The influence of land use and xerothermal plant succession on the properties of Cretaceous rendzinas

This paper presents the results of studies on cretaceous rendzinas overgrown by the communities that are consecutive stages of xerothermal sward successions. The studies were carried out in the Stawska Góra Nature Reserve close to Chełm. The aim was to trace the directions of the changes in soils physical and chemical properties in the relation to the transformations in the xerothermal phytocenoses. It was stated that content of organic carbon and nitrogen in humic horizons of studied rendzinas as well as hydrolytic acidity and the capillary and maximum water capacity within whole profiles increases with the natural succession of xerothermal sward. Transformations of phytocenoses did not influence soil reaction or the content of carbonates. The succession process in rendzinas with anthropogenically disturbed soil levels goes faster.