Partitioning of Available P and K in Soils During Post-Agricultural Pine and Spruce Reforestation in Smolensk Lakeland National Park, Russia

Gradual reforestation and transformation of both vegetation and soils characterize post-agricultural landscapes, which form after the abandonment of arable land. The change in content and vertical distribution of available K and P was analysed by stages in sandy and loamy soils in the north-west of the Smolensk region, forming two chronosequences of pine and spruce succession, mainly in triplicates. During natural succession, from the earliest to the later stages, the content of available P and K decreased in soils due to a reduction in the amount and diversity of plant remains and the downward movement of soluble substances. The loss of available P from the uppermost 0–5 cm topsoil layer was more pronounced than that of K because its leaching in the late successional stages was not compensated by plant uptake. The distribution of nutrients was found to be significantly influenced by forest type, successional stage, and soil proxies. The distribution of available K showed greater stability across successional stages and was influenced by forest type and pH. Available P showed greater variation with forest type and succession stages.