Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2026, 74(3), 91-98 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun.2026.007

Chemical Properties of Soils in Subalpine Grasslands Under Different Management Regimes

Marie Mrázková1, 2, Marie Bjelková2, Oldřich Látal1, Radim Hédl3, Marie Vymazalová4, Martina Fabąičová3, Hana Biloąová1, Prokop ©mirous Jr.2
1 Agrovýzkum Rapotín Ltd., Zemědělská 2520/16, 787 01, ©umperk, Czech Republic
2 Agritec Plant Research Ltd., Zemědělská 2520/16, 787 01, ©umperk, Czech Republic
3 Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Lidická 25/27, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
4 Research Institute for Landscape, v.v.i., Lidická 25/27, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the soil chemical property changes under two types of grass communities (alpine grasslands) at three locations (Velký Máj, Jelení hřbet, and Břidličná) in the Jeseníky PLA. The effect of different types of intervention (burning, mineral fertilization N60PK, sward removal, control without management) was determined in the form of small-plot trials during three years. Significant differences were found among the management treatments with respect to exchangeable soil reaction (the pH ranged between 2.33 and 3.62) and the contents of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium; as expected, the highest levels of these nutrients were recorded in the N60PK-fertilized treatments. The increase in soil nutrient content was 72.8% for calcium, 10.1% for magnesium, 79.7% for phosphorus, and 25.6% for potassium. The removal of vegetation, on the other hand, significantly reduced the contents of all the nutrients mentioned. The effect of burning was not as clear-cut as in the case of fertilization. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Cd, Pb, and Zn) in the standard aqua regia extract indicate that the so-called preventive values were exceeded for lead and cadmium. Overall, the results confirm that the soil chemistry of mountain grasslands was strongly influenced by a combination of natural factors and management practices. Extreme soil acidity represents a key factor that modifies both nutrient availability and the behavior of potentially toxic elements and should be taken into account when designing sustainable management measures.

Keywords: grass communities, soil chemical properties, small-plot trial, potentially toxic elements, fertilization, burning

Received: January 6, 2026; Revised: March 6, 2026; Accepted: April 16, 2026; Published: July 1, 2026  Show citation

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Mrázková, M., Bjelková, M., Látal, O., Hédl, R., Vymazalová, M., Fabąičová, M., Biloąová, H., & ©mirous, P. (2026). Chemical Properties of Soils in Subalpine Grasslands Under Different Management Regimes. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 74(3), 91-98. doi: 10.11118/actaun.2026.007
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