Project Description
The aim of this study was to research the influence of nutrient contents and soil pH to Scots pine needle length and area in cutaway peatland. The samples were collected from 5 different experimental areas: fertilized with various amounts of wood and oil shale ash (3), control and natural area. The main result of the study was that fertilizing with ashes affected the growth of the needles positively, the most effective fertilizer was ash mixture. Also, the most important nutrients were phosphorus and potassium instead of nitrogen. Besides, the soil pH showed no correlation with the needle measurements. Further research is needed concerning the properties of ash mixtures as bio-innovative fertilizers and to find sustainable opportunities to reduce the amount of accumulated industry’s ashes.
