Vegetation and soils of seminatural deciduous woods in northeast Ireland

✍ Scribed by Cooper, Alan

• Book ID: 104621183
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 571 KB
• Volume: 64
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00044782

✦ Synopsis

Seminatural deciduous woods associated mainly with basaltic escarpments were surveyed in northeast Ireland to investigate the relationships between soil physical and chemical characteristics and community composition. Gradients of floristic composition in the sample stands pointed to soil acidity, soil mineral nutrient status and the degree of soil waterlogging as principal factors influencing the ground flora.

The physico-chemical characteristics of the woodland soils showed distinctive differences which were correlated with community composition, confirming the considerable effect of the soil environment. Soil texture was shown to be a key factor influencing the ground flora, mainly through its influence on soil water status and acidity.

Better drained soils subject to minimal disturbance by people or physiographic processes, were found to have the highest content of water soluble nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. An interaction between soils, site geomorphology and land use suggested that the value of the woods as controls against which the effects of agricultural land use on soils can be monitored, is limited.