Influence of forest management on soil organic carbon stocks

Abstract

In this study, physical and chemical soil analyses were carried out on six habitas in the Tuczno State Forest District. The basic objective of the research was be to define the impact of natural habitat fertility, manner of forest utilization and history of use on the volume of the accumulated carbon dioxide in a hectar of soil. An attempt was made to evaluate the stock of organic carbon in every genetic horizon and the whole profiles of selected soils and one countedtrophic soil index (SIG) indicator. In the examined soils, particle size distributions, content and organic carbon storage capacity were analysed together with total nitrogen, C:N ratio, soil reaction and sorption properties. Beech forest stand formed from the undergrowth and saplings after removal of pine stands accumulated over 20% more organic carbon content than a pine stand with the same uprising history. The influence of beech underwood on the increase of organic carbon stocks in soils is noted. The studies have shown the post-arable influence on the organic carbon stocks. In post agricultural soils, the organic carbon stock was much lower (the average stock of organic carbon was 55.53Mg·ha-1) than in forest soils that were not subject to agriculture (averagely 101.23 Mg·ha-1).