Forest habitats on dystric Cambisols developed from granite in the Stolowe Mountains

Abstract

Deep dystric Cambisols developed on the homogenous regoliths of granite in the Stołowe Mountains National Park (SW Poland). In general, the soils have a texture of gravelly sandy loam, apparently silty, the strong acid reaction and the base saturation below 30% throughout the profile (oligotrophic variant). Only the soils developed in lower parts of slopes have a base saturation up to 40−50% or more (oligo−mesotrophic and mesotrophic variants respectively). These soils rich in humus and biologically active create in the low mountain zone the habitats suitable for the mixed mountain forests and, in a less acid variant, for the broadleaf mountain forests. Combined trophic soil index reached the values from 29 to 33 that confirmed mesotrophic type of the forest habitats. Most Cambisols developed from granite in the Stołowe Mountains are currently covered with spruce stands of artificial origin. However, a phytosociological analyses of vegetation carried out in preserved beech stands documented the presence of Luzulo luzuloidis−Fagetum community of poor beech forest that should be considered a potentially natural forest community on these soils and the strategic goal of the forest reconstruction in the national park