How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?

Forest ecosystems represent an important biodiversity resource worldwide and provide numerous important services. Their status is under constant change due to the applied management practices, which can exert both positive and negative effects. Forest soils have a complex microbiome and show variable activity dynamics in relation to soil structure, nutrient cycling, and organic matter content. There is a constant need for research oriented towards a better understanding of how these ecosystems respond to current management practices and to forecast their evolution and to optimize them to achieve resilience. Soil microbiomes occupy a key position within forest ecosystems, being responsible for nutrient cycling and vegetation maintenance. Microbial communities are suitable indicators for applied management and show rapid reactions to both biotic and abiotic factors. The ecosystem specificity of soil microbiome is an important trait to deepen understanding of their site-specific reaction to management procedures and enable the identification of new and more performant indicators that bring understanding of forest soils. Techniques like reforestation or regeneration imply great changes in soil microbiomes and change the diversity and assemblage of microbial communities. Clearing, thinning, or prescribed burning produce a different effect on the soil microbiome, along with climatic context and rainwater quality. Post-disturbance microbial dynamics are important in understanding the direction of ecosystem regeneration, the flow of biogeochemical cycles, and the assurance of growth conditions for tree species.