BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 83 IHSS&IWA26 / BRNO / CZECHIA / 23–28 August 2026 Tuesday, 25 August 2026 / Hall B+C Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry SL36 Contrasting Regeneration Pathways Influence Nutrient Stocks and Litter Accumulation under Young Silver Fir Stands in Secondary Norway Spruce Monocultures Petr Zapletal1, Aleš Kučera1 1 Department of Geology and Soil Science, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, petr.zapletal@mendelu.cz Forest floor dynamics represent a critical component of nutrient cycling and carbon storage in temperate forest ecosystems, as the accumulation and transformation of organic matter directly regulate soil functioning. The thickness and stratigraphy of organic horizons, together with the development of distinct humus forms, reflect the balance between litter input and decomposition processes, which are highly sensitive to changes in stand structure and microclimatic conditions. Forest management interventions, particularly those associated with canopy removal, can substantially alter these processes by modifying temperature and moisture regimes at the soil surface. Increased exposure of the forest floor often accelerates organic matter decomposition and disrupts the continuity of organic horizons, potentially leading to reduced carbon and nitrogen retention. In contrast, regeneration strategies maintaining continuous canopy cover may buffer these microclimatic fluctuations, supporting more stable litter accumulation and gradual organic matter turnover. In Central European forests, the ongoing transformation of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) monocultures frequently established outside their natural range has renewed interest in alternative tree species such as silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Due to its high shade tolerance, silver fir is well suited to regeneration under canopy conditions, where it may contribute to the maintenance of favorable forest floor processes. However, the extent to which different regeneration pathways influence organic horizon development and associated carbon and nitrogen dynamics remains insufficiently understood. The present study therefore aims to compare organic horizon thickness, humus form characteristics, and carbon and nitrogen stocks in the forest floor of Norway spruce monocultures and young silver fir stands established under similar site conditions using two contrasting regeneration pathways: underplanting beneath a Norway spruce canopy and artificial regeneration on a small-scale clear-cut in a Norway spruce stand. Marked differences among regeneration pathways were primarily expressed in the accumulation and stratigraphy of organic horizons. The reference spruce stands exhibited
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