Some Approaches to the Research of Forest Soils Affected by Acidification in the Czech Republic

Soil acidification in mountainous regions of the Czech Republic presents a serious problem. This paper summarizes several projects dealing with this problem exploiting different methods and having different objectives: 1) Long-term soil and forest development in the Krkonoše Mountains. 2) Soil and forest development along an elevation transect in the Šumava Mountains. 3) Long-term effects of liming. 4) Comparison of soil acidification between three mountainous regions, with emphasis on labile Al content. 5) Spatial distribution and factors of soil acidification and Al release in the Jizera Mountains. The results of these projects showed that acidification in forest soils in the mountainous areas is caused by a combination of different factors, especially by the type of vegetation, atmospheric deposition, parent rock, altitude, and others. A slight improvement of soil properties is apparent after the decrease of immissions in the 1990's.