ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF SOILS IN FOREST SITES OF THE WESTERN BESKID MOUNTAINS

摘要

Research carried out in the Western Beskid Mountains (Silesian Beskid, Beskid Maly and Beskid Zywiecki Mts) attempted to characterise the enzymatic activity of soils in various forest sites and associations. Twenty study plots were established to represent a range of sites and associations of the lower and upper mountain forest zones. The soils were analysed for the activity of dehydro-genases and phosphatases. Enzymatic activity was compared in the top soil (humus-accumulating mineral horizons) andsoil columns of 1 dm~2 cross-section and 50 cm in depth. It was found that the activity of the studied enzymes, especially dehydrogenases, varied between the soils, suggesting that soils from different types of sites or associations have different microbiological activities. The results of the research contribute to the development of microbiological activity patterns for near-natural mountain forest sites and associations. Based on such patterns it would be possible to assess deterioration changes occurring in forest soils.