TABLE 1.
Wood and forest litter characteristics in unpolluted (UP), moderately polluted (MP), and heavily polluted (HP) areas.
| Parameter | Wood |
Forest litter close to CWD |
Forest litter far from CWD |
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| UP area | MP area | HP area | UP area | MP area | HP area | UP area | MP area | HP area | |
| Number of fir/spruce logs | 19/11 | 12/18 | 18/12 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Moss coverage, % of observed area | 90.17 ± 12.21 | 66.83 ± 25.55 | 61.07 ± 29.97 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Number of logs with herbs/tree seedlings | 21/5 | 16/19 | 0/18 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Circumference, cm | 68.50 ± 22.34 | 68.83 ± 18.7 | 63.07 ± 28.51 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Residence time, years | 31.80 ± 12.47b | 40.9 ± 13.14a | 42.33 ± 11.54a | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| RP, J/cm3 | 3.77 ± 2.03a | 2.52 ± 2.14b | 3.13 ± 2.21ab | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Submergence,% | 25.14 ± 18.67b | 38.19 ± 15.92a | 41.13 ± 19.29a | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Moss coverage, % | 90.17 ± 12.21a | 68.97 ± 22.72b | 61.07 ± 29.97b | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Moisture content | 3.76 ± 1.14b | 3.82 ± 1.09b | 3.05 ± 0.86a | 2.21 ± 0.51 | 2.14 ± 0.42 | 2.03 ± 0.49 | 1.95 ± 0.35 | 1.95 ± 0.40 | 1.86 ± 0.47 |
| Ash content, % | 2.23 ± 1.18 | 1.52 ± 0.80 | 1.66 ± 0.76 | 21.46 ± 7.47a | 13.84 ± 3.45b | 19.56 ± 5.58a | 21.77 ± 8.33a | 15.43 ± 5.43b | 21.99 ± 8.69a |
| Hydrolytic acidity, mkM/100 g | 52.05 ± 14.41b | 59.63 ± 16.06ab | 62.41 ± 11.38a | 36.66 ± 7.72c | 57.03 ± 6.70b | 65.72 ± 6.24a | 34.16 ± 9.31c | 56.73 ± 6.49b | 65.66 ± 7.04a |
| pH | 3.62–5.73a | 3.77–5.1ab | 3.54–4.81b | 4.94–6.35a | 4.58–5.38b | 4.32–5.33b | 4.95–6.65a | 4.56–5.45b | 4.43–5.53c |
| P2O5, mg/100 g | 16.78 ± 5.29 | 15.03 ± 7.65 | 20.71 ± 15.16 | 41.06 ± 9.80b | 34.34 ± 5.19b | 77.62 ± 23.67a | 42.43 ± 8.78b | 34.03 ± 3.72b | 69.27 ± 22.15a |
| Total nitrogen, % | 0.31 ± 0.14 | 0.22 ± 0.09 | 0.29 ± 0.17 | 1.63 ± 0.23 | 1.68 ± 0.27 | 1.61 ± 0.24 | 1.54 ± 0.25 | 1.69 ± 0.25 | 1.58 ± 0.27 |
| Concentrations of acid-soluble metal forms, μg/g | |||||||||
| Cu | 6.32 ± 3.74c | 46.02 ± 41.39b | 188.13 ± 161.52a | 23.50 ± 6.63c | 929.80 ± 402.51b | 2,406.89 ± 904.42a | 22.80 ± 6.17c | 959.42 ± 306.07b | 2,405.10 ± 883.93a |
| Zn | 48.24 ± 14.23c | 125.90 ± 56.44b | 240.68 ± 140.54a | 232.94 ± 95.50b | 574.85 ± 193.29a | 554.55 ± 179.37a | 193.00 ± 78.53b | 560.38 ± 226.88a | 537.28 ± 217.76a |
| Cd | 0.53 ± 0.20c | 2.06 ± 1.01b | 4.27 ± 2.45a | 2.12 ± 0.66b | 10.73 ± 3.53a | 10.63 ± 4.13a | 1.92 ± 0.45b | 10.19 ± 4.12a | 10.04 ± 4.88a |
| Pb | 2.81 ± 2.31c | 20.55 ± 18.71b | 67.69 ± 58.34a | 47.92 ± 20.19c | 1,013.41 ± 307.84b | 1,959.55 ± 625.77a | 42.19 ± 14.97c | 1,031.18 ± 276.62b | 1,945.26 ± 651.70a |
| Fe | 51.00 ± 49.17b | 58.22 ± 59.69b | 191.82 ± 188.68a | 985.39 ± 380.89b | 1,708.40 ± 946.31b | 5,856.60 ± 3,463.11a | 1,232.81 ± 784.95b | 1,894.29 ± 889.79b | 5,919.21 ± 4,261.33a |
| Concentrations of exchangeable metal forms, μg/g | |||||||||
| Cu | 0.91 ± 0.71c | 4.94 ± 6.01b | 23.37 ± 24.95a | 0.68 ± 0.19c | 21.55 ± 11.70b | 128.26 ± 74.66a | 0.64 ± 0.18c | 22.37 ± 10.52b | 134.13 ± 96.83a |
| Zn | 23.61 ± 8.84c | 75.21 ± 34.03b | 137.78 ± 88.23a | 32.48 ± 11.98b | 203.07 ± 48.23a | 264.57 ± 78.57a | 24.85 ± 10.14b | 195.98 ± 58.37a | 240.55 ± 72.23a |
| Cd | 0.40 ± 0.20c | 2.17 ± 1.13b | 4.13 ± 2.77b | 0.81 ± 0.26b | 7.85 ± 2.06a | 9.29 ± 3.59a | 0.74 ± 0.25b | 7.53 ± 2.25a | 8.26 ± 3.04a |
| Pb | 0.86 ± 0.31c | 2.78 ± 2.09b | 7.47 ± 8.10a | 0.78 ± 0.29c | 16.03 ± 9.35b | 59.14 ± 26.02a | 0.81 ± 0.31c | 16.38 ± 8.71b | 54.88 ± 30.72a |
| Fe | 4.35 ± 2.84b | 5.45 ± 5.21b | 16.45 ± 21.70a | 1.91 ± 0.93c | 18.33 ± 20.88b | 95.02 ± 91.89a | 2.23 ± 2.55c | 21.51 ± 26.39b | 103.72 ± 95.63a |
Mean values and standard deviations are shown; minimal and maximal values are provided for pH; n = 30 samples. Different letters depict statistically significantly different mean values between areas for a particular substrate (Tukey’s test, α = 0.05). CWD, coarse woody debris.