This research was conducted on an area of inland sands characterised by various degrees of overgrowth by vegetation and soil stabilisation. This landscape’s origin is not natural but is connected to human industrial activities dating from early medieval times, which created a powerful centre for mining and metallurgy. This study aims to identify the changes in the above- and belowground phytomass in the initial stages of succession and their influence on the chemical properties and morphology of the soil. It was found that Salix arenaria dominated in primary phytomass production in all plots tested. The amounts of this species found in each community were as follows: 8.55 kg/400 m² (algae–mosses), 188.97 kg/400 m² (sand grassland–willow), 123.44 kg/400 m² (pine–willow–mosses), 14.63 kg/400 m² (sand grassland–mosses–willow), and 196.55 kg/400 m² (willow–pine–sand grassland). A notable share of Koeleria glauca was found in the phytomass production of Plots IV (45.73 kg) and V (86.16 kg). Basic soil properties (pH, C_org, N_t), available plant elements (P), and plant nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, Fe) beneath the dominant plant species were examined. Soil acidity (pH) varied greatly, ranging from acidic (pH = 3.2) to weakly acidic (pH = 6.3). The content of organic carbon (C_org) in individual plots beneath the dominant species in the humus horizon ranged from 0.28% to 1.42%. The maximum contents of organic carbon and total nitrogen were found in organic (O) and organic-humus (OA) horizons. The highest Pavail content was found in organic and organic-humus horizons, ranging from 10.41 to 65.23 mg/kg, and in mineral horizons under K. glauca (24.10 mg/kg) and Salix acutifola (25.11 mg/kg). The soil features and phytomass were varied differently across individual sites, representing different stages of succession.

Forest ecosystems and urban parks are an integral part of the natural environment and the natural system of a city, where they form a mosaic of habitats resulting from the variation in soil cover due to human activities. The study was conducted in urban forests in five urban parks in Upper Silesia (southern Poland) and investigated the chemical properties and content of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the topsoil, which had an average thickness of 15 cm for all samples. The soil reaction ranged from acidic (pH = 4.7–5.1, in KCl) to slightly acidic (pH = 5.6, to neutral—6.6–7.2) at most sites. The organic carbon (OC) content was relatively high at all sites, ranging from 1.19 to 14.3%, with the highest total nitrogen (Nt) content being 0.481%. The average total phosphorus (Pt) content in the parks ranged from 310 mg kg⁻¹ to 684 mg kg⁻¹, while the highest values were 1840 mg kg⁻¹. The total Cr, Cu, Co and Ni content was within acceptable limits, while the Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Sr and Ba exceeded acceptable standards. In terms of content, Zn dominated the PTMs at each site (Zn > Pb > Ba > Sr > Cu > Cr > As > Ni > Cd > Co), while Ba and Pb alternated in taking second place (Zn > Ba > Pb > Sr > Cu > Cr > Ni > As > Co > Cd). Environmental indicators, such as the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and potential ecological risk index (RI), showed that the analyzed soils are highly contaminated with PTMs. Among the sources of pollution in the urban forest are low emissions from coal combustion, industrial activities, water runoff from streets and proximity to transportation routes. Identification of PTM levels in urban parks will provide valuable information on the behavior of these metals, which is important in sustainable development and can help evaluate the local spatial development plans of urbanized areas.

Abandoned anthropogenic sites are transformed when they come into use. In the present study, such objects were abandoned Evangelical cemeteries located in the Land of the Great Mazurian Lakes (northern Poland). This study aims to compare the concentrations of selected major (Ca, Na, Mg, Al, Fe) and potentially toxic elements (Zn, Cd, Pb) in the roots, leaves, and branches of Syringa vulgaris and buried necrosols and unburied soils in which this species grows. The soils analysed differ in their profile structure; in the case of burial necrosols, anthropogenic layers are present, while Brunic Arenosol has a natural horizon arrangement. Regarding pH, the soils analysed are characterised in the weakly acidic (6.6–6.8) to alkaline (7.2–8.6) range, both in KCl and H₂O. Total phosphorus has high values in the humus and anthropogenic horizons, especially at coffin sites (Rudówka Mała: layer of Ccoffin—759 mg∙kg⁻¹; Szymonka—844 mg∙kg⁻¹). Necrosols are characterised by a slightly higher variation in major element content than soils outside the burial area. The highest elemental content in Syringa vulgaris is accumulated in leaves and roots. Potassium (K) has the highest content in the studied tissues, and cadmium (Cd) is the lowest. The study showed no significant differences in heavy metal accumulation for plants directly associated with necrosols and soils formed outside of burials, which is confirmed by analyses of environmental indicators. The study showed that plant chemistry is more influenced by the soil substrate and soil-forming process than the soil anthropogenisation associated with burials. There was no significant effect of burials on the chemical composition of individual parts of Syringa vulgaris.

Juniperus species form critical, long-lived high-mountain forest ecosystems in Central Asia, serving essential phytocoenotic and ecological functions in environmentally challenging habitats. However, the relationships between the elemental composition of these evergreen conifers and their underlying soils remain poorly understood. This study evaluated and compared the distribution of major elements (Fe, Ca, P, Mg, Al, Na, K, S), trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, As, Cd, Cr, Mo, U, Th, Sr, Sb, Bi, V, La, Ba, Ti, B, W, Sc, Zr, Tl, Ta, Nb, Se, Te, Ga, Cs, Ge, Hf, Rb, Sn and others), and environmental pollution indices (Igeo, EF, CF, BAF) in plant tissues (leaves and cones) and canopy soils of three key juniper species (Juniperus seravschanica, J. turkestanica, and J. semiglobosa) in the Fann Mountains, Tajikistan. Soil and plant samples were collected across natural habitats and analyzed for total chemical composition using ICP-OES. The soils showed a near-neutral reaction (pH 7.02–7.42 in H₂O and 6.41–7.15 in KCl), with considerable variability in Corg. content (5.04%–21.82%) and Nt content (0.337%–1.149%) in the humus (A) horizons. Geochemical indices (Igeo up to 2.42, EF up to 35.30) indicated noticeable soil enrichment and localized contamination by arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd), likely driven by a combination of regional industrial and mining activities alongside natural geogenic enrichment. Across all sites, elemental concentrations followed a consistent sequence: soil > leaves ≈ cones. Heavy metals in plant tissues remained well below toxic thresholds. High organ-specific partitioning was observed: K predominated in cones (K > Ca > P), whereas Ca and Fe accumulated predominantly in leaves (Ca > K). Low bioaccumulation factor values (BAF < 1) indicate limited element accumulation relative to total soil concentrations for all three species, which may be influenced by both reduced bioavailability in neutral-to-alkaline soils and potential physiological regulation. As the first data reported from this region, these findings establish an essential baseline for long-term ecological monitoring, soil–plant chemistry, conservation, and environmental risk assessment in the Fann Mountains’ juniper ecosystems.