Effect of European Black Alder Monocultures on The Characteristics of Reclaimed Mine Soil

Abstract

<p>The effect of European black alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) on the contents of carbon and nitrogen,<br />exchangeable base cations, and plant available forms of phosphorus in the reclaimed mine soils formed by<br />waste deposition from opencast lignite mines was researched in central Serbia. It was concluded that the<br />greatest part of dead organic residues reaching the soil under European black alder monocultures was liable to<br />rapid decomposition into end products. This was the consequence of a narrow C/N ratio in the European black<br />alder litterfall which amounted on average to 12.77 in the study monocultures. Only a small part of organic<br />residues was transformed into humus. On that account, European black alder monocultures did not have a<br />major impact on the accumulation of organic carbon and total nitrogen in the soil. The content of carbon in the<br />surface layers accounted for 1.55-1.57%, and the content of nitrogen to 0.085-0.132%. Fast mineralisation of<br />organic matter, and thus also of the organic forms of nitrogen, resulted in the surplus of soil nitrates, which<br />were liable to washing through the soil. Nitrate movement resulted in the soil leaching and the movement of<br />base cations, primarily calcium, to the deeper layers of the solum. The total soil phosphorus content was low,<br />and also the level of plant available forms. A significant portion of total phosphorus in the surface layers of the<br />reclaimed mine soils was composed of its organic forms.</p>