Regular research paper

Morpholithological genesis and soil properties of the pine forest ecosystems in relation to  the North-South transect in Europe

Marek Degórski

Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: m.degor@twarda.pan.pl

Abstract: 

    The  influence of the geographically differentiated pedogenic factors on the properties of the podzolic soils of the pine forest ecosystems located along a meridional transect  stretching between northern Finland (69^o44’ N) to southern Poland (50^o28’ N ) was studied. The geographical trends in soil properties and the diagnostic soil features were determined. The results of many years of research on the spatial differentiation of the properties of podzolic soils confirmed the relations between the geographical differentiation of the pedogenic factors, the spatial variability of the structures of the soil cover, and the spatial variability of soil properties. In addition, an essential role of the soil in the functioning of boreal pine forest ecosystems was demonstrated. The following results can be drawn on the basis of the results obtained: 1) the spatial differentiation of the soil cover analysed is associated with the age of the original sedimentation, the texture properties of the substrate from which the pedons developed, the hygro-thermal properties of climate, and the structure of the vegetation cover; 2) along with the increase of the age of the soils towards south and the decrease of the humid character of climate the increase of  the following parameters was noted: content of quartz and of the resistant minerals, the value of  grain abrasion index (Wo), the value of the non-homogenous index (Nm), the deficit of moisture, the thickness of the soil’s solum, the ratio Ch:Cf, the degree of humification, the absolute content of the hydrogen ions, the contents of the bivalent cations in the sorption complex of the soils. The decrease was also noted of: the content of the non-resistant minerals, the value of the average grain diameter indicator (AGD), the thickness of the organic horizon (O), the storage of the organic carbon in the entire pedon, the content of the ammonia salts in the mineralised nitrogen, the saturation of the sorption complex of the soils with hydrogen cations, the total content of phosphorus and of the phosphorus accessible for plants, the value of the Schwertmann’s indicator, and  the value of the illuviation indicator after Mokma; 3) the highest ecological efficiency, as measured with the enzymatic activity, is displayed by the soils of the central part of the area considered.

Key words: climatic transect studies, podzolic soil, pine ecosystem