Wood-Ash Fertiliser and Distance from Drainage Ditch Affect the Succession and Biodiversity of Vascular Plant Species in Tree Plantings on Marginal Organic Soil

Abstract

Cutaway peatland is a marginal land, which without further management is an unfavourable environment for plant growth due to low bearing capacity, high acidity and unbalanced nutrient composition of the soil. After wood-ash application, the soil becomes enriched with P and K, creating better conditions for tree growth. In addition to being economically viable, tree plantations ensure long-term carbon storage and promote habitat restoration. In a three-year term, we studied how distance from a drainage ditch and three different doses of wood-ash—5, 10, and 15 tons per hectare—affect the diversity of vascular plants in a tree plantation on a cutaway peatland. Plant species richness, vegetation cover and composition were positively affected by the distance from the drainage ditch and application with fertiliser, but in most cases, fertiliser dose had no significant effect. Both cover and species diversity were not affected by the planted tree species. In a tree plantation, herbaceous plants provide soil fertility by decay and recycling, and reduce mineral leaching in the long term. Since vascular plants play an important role in both the development of habitats and tree growth, it is important to know how multiple factors influence the development of vegetation in tree plantations.

Seed Dormancy and Seedling Ecophysiology Reveal the Ecological Amplitude of the Threatened Endemism Picris willkommii (Schultz Bip.) Nyman (Asteraceae)

“…Considering the mosaic of existing soils in the natural range of this species, the highest abundance was found on limestone soils, with a loamy to clayey texture and the fertility degree as high as possible, such as ABM and FL1. The higher water retention and cation exchange capacity of fine-textured soils could be the reason that justifies it because they increase, respectively, the availability of water and mineral nutrients [ 18 ] and, consequently, plant abundance, growth, and the production of flowers and seeds [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The low water-use efficiency of Picris willkommii compared to the other grassland species could justify the preference for fine-textured substrates, with a higher water retention capacity.…”

“…This competition not only affected the emergence of new plants, but also those that had previously emerged, since only 10–25% of the individuals that emerged in early autumn developed and produced seeds. In addition, it demonstrates once again that the next generation does not depend only on the number of seeds generated and the germination potential, but also on other biotic and abiotic factors interacting with each other [ 21 , 23 , 34 ].…”

“…Regarding the effect of the substrate on growth, the availability of water, N and P are the most limiting factors [ 20 , 21 ]. The scarce plants development on the unfertilized natural soil substrates (that is, the same order of magnitude as the treatments lacking N or P) shows the poverty in nutrients of the soils where Picris willkommii inhabits, and its tendency to present a clumped distribution, concentrating individuals on microsites with greater resources availability.…”

“…and Chrysanthemum sp.). For this reason, the recovery of a species such as Picris willkommii in an altered environment will only be achieved if competition from other herbaceous plants is reduced by opening gaps in the grassland, until full establishment and the increase in the soil seed bank are reached, and, if necessary, implementing the availability of water and mineral nutrients [ 20 , 21 ].…”

Social-Ecologically More Sustainable Agricultural Production

“…In addition to nutrient cycling, biomass production systems on marginal land can also affect plant diversity, according to Zuševica et al [17]. This research group from Latvia found that the establishment of woody crops on organic soils (from former peat extraction) can positively affect plant diversity, whereby the application of ash-based fertilizers and the distances to drainage ditches require special consideration [17]. Furthermore, a better understanding of plant-root bacterial interactions may help to improve the nutrient use efficiency in biomass production on low-yielding (poor) soils.…”