Indication of Natural Boreo-Continental Pine Sites Through Discrimination Analysis of the Soil Biochemical and Water-Holding Properties

Natural pine site differentiation is instrumental in the modification of Scots pine cultivation to environmental change. The aim of this study was to distinguish azonal pine sites in prevailing beechwood conditions by the means of soil property interrelationships. The study aimed at verifying assumptions (i) that intrinsic soil properties suggest differences at naturalness among various communities in the same mesoclimate, relief or on same soil group and (ii) whether pines differ from beechwoods uniformly or unevenly among different regional population areas. The verification was carried out by discrimination analysis of the H- and A-horizon forest soil properties at selected pine and beech stands in the Czech Republic between 2006 and 2015. Homogeneous pines were confirmed either on poorly developed or very infertile soils. Mixed pines were found on Cambisols. Complete separability was found between pines and beechwoods on Podzols due to inverse proportions of correlations among acid phosphomonoesterase (APMEA) and urease (UA) activities, C_org, C_mic, base saturation, bulk density and aeration. The inverse proportions among UA, N_tot, C_mic and soil hydrophysical properties conditioned the separability of pines on different soil groups than beechwoods. Soil indications of natural pines are related to phosphorus release by APMEA and site resistance to drought due to soil organic matter and water-holding capacity.