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Effects of Liming on Corsican Pine Stand Vegetation in Flanders, Belgium

Study evaluates impact of various liming treatments on soil chemistry, crown condition, and ground vegetation of Corsican pine stand in Flanders. Results show increased species diversity and shift towards less acid-tolerant and more nitrogen-demanding species post-liming. Newly established and exotic species observed. Liming positively affects ground vegetation biodiversity in the study area.

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Effects of Liming on Corsican Pine Stand Vegetation in Flanders, Belgium

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  1. Effects of liming on the ground vegetation of a Corsican pine stand in Flanders, Belgium Arne Verstraeten Meeting of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Biodiversity and Ground Vegetation, 17–19 June 2013, Freising, Germany

  2. Background • Initiative of Peter Roskams and Bruno De Vos to do experimental research in addition to Level I and Level II ~ methods to remediate acidification / nutrient deficiency • Evaluate the effect of different liming treatments (products and dose) on: 1) soil chemistry 2) crown condition3) ground vegetation

  3. Study area • The study was conducted in ‘Het Pijnven’, a forest complex in the Campine ecoregion of Flanders • In a Corsican pine stand (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio) ±80 years old • Regularly managed (thinning) • On a nutrient poor, acidic sandy podzol • Nearby 1 Level II plot and 4 Level I plots Level II intensive Level II Level I study location

  4. Setup of the experiment • 5 products were selected for liming: • dolomite (1) • LD slags (2) • marble grinding powder (3) • paper sludge (4) • ‘foam lime’ (waste product from sugar refineries) (5) • Each applied as a single dose (a) or double dose (b) • A ‘single dose’ ~ acid binding capacity of 3.000 kg dolomite ha-1 • In a random block design with: • 36 blocks (30 x 30 m) from a 180 x 240 m grid • 3 repetitions per treatment + • 6 control blocks (0) • Buffer zone of 2 m at the edge of each block • Applied in 1999

  5. Random block design Legend Reserve Affected by wind throw (not selected) Corsican pine stand

  6. Ground vegetation survey • 1st ground vegetation survey in 2002 • 2nd ground vegetation survey in 2007 • 3rd ground vegetation survey in 2017 • Survey in each block: species and cover (Londo, 1976) of: • herbaceous species • trees and shrubs

  7. Results: species number I. Effect of treatment 1) Herbaceous species • Species number increased for all treatments after 3 years and apparently more after 8 years compared to control plots • Slightly lower species number for treatments 4 (paper sludge) and 5 (‘foam lime’) when applied as a single dose • More species at control plots in 2007: Colonizing from treated blocks or observer effect? 2002 2007

  8. Results: species number I. Effect of treatment 2) Trees and shrubs • No increase of species number after 3 years. A clear increase after 8 years, but also at the control plots • No clear differences between individual treatments 2002 2007

  9. Results: species number II. Effect of dose • Number of herbaceous species was slightly higher in plots treated with a double dose than in plots with a single dose • No difference for the number of tree and shrub species 2007 2007

  10. Results: species composition I. mR-value • Mean R-value of Ellenberg for British plants (Hill, 1999) weighted by the cover of each species • mR-value increased with nearly 1 unit in plots treated with a single dose and nearly 2 units in plots treated with a double dose • Shift towards less acid tolerant species • Quite large differences between treatments, highest mR for 1, 2 and 3 2007 2007

  11. Results: species composition II. mN-value • Mean N-value of Ellenberg weighted by the cover of each species • mN-value also increased, indicating a shift towards more nitrogen demanding species • limited differences between treatments, highest mN for 1, 2 and 3 2007

  12. Results: species composition III. mL-value • Mean L-value of Ellenberg weighted by the cover of each species • mL-value also increased, indicating a shift towards more light demanding species • Limited differences between treatments • Combined effect of liming and thinning? 2007

  13. Results: species composition Original species composition (control blocks) Limited number of acid tolerant species typical for nutrient poor sandy soils: • Deschampsiaflexuosa • Calluna vulgaris • Moliniacaerulea • Vacciniummyrtillus • Vacciniumvitis-idaea • Rumexacetosella • Dryopterisdilatata • Teucriumscorodonia • Pinusnigra subsp. laricio (seedlings)

  14. Results: species composition Newly established species Many species that appeared after liming, often in large numbers, are uncommon for nutrient poor sandy soils, e.g.: • Fraxinus excelsior • Circaealutetiana • Rumexobtusifolius • Urticadioica • Populuscanescens • Ribesrubrum • Sambucusnigra • Cirsiumarvense • Eupatorium cannabinum • Galiumaparine • Sonchusoleraceum • Stellaria media

  15. Results: species composition Exotic species Also a number of exotic species managed to settle after liming: • Aralia elata (among the first recordings in Flanders in the wild) • Buddlejadavidii • Cotoneaster sp. • Conyzacanadensis • Senecioinaequidens

  16. Conclusions • Liming increased the species number of herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs • More species of neutral/alkaline conditions and more nitrogen demanding species • Several exotic species established • Impact of double dose > single dose • Treatments 1, 2 and 3 > treatments 4 and 5, probably indicating a faster turnover

  17. Problems • An initial ground vegetation survey should have been made to register the situation before liming • 3 repetitions is not enough to show significant differences. It would have been better to study less treatments and take more repetitions per treatment • Possible observer effect: probably better recognition of species by the 2007 team compared to the 2002 team

  18. Any questions / remarks ?

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