SR24063Organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen relationships of regreened forest soils in an industrially impacted landscape
Soil organic matter (SOM), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) management is critical for successful forest restoration. Our study investigated SOM, C, and N in forest soils following the restoration of one of the world’s most industrially degraded landscapes. We found that despite immense degradation, 20-years post-restoration SOM, C, and N relationships, and how they change with soil depth, closely resembled those of unimpacted forested sites, suggesting that regardless the level of degradation restoring soil structure and function is possible.