The simulation of soil organic matter and nitrogen accumulation in Scots pine plantations on bare parent material using the combined forest model EFIMOD

The individual-based combined forest model EFIMOD including the soil-sub model SOMM has been used for the simulation of Scots pine stand growth and soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation on a humus-free bare mineral surface. The growth of Scots pine plantation, with an initial density of 10 000 trees ha(-1) and average tree biomass of 0.01 kg was simulated for 50 yr under Central European climatic conditions (i) with varying atmospheric nitrogen inputs and (ii) different rates of initial application of raw undecomposed organic material or compost, on humus-free parent material. The accumulation of typical raw humus was simulated in all cases. The accumulation was most intensive in the simulation of high atmospheric nitrogen input. The humus pool in the mineral topsoil was small but achieved its maximum value with compost application. SOM nitrogen accumulation was scant in all cases, except the compost applications with low atmospheric nitrogen input. No statistically significant differences of SOM and stand parameters were found between variants without organic matter and those with low input of organic manure. However, the maximum relative rate of SOM and nitrogen accumulation was found in the scenario without organic manure, under slowly growing unstable Scots pine plantation.