J Plant Physiol. Vol. 148. pp. 264-270 (1996) The Effect of «Acid Rains» and Mineral Fertilization on the Development of Biometrical Features of Fagus sylvatica L. Seedlings STANISLAW MALEK and JAN GRESZTA Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Faculty, Agricultural Academy of Krak6w, AI. 29-go Listopada 46, pL-31425 Krak6w, Poland Received June 26, 1995 . Accepted October 8, 1995 Summary The purpose of the present experiment was to describe the influence of various methods of mineral fer- tilization: NK into leaves (Florovit), NPK onto soil (Fruktus 2) and liming (dolomite magnesium) on the development of Fagus sylvatica L. seedlings subject to the influence of simulated acid rains of pH 2.5, 3.0, 3.5,4.0, 4.5. As a result of the carried out analysis of the correlation coefficient a reciprocal high correlation was found between particular parameters of growth of Fagus sylvatica L. seedlings i.e. of the diameter of root nect, root mass, total mass of: seedlings, leaves, main shoots, lateral shoots, ligneous parts, overground parts, as well as of total length of lateral shoots. Whereas no high correlation was observed between the above mentioned parameters and a total heigth of the seedling. The obtained results of the analysis of changes in biometric characteristics of Fagus sylvatica L. seedlings showed, that the best development was achieved at pH 4.5, whereas their weakest development was observed at 2.5. The analysis showed the decrease in values of analysed characteristic together with the increase in acidity of aqueous solutions. The first and second and third year of the experiment for Fagus sylvatica L. showed that kind of fertili- zation did not effect positively the increase in values of the analyzed biometrical feature - total height of seedling comparing with those of control plots. The significant improvement of total height of seedling was noticed on control plot with pH 3.5 in relation to pH 2.5 on control plot in first year. The best incre- ment of total height of seedling was noticed for pH 3.5 for each year. The third year of the experiment showed that using fertilization: Ca + Mg onto soil, NK into leaves and NPK onto soil it is possible to restrict the unfavourable influence of «acid rains» on total mass of Fagus syl- vatica L. seedling. The best significant increment of this biometrical feature was observed on pH 4.0. When one wants to restrict the unfavourable influence of «acid rains» on analyzed total mass of seedlings within pH 2.5-4.5 it is possible to choose optimaly one from three applied fertilizing variants. Key words: Acid rain, fertilizers, biometrical features, tree seedlings, Fagus sylvatica L. Abbreviations: pH = pH of simulated acid rains. Introduction It is claimed that one of the main causes of the new forest dieback is the changes in soil chemistry provoked by acid rain. «Acid rain» causes marked disturbance in the uptake of © 1996 by Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart nutrients by plants and at the same time limits their growth (Altshuller & Linthurst 1976, Ulrich 1983, Ulrich 1986, Abrahamsen et al. 1987, Krause 1988, Bialobok 1989, Greszta at al. 1990, Huettl 1990, Gruszka 1991). This process occurs expecially intensively on barren grounds e.g. on sands for: