The role of edaphic factors in the development of oak regeneration in pine ecosystems in Riga

Vita Amatniece

University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences

DOI: 10.22364/fg.15.8

Keywords: edaphic factors, boreonemoral zone, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, understorey

Abstract

Forests in Latvia are situated in the transitional zone, or ecotone, between the nemoral and boreal zones – the boreonemoral zone (Sjörs 1963; Ozenda 1994, Krauklis, Zariņa 2002). It has been observed that Latvia’s forests have seen a decrease in boreal, and an increase in nemoral tree species in the last few decades (Laiviņš 1998). Determining the role of edaphic factors in oak undergrowth development in pine forests would be a significant advance. The research aim is to determine role of soil factors in the development of undergrowth in pine forests in Rīga. The results of the research indicate that soil factors which influence undergrowth of pine forest are the amount of exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity in the O horizon.