Modelling changes in forest soil chemistry in the oldest spruce stands in the Potok Dupnianski Catchment in Southern Poland using ForSAFE model

Abstract

The dynamic forest ecosystem model ForSAFE was applied to the oldest spruce forest stand in a forested catchment - the Potok Dupnianski (southern Poland), to study changes in forest soil chemistry and possible recovery from acidification following changes in atmospheric deposition. The simulation shows a considerable historical acidification. The model uses data from intensive monitoring of a plot established in 1999 in a spruce stand which was planted in 1880. Observations showed that stand soil was depleted of base cations. Percent base saturation measured in 1999 was between 5–8% in different soil layers. Notwithstanding large emission reductions in the region, forest ecosystems in the Potok Dupnianski still suffer from very high loads of acidifying input. Soil recovery depends on future emission, and especially on base cation and nitrogen deposition. While higher base cation deposition will promote recovery, continual elevated nitrogen deposition in the future may delay recovery owing to its interference in the biogeochemical cycle (e.g. by increasing base cation uptake from the soil).