The Influence of Soil Conditions on the Reproduction of Quercus myrsinifolia Blume on the Black Sea Coast of Southern Abkhazia

Soils on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia have been studied to identify their properties that limit or favor the spread of Chinese evergreen oak (Quercus myrsinifolia Blume), as it has acquired features of invasive plant in the last 20-year period. The obtained data on pH of water and salt extracts, hydrolytic acidity, on carbon, phosphorus, and potassium content, on the total exchangeable bases and base saturation, on soil penetration resistance, content of fraction >1 mm, particle-size composition; and on the hygroscopic moisture content were analyzed by the principal component method to identify factors that could affect the survival of Q. myrsinifolia seedlings. These are carbon and phosphorus content; the Chinese evergreen oak actively occupies territories with strongly skeletal soils, containing less phosphorus than soils, where seedling development is stopped and the skeletal fraction is absent.