This study determined the rate of decomposition of fine roots and leaf litter from birch, larch, and pine, and compared the impact of fine root decomposition and leaf litter on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus accumulation in various regenerated and reconstructed forest ecosystems. The control plots were located on podzol soils in managed forest non-degraded habitats. Over a one-year experimental season, the decomposition of birch and larch fine roots released less carbon in comparison to leaf litter. The carbon mass-loss rates were 16% for birch roots and 15% for larch roots, while for birch and larch litter, the rates were 36% and 27%, respectively. For nitrogen, mass-loss rates were 48% for birch fine roots and 60% for larch and pine fine roots, whereas for pine and birch litter the rates were 14%, and 33% for larch litter. The results of our study prove the important role of fine root input to the soil’s carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pool and additionally their significance for CO2 sequestration within the studied regenerated terrestrial ecosystems.
The aim of this study was to identify changes in the concentrations of elements in fir assimilation organs over the past 30 years in order to assess fir reactions as a bioindicator of changes in the functioning of Central European fir forest ecosystems under conditions of reduced anthropogenic emissions. In particular, we selected the example of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Świętokrzyski National Park located in the northern range of Abies alba Mill.). The research was carried out in the “Łysica-Święty Krzyż” area under strict protection, including multi-species and uneven-aged tree stands with a complex structure, dominance of beech and fir, and numerous admixtures of other tree species. A decrease in the concentrations of pollutants in fir needles indicates a significant reduction in pressure on the environment and an improvement in the conditions of ecosystems in 2018 compared with those in 1986. In the period of more than 30 years between the sets of research, the concentrations of lead in fir needles decreased threefold and those of sulfur decreased twofold. A significant increase in the concentrations of cadmium, copper, manganese, and zinc in the three-year-old needles showed that they are a good indicator of environmental pollution with trace elements and may be used in biomonitoring.
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