1
|
Zhao M, Sun Y, Liu S, Li Y, Chen Y. Effects of stand density on the structure of soil microbial functional groups in Robinia pseudoacacia plantations in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169337. [PMID: 38103600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the responses of soil microbial functional groups to changes in stand density is crucial for understanding the sustainability of forest development. In this study, we obtained soil samples from Robinia pseudoacacia plantations of three different stand densities (low, middle, and high densities of 750, 1125, and 1550 trees ha-1, respectively) in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. We sought to determine the effects of stand density on the structure of soil microbial functional groups. Stand density had no significant effects on species diversity indices of fungal trophic modes or bacterial functional groups involved in carbon (C) cycling and nitrogen (N) cycling. However, differences in stand density substantially altered the composition of fungal functional groups. In low-density plantations, saprophytic fungi were the main trophic mode, with a high relative abundance of ∼62 %, whereas the fungal communities associated with middle- and high-density plantations were dominated by other fungi with a combined trophic mode, which accounted for ∼43 % and ∼41 % of the fungal trophic modes, respectively. Furthermore, we detected increases in the relative abundance of plant pathogens, nitrifiers, and nitrous oxide-denitrifying bacteria with increasing stand density. Results of the Monte Carlo test showed that soil pH influenced the composition of soil fungal (but not bacterial) groups. These findings suggested that a high density of trees might inhibit the decomposition of recalcitrant organic material and stimulate nitrous oxide emission, consequently decreasing soil nutrient availability and stimulating soil N loss. Moreover, high-density stands might increase the potential risk for plant disease. Overall, the present study suggested that reducing stand density to coverage between 750 and 1125 trees ha-1 would increase soil nutrient availability and prevent N loss from the soil. To verify these suppositions, further research is needed to determine the links between microbial functional groups composition and soil biogeochemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yarong Sun
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Shaohua Liu
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yichun Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yunming Chen
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Centenaro G, de-Miguel S, Bonet JA, Martínez Peña F, De Gomez REG, Ponce Á, Dashevskaya S, Alday JG. Spatially-explicit effects of small-scale clear-cutting on soil fungal communities in Pinus sylvestris stands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168628. [PMID: 37979846 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Clear-cutting is a common silvicultural practice. Although temporal changes in the soil fungal community after clear-cutting have been widely investigated, little is known about stand-level variations in the spatial distribution of soil fungi, particularly at the clear-cut edge. We performed spatial soil sampling in three clear-cuts (0.5 ha), edge habitats, and surrounding forests 8 years after clear-cutting to examine the impact of clear-cutting on the soil fungal community (diversity, composition, guilds, and biomass) and soil properties in a managed Pinus sylvestris forest in northern Spain. Our analyses showed small differences in the composition of the soil fungal community between edge, forest, and clear-cut zones, with <4 % of the species strictly associated with one or two zones. The richness, diversity, and evenness of the fungal community in the edge zone was not significantly different to that in the forest or clear-cut zones, although the clear-cut core had approximately a third fewer ectomycorrhizal species than the edge or the forest. Saprotrophic fungi were widespread across the clear-cut-forest gradient. Soil fungal biomass varied significantly between zones, ranging from 4 to 5 mg g-1 dry soil in the forest and at the forest edge to 1.7 mg g-1 dry soil in the clear-cut area. Soil organic matter, pH, nitrogen, and phosphorus did not differ significantly between edge, forest, and clear-cutting zones and were not significantly related to the fungal community composition. Overall, our study showed that small-scale clear-cut treatments are optimal to guarantee, in the medium-term, soil fungal communities within harvested areas and at the forest edge that are comparable to soil fungal communities in the forest, even though the amount of fungal biomass in the clear-cut zone is lower than at the forest edge or in the forest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giada Centenaro
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Sergio de-Miguel
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - José Antonio Bonet
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez Peña
- Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon CITA, Avda Montañana 930, E-50059 Zaragoza, Spain; European Mycological Institute EGTC-EMI, E-42003 Soria, Spain
| | | | - Ángel Ponce
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Svetlana Dashevskaya
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Josu G Alday
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| |
Collapse
|