Effect of compost-amended backfill and paved surface on leaf parameters and physiology of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.)

We compared the effects of compost-amended backfill and of the size of the exposed surface area on Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) trees planted in a high-quality backfill on a brownfield area previously occupied by a truck factory. After 3 years, trees with larger and mulched planting areas had higher leaf gas exchange, leaf chlorophyll, and mineral content than those grown under pavement. The effects of the different quantities of compost in the backfill were more difficult to assess within the framework of this study. Although these effects may become significant in the long term, it is difficult to prescribe compost addition as a useful technique to improve plant growth and physiology when the native soil has been completely replaced by good topsoil.