Interrelationship between soil depth and soil properties of Pieniny National Park forest(Poland)

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between soil biota such as microbial activity,soil fauna(e.g.,earthworms and enchytraeids),and soil physical and chemical properties.The study area was located in Pieniny National Park(PNP)in the Carpathian Mountains in southern Poland.Soil samples were collected from six forest monitoring areas of PNP from two soil layers(at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm down,respectively).The investigated soils were classified to eutric cambisols and had silt or silt loam soil texture.Upon analysis,soil aggregate stability index was connected with other physical,chemical,and biological soil properties.It was noted that the stability index of 3 mm to 5 mm soil aggregates influenced pH and dissolved organic carbon.The stability index of 2 mm to 3 mm soil aggregates was positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon,soil moisture,microbial biomass carbon,total organic carbon,total nitrogen,and enchytraeid density,and negatively correlated with bulk density,particle density,porosity,and permanent wilting point.The stability index of 1 mm to 2 mm soil aggregates was positively correlated with total nitrogen,enchytraeid and earthworm density and negatively correlated with particle density,porosity,and permanent wilting point.The study has shown what factors create a stable soil structure in the forest soils of PNP.

Do mowing regimes affect plant and soil biological activity in the mountain meadows of Southern Poland?

The soil biological activity of mountain meadows is a significant factor that determines the health and utility of these regions. The climax stage of this area is forest, but to maintain semi-natural grassland, which is characterised by high biodiversity,low-intensity land use(mowing or grazing) is necessarily required. To understand the effect of various mowing regimes on the soil biological activity and plants, the soil microbial activity(microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and number of the cultivable fraction of soil microbial community),annelids community(density and species composition earthworms and enchytraeids) and plant species composition were investigated. The study area was located in the Pieniny National Park in the Carpathian Mountains, in a meadow belonging to the association Dactylis glomerata-Poa trivialis. The investigated variants were divided according to mowing regime:traditional scything – hand mowing(HM), mechanical mowing(MM), or the abandonment of mowing – nonmowing(NM). The microbial activities(expressed by,e.g. microbial biomass carbon and the number of phosphorus bacteria) were affected by the mowing regime. The density of earthworms was higher in the HM and MM than in the NM variants. The largest changes in plant species composition were caused by the abandonment of mowing(NM). The mean number of plant species was positively correlated with soil moisture, earthworm density, and microbial activity(expressed indirectly by dehydrogenases activity). The soil microbial community, such as vegetative bacteria forms and ammonifying bacteria,were positively associated with pH value, and the microbial and total organic carbon content. The results presented here indicate that there is no single form of optimal management for all living organisms.Decisions about mowing regimes, or abandonment of use, should be preceded by multi-aspect studies,including plants and soil biota.