Assessment of english oak (Quercus robur L.) growth in varied soil-substrate conditions of reclaimed Piaseczno sulfur mine dump

Autorzy

• Marcin Pietrzykowski University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Forestry, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
  phone: +48 12 662 50 83, e-mail: rlpietrz@cyf-kr.edu.pl
• Wojciech Krzaklewski University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Forestry, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
• Justyna Likus University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Forestry, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
• Bartłomiej Woś University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Ecology and Reclamation
  Kraków, Poland

Abstract

This study presents selected tree stand features and stand productivity of the English oak (Quercus robur L.) growing in the conditions of a reclaimed external dump of Piaseczno sulfur mine in Tarnobrzeg mining area. Following 40 years of growth in the dump, the oak trees reached first and second bonitation class and good growth parameters. The oak obtained the highest stand volume and basal area on sandy soils and loamy-sand substrates. A significant negative correlation between high clay content in soil cores and tree stand parameters was observed, indicating unfavourable impact on tree growth. The results confirmed the usefulness of the English oak as the main (target) species in the conditions of sulfur dumps, and the suitability of its introduction with preliminary identification of micro-habitat differentiation.

Keywords

• clays
• mine soils
• target species
• tree stand
• afforestation