IHSS&IWA26 / BRNO / CZECHIA / 23–28 August 2026 BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 84 Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry Tuesday, 25 August 2026 / Hall B+C substantially higher forest floor accumulation, particularly in the L and F horizons reaching stocks of 14.8 and 33.0 t·ha⁻¹. These layers were also associated with high carbon and nitrogen stocks (L: 7.01 t C·ha⁻¹, 0.18 t N·ha⁻¹; F: 16.27 t C·ha⁻¹, 0.55 t N·ha⁻¹), indicating a pronounced accumulation of less decomposed organic material. In contrast, the clear-cut stand showed a strong reduction in forest floor accumulation across all layers. Litter accumulation was markedly lower (L: 3.51 t·ha⁻¹; F: 9.91 t·ha⁻¹), accompanied by reduced carbon and nitrogen stocks. The H horizon was particularly diminished (8.71 t·ha⁻¹) and was entirely absent in one-third of sampling points, indicating disrupted continuity of the forest floor and accelerated organic matter turnover under exposed conditions. The underplanted stand represented an intermediate stage between these two extremes. While organic horizon stocks were lower than in the spruce stand, they remained substantially higher than under clear-cut conditions, especially in the F and H horizons (F: 11.74 t·ha⁻¹; H: 93.49 t·ha⁻¹). Carbon and nitrogen stocks followed a similar pattern, suggesting partial preservation of organic matter accumulation under canopy-protected regeneration. These structural differences were reflected in the distribution of humus forms. The spruce stands were characterized by mor humus, indicating slow decomposition and accumulation of organic material. Underplanting shifted the system toward mor-moder humus, while the clear-cut stand was associated with more advanced decomposition stages, represented by moder and mull humus forms. Overall, the results demonstrate that regeneration pathways strongly influence forest floor development, with canopy removal leading to reduced organic horizon thickness, lower carbon and nitrogen stocks, and a shift toward faster nutrient cycling. These findings highlight the importance of canopy-protected regeneration for maintaining forest floor integrity and conserving carbon and nitrogen stocks during early stages of stand transformation. Acknowledgement The study was financed by the Czech National Agency for Agricultural Research (QL24010275) and the Internal Grant Agency of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, MENDELU (IGA 25-FFWT-IP-027; IGA 26-FFWT-IP-030).
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