This study investigates the effects of the forty-year cultivation of Picea abies on the floristic composition, physical and chemical soil characteristics, and the intensity of organic matter decomposition in a zone of mountainous beech forest (mt. Maljen, northwestern Serbia). The long-term cultivation of conifers in a deciduous habitat has caused a reduction in biodiversity, as well as changes in the soil which were most pronounced in the top soil layer. There were found to be lower soil moisture levels (p<0.05), lower active (p<0.01) and substitutional acidity (p<0.001), depletion of the adsorption complex in base cations (p<0.001), and lower levels of n, P and K (p<0.001) in the spruce stand in relation to the beech stand (control). The higher C/n ratio of spruce litter (p<0.001) caused its lower decomposition rate in comparison to beech litter (p<0.01). All these changes have led to degradation and a reduction in this ecosystem’s productivity. [Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the ministry of education and Science of Serbia, grant no 173018
Floristic research investigating the presence and phytocoenological differentiation of ruderal vegetation, and how it is conditioned structurally and anthropogenically, was undertaken over a period of several years (2007-10) in the south Srem region. The ruderal flora of the research area comprised 249 plants categorized into 63 families, of which the most frequent were: Asteraceae (36), Poaceae (29), Fabaceae (18), Lamiaceae (15), Polygonaceae (15), Brassicaceae (11) and Rosaceae (11). Three ruderal communities are analyzed in this work: Asclepietum syriacae Kojić et al., 2004, as well as Chenopodio-Ambrosietum artemisiifoliae ass. nova and Amorpho-Typhaetum ass. nova, which are described for the first time. It was established that the level of moisture at the habitat, anthropogenic factors, and the immediate proximity to cultivated areas had the most pronounced effect on the differentiation of the researched vegetation
The right choice of tree species to form forest cultures is of paramount importance to the preservation of the diversity, fertility and ecological stability of forest ecosystems. To that end, we examined the effect of a 40-year-long cultivation of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb) Franco) on the floristic composition, characteristics of the forest floor, physical and chemical properties of the soil and the intensity of organic matter decomposition in a beech forest in western Serbia (Mt. Maljen). It was found that the cultivation of Douglas fir caused a reduction in biodiversity, changes in the chemical properties of the soil, that were most pronounced in the surface layers (0-10 cm), and a slowing down in the metabolism of the beech stand. The absence of many plant species characteristic to natural beech forests was observed in the Douglas fir plantation, these were reflected in the detected changes in the chemical properties of the soil, such as lower substitutional acidity (p<0.05), depletion of the adsorption of basis in the cation complex (p<0.001) and lower amounts of C, N, P (p<0.001) and K (p<0.01) in relation to the beech stand (control). No differences were found in soil moisture and active acidity levels. The higher value of the C/N ratio of the Douglas fir litter (p<0.001) provided proof for its lower decomposition rate compared to beech litter (p<0.05). Over time, all these changes could lead to further acidification and degradation of the soil and a reduction in this ecosystem's productivity.
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