The Influence of Soil Conditions on the Reproduction of Quercus myrsinifolia Blume on the Black Sea Coast of Southern Abkhazia

A study of soils on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia was carried out to identify properties that limit or favour the spread of Q. myrsinifolia or myrsinifolia oak, as it has started to show invasive plant traits in the last 20 years. Q. myrsinifolia, as in the last 20 years it has started to show characteristics of an invasive plant. The results of analyses of pH of water and salt extracts, hydrolytic acidity, carbon, phosphorus and potassium content, sum of exchangeable bases and degree of base saturation, as well as soil hardness, fraction greater than 1 mm, granulometric composition, and hygroscopic moisture content were analysed using the principal component method to identify factors that could influence the survival of Q. myrsinifolia seedlings. These were carbon and phosphorus content: myrsinifolia oak actively occupied territories with strongly skeletal soils containing less phosphorus than soils where seedling development was stopped and the skeletal fraction was absent.