COMPARISON OF SOIL PROPERTIES OF AN ADJACENT CLAY MINE SPOIL, A MINING SITE RECLAIMED WITH STONE PINE (Pinus pinea L.) PLANTATION AND A NATURAL FOREST

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the soil properties of an adjacent natural forest, clay mine spoil and mine site reclaimed with Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). Bulk density, sand, silt, clay, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen (N), carbon (C) and C/N ratios of soil samples taken from three different soil depths (0-5, 5-15 and 15-30 cm) were determined and compared. Furthermore, the mass, N and C contents and C/N ratios of the forest floor were determined in the Stone pine plantation and natural forest. Almost 24 years after the establishment, 6.79 ton/ha forest floor mass was found in the Stone pine plantation, while it was found to contain 2 71 ton C/ha and 0.04 ton N/ha, which were significantly lower than those in the natural forest. In general, with some exceptions (EC in 0-5 and 5-15 cm, and bulk density in 15-30 cm), there were significant differences on the soil properties. Sand and clay contents varied substantially depending on the material and mixture. The soil C (1.5-2.1%), N (0.05-0.06%) and pH (5.34-5.69) in the Stone pine plantation significantly increased. Despite these properties, this shows that rehabilitation with plantation will take a much longer time compared to the natural forest area.