The paper deals with research on the biomass production of fruiting bodies of macromycetes in a submountain beech stand in dependence on selected climatic variables. The study was carried out at the Ecological Experimental Site (EES) Kremnické vrchy (Central Slovakia) in 2003 and 2004. The biomass production of sporocarps on the EES plots in the two study years was different (5.81 kg/ha of fresh biomass of sporocarps in 2003 and 39.95 kg/ha in 2004) due to better ecological and climatic conditions and higher abundance of sporocarps in 2004. It is necessary to mention that these values reflect the overall status of mycocoenoses on the plot. Unfavourable microclimate conditions and poor species composition of beech monocultures can be considered to be the main factors adversely influencing mycocoenoses in forest stands of the kind.

The paper deals with research on the biomass production of fruiting bodies of macromycetes in a submountain beech stand in dependence on selected climatic variables. The study was carried out at the Ecological Experimental Site (EES) Kremnicke vrchy (Central Slovakia) in 2003 and 2004. The biomass production of sporocarps on the EES plots in the two study years was different (5.81 kg/ha of fresh biomass of sporocarps in 2003 and 39.95 kg/ha in 2004) due to better ecological and climatic conditions and higher abundance of sporocarps in 2004. It is necessary to mention that these values reflect the overall status of mycocoenoses on the plot. Unfavourable microclimate conditions and poor species composition of beech monocultures can be considered to be the main factors adversely influencing mycocoenoses in this type of forests.

Soil microbial biomass is a dynamic force driving soil phosphorus cycling in soils. The temperature, time and method for killing soil organisms in soil biomass P determination are so important factors that affect the results. The aim of this study was to compare some methods of soil sterilization and soil microbial P (Pm) release in extraction with NaHCO3. Five samples of calcareous soils in three replicates were incubated in field capacity and 28°C. The texture of soils differed from loamy sand to sandy loam. They had 10-15% equivalent calcium carbonate, 1-3% organic carbon and 40-90 mg/kg available P content. After 1, 10, 30, and 50 days of incubation a portion of each soil was sterilized by five methods (chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121°C for 0.5 h, oven drying at 70°C for 48 h, oven drying at 180°C for 2 h, and ultrasonification). Phosphorus of the sterilized and control soils were extracted with 0.5M NaHCO3 (pH 8.5) and determined spectrophotometrically as blue molybdate-phosphate complexes under partial reduction with ascorbic acid. Results showed that the method of soil sterilization and soil type had significant effects on biomass P estimated in soils (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between extracted biomass P at chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121°C for 0.5 h, and oven drying at 70°C for 48 h. However biomass P was significantly more extracted from soil by oven drying at 180°C for 2 h and by ultrasonification. Fixation of Pm in soil during the extraction period can reduce the precision of biomass P estimates. This effect was more obvious in biomass P determination by fumigation and oven drying at 70°C for 48 h. Biomass P determined by these methods and autoclaving had positive and significant correlations with soil sand contents, respectively due to long sterilization period and temperature. Ultrasonification released more P from these calcareous soils especially at the start of soil incubation. It released higher microbial P and reduced P sorption in soils; biomass P determined by this method compared to other methods had relatively higher correlations with fungi, glumales spore and P solubilizing bacteria numbers in soil.

Soil microbial biomass is a dynamic force driving soil phosphorus cycling in soils. The temperature, time and method for killing soil organisms in soil biomass P determination are so important factors that affect the results. The aim of this study was to compare some methods of soil sterilization and soil microbial P (Pm) release in extraction with NaHCO<SUB>3</SUB>. Five samples of calcareous soils in three replicates were incubated in field capacity and 28°C. The texture of soils differed from loamy sand to sandy loam. They had 10–15% equivalent calcium carbonate, 1–3% organic carbon and 40–90 mg/kg available P content. After 1, 10, 30, and 50 days of incubation a portion of each soil was sterilized by five methods (chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121°C for 0.5 h, oven drying at 70°C for 48&nbsp;h, oven drying at 180°C for 2 h, and ultrasonification). Phosphorus of the sterilized and control soils were extracted with 0.5M NaHCO<SUB>3</SUB> (pH 8.5) and determined spectrophotometrically as blue molybdate-phosphate complexes under partial reduction with ascorbic acid. Results showed that the method of soil sterilization and soil type had significant effects on biomass P estimated in soils (<I>P</I> < 0.01). There were no significant differences between extracted biomass P at chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121°C for 0.5 h, and oven drying at 70°C for 48 h. However biomass P was significantly more extracted from soil by oven drying at 180°C for 2 h and by ultrasonification. Fixation of Pm in soil during the extraction period can reduce the precision of biomass P estimates. This effect was more obvious in biomass P determination by fumigation and oven drying at 70°C for 48 h. Biomass P determined by these methods and autoclaving had positive and significant correlations with soil sand contents, respectively due to long sterilization period and temperature. Ultrasonification released more P from these calcareous soils especially at the start of soil incubation. It released higher microbial P and reduced P sorption in soils; biomass P determined by this method compared to other methods had relatively higher correlations with fungi, glumales spore and P solubilizing bacteria numbers in soil. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Soil microbial biomass is a dynamic force driving soil phosphorus cycling in soils. The temperature, time and method for killing soil organisms in soil biomass P determination are so important factors that affect the results. The aim of this study was to compare some methods of soil sterilization and soil microbial P (Pm) release in extraction with NaHCO3. Five samples of calcareous soils in three replicates were incubated in field capacity and 28 deg C. The texture of soils differed from loamy sand to sandy loam. They had 10-15% equivalent calcium carbonate, 1-3% organic carbon and 40-90 mg/kg available P content. After 1, 10, 30, and 50 days of incubation a portion of each soil was sterilized by five methods (chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121 deg C for 0.5 h, oven drying at 70 deg C for 48 h, oven drying at 180 deg C for 2 h, and ultrasonification). Phosphorus of the sterilized and control soils were extracted with 0.5M NaHCO3 (pH 8.5) and determined spectrophotometrically as blue molybdate-phosphate complexes under partial reduction with ascorbic acid. The method of soil sterilization and soil type had significant effects on biomass P. There were no significant differences between extracted biomass P at chloroform fumigation, autoclaving at 121 deg C for 0.5 h, and oven drying at 70 deg C for 48 h. However biomass P was significantly more extracted from soil by oven drying at 180 deg C for 2 h and by ultrasonification. Fixation of Pm in soil during the extraction period can reduce the precision of biomass P estimates. This effect was more obvious in biomass P determination by fumigation and oven drying at 70 deg C for 48 h. Biomass P determined by these methods and autoclaving had positive and significant correlations with soil sand contents, respectively due to long sterilization period and temperature. Ultrasonification released more P from these calcareous soils especially at the start of soil incubation. It released higher microbial P and reduced P sorption in soils; biomass P determined by this method compared to other methods had relatively higher correlations with fungi, glumales spore and P solubilizing bacteria numbers in soil.

The biomass-based soils are used in the ecological agriculture, being already proposed in sustainable organic production systems with reduced costs for assuring the good cropping productivity, and also high quality of the crops. For the elimination of the synthetic inorganic fertilizers’ utilization on soil, the use of certain types of residual biomass in mixture with the reference soil was proposed as they have a positive impact on the adsorption and absorption of nutrients and water for the nutrition of plants. The aim of this paper is to present four mixtures of reference soil and residual biomass, considered as biosoil used as support for development of wheat seeds. These biosoils were characterized in terms of real density, actual and potential pH, content of total organic carbon, humus, exchangeable calcium, total and available nitrogen and phosphorus, and the trends of grain seeds germination and plants growth were registered in association with the evolution of soil pH for a period greater than a month. The results encourage the use of these biosoils (mixtures of soil with residual biomass) as support for plants cropping.

The analysis of drought as a phenomenon and the proposal of how to define and quantify the deficiency of water in soil for plants, so called physiological drought, are described. The presented approach is based on the theoretical considerations supported by empirically estimated relationships between the biomass production of a particular plant and the transpiration total of this plant during its vegetation period. This relationship is linear and is valid for particular plant and environmental conditions (nutrition, agrotechnics). Optimal plant production can be reached for maximum seasonal transpiration total, therefore the potential transpiration total corresponds to the maximum possible yield. The transpiration rate lower than the potential one leads to a biomass production decrease. This phenomenon can be used to define the physiological drought, under which the soil water content in the root zone decreases below the so called critical soil water content of limited availability for plants, under which the transpiration rate drops below its potential transpiration rate. Methodology is illustrated on the basis of the results of mathematical modelling of soil water movement in Soil - Plant - Atmosphere system, with loamy soil and maize canopy.

The analysis of drought as a phenomenon and the proposal of how to define and quantify the deficiency of water in soil for plants, so called physiological drought, are described. The presented approach is based on the theoretical considerations supported by empirically estimated relationships between the biomass production of a particular plant and the transpiration total of this plant during its vegetation period. This relationship is linear and is valid for particular plant and environmental conditions (nutrition, agrotechnics). Optimal plant production can be reached for maximum seasonal transpiration total, therefore the potential transpiration total corresponds to the maximum possible yield. The transpiration rate lower than the potential one leads to a biomass production decrease. This phenomenon can be used to define the physiological drought, under which the soil water content in the root zone decreases below the so called critical soil water content of limited availability for plants, under which the transpiration rate drops below its potential transpiration rate. Methodology is illustrated on the basis of the results of mathematical modelling of soil water movement in Soil – Plant – Atmosphere system, with loamy soil and maize canopy.