil environment. The research plot was set in the Doubek area, 20 km East of Prague. Moreover, soil-improving materials, Humac (1.0 tha-1) and Alginite (1.5 tha-1), were established on the side of the control plot at the afforested part. The heights of plantations of tree species were measured from 2020 to 2024. Furthermore, 47 soil samples were collected at varying depths from three ecosystems (afforested soil, arable land, and old forest) in 2022. A single-factor ANOVA was run, followed by a post hoc test. The result shows that the Control-C plot (Castanea Sativa + Platanus acerifolia + Corylus colurna + agricultural soil without amendment) had the highest total growth (mean annual increment in the year 2024) for Castanea sativa (KS = 40.90 +/- a21.61) and Corylus colurna (LS = 55.62 +/- 59.68); Alginite-A (Castanea Sativa + Platanus acerifolia + Corylus colurna + Alginite) did best for Platanus acerifolia (PT = 39.85 +/- 31.52); and Humac-B (Castanea Sativa + Platanus acerifolia + Corylus colurna + Humac) had the lowest growth. Soil dynamics among the three ecosystems showed that the old forest (plot two) significantly differs from arable soil (plot one), Humac and Platanus on afforested land (plot three), Platanus and Alginite on afforested land (plot four), and Platanus without amendment (plot five) in horizon three (the subsoil or horizon B) and in horizon four (the parent material horizon or horizon C). Results document the minor response of plantations to soil-improving matters at relatively rich sites, good growth of plantations, and initial changes in the soil characteristics in the control C plot. We recommend both sparing old forests and the afforestation of abandoned agricultural soils using a control treatment for improved tree growth and sustained soil quality. Further studies on the species' invasiveness are needed to understand them better.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40102 - Forestry

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

FORESTS

ISSN

1999-4907

e-ISSN

1999-4907

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

7

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

16

Pages from-to

1-16

UT code for WoS article

001535626900001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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