Influence des essences sur la fertilité chimique des sols. Conséquences sur les choix sylvicoles

Abstract

The impact of a number of major species used in French forests on the chemical fertility of poor soils is derived from a bibliographical analysis. Three groups of species have been examined - those that present a high risk for maintaining chemical fertility in soils (common spruce, Scots pine, European larch), those that present a moderate risk (silver fir, Douglas fir), and those that present a low risk (beech, sessile oak, pedunculate oak). A method based on simple criteria for assessing the chemical sensitivity of forest soils is proposed. The criteria are derived from the chemical composition of the soil and of its parent material and from the site's features and silvicultural characteristics.