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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2021) | Viewed by 26118

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Prof. Dr. Flora Angela Rutigliano

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Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
Interests: soil ecology; soil microbial community; ecosystem functions; plant-soil interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests represent a large reservoir of flora, fauna, and microbiological diversity. Forest functioning and stability primarily depend on a multilevel interplay between the above-ground community and soil. Forest biodiversity has emerged in the last decades as a fundamental determinant of ecosystem functions and associated services. Forest biodiversity, however, is increasingly threatened by land-use, land-use change, climate change, and other stressors. Soil plays a key role in ecosystem functions, notably in biomass production, storing and cleaning of water, storing, filtering, and transformation of nutrients and other substances, acting as biodiversity pool, carbon sink, and, thus, as a climate driver.

This Special Issue will comprise a selection of papers reporting recent advances in research on relationships between soil functions and biodiversity in natural and seminatural forests, and in forest plantations. The issue aims to contribute to defining sustainable strategies of forest management that take care of soil resource and biodiversity conservation. Biotic and nonbiotic processes linked to soil functions, notably nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and C sequestration, will be considered. Forest biodiversity will be considered at the ecosystem, species (plants, animals and microorganisms), and population level. Original works and reviews are both welcome.

Prof. Dr. Flora Angela Rutigliano
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Plant diversity
Animal diversity
Soil microbial diversity
Soil microbial activities
Nutrient cycling
C sequestration

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 4862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Multi-Level Biodiversity and Soil Features in a Burned Beech Forest in the Southern Italian Coastal Mountain

by Adriano Stinca, Maria Ravo, Rossana Marzaioli, Giovanna Marchese, Angela Cordella, Flora A. Rutigliano and Assunta Esposito

Forests 2020, 11(9), 983; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11090983 - 11 Sep 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3706

Abstract

In the context of global warming and increasing wildfire occurrence, this study aims to examine, for the first time, the changes in multi-level biodiversity and key soil features related to soil functioning in a burned Mediterranean beech forest. Two years after the 2017 wildfire, changes between burned and unburned plots of beech forest were analyzed for plant communities (vascular plant and cover, bryophytes diversity, structural, chorological, and ecological variables) and soil features (main chemical properties, microbial biomass and activity, bacterial community composition, and diversity), through a synchronic study. Fire-induced changes in the micro-environmental conditions triggered a secondary succession process with colonization by many native pioneer plant species. Indeed, higher frequency (e.g., Scrophularia vernalis L., Rubus hirtus Waldst. and Kit. group, and Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.) or coverage (e.g., Verbascum thapsus L. subsp. thapsus and Digitalis micrantha Roth ex Schweigg.) of the species was observed in the burned plots, whereas the typical forest species showed a reduction in frequency, but not in cover, except for Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica. Overall, an increase in plant species and family richness was found in the burned plots, mainly in the herbaceous and bryophyte layers, compared to the unburned plots. Burned plots showed an increase in therophytes, chamaephytes, cosmopolites, steno-Mediterranean and Atlantic species, and a decrease in geophytes and Eurasiatic plants. Significant differences were found in burned vs. control soils for 10 phyla, 40 classes, 79 orders, 145 families, 342 genera, and 499 species of bacteria, with about 50% of each taxon over-represented and 50% under-represented in burned than in control. Changes in bacterial richness within several families (reduction in Acidobacteriaceae, Solibacteraceae, Rhodospirillaceae, and Sinobacteraceae; increase in Micrococcaceae, Comamonadaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Hymenobacteraceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Cytophagaceae, Nocardioidaceae, Opitutaceae, Solirubrobacteraceae, and Bacillaceae) in burned soil were related to fire-induced chemical changes of soil (pH, electrical conductivity, and cation exchange capacity). No evident effect of the wildfire was found on organic C content, microbial biomass (total microbial carbon and fungal mycelium) and activity, and microbial indexes (fungal percentage of microbial C, metabolic quotient, and quotient of mineralization), suggesting that soil functions remained unchanged in the burned area. Therefore, we hypothesize that, without an additional disturbance event, a re-establishment of beech forest can be expected but with an unpredictable time of post-fire succession. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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17 pages, 1824 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Soil Biodiversity in Alpine Habitats through eDNA Metabarcoding and Relationships with Environmental Features

by Noemi Rota, Claudia Canedoli, Chiara Ferrè, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Alessia Guerrieri and Emilio Padoa-Schioppa

Forests 2020, 11(7), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11070738 - 07 Jul 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3858

Abstract

Soil biodiversity is fundamental for ecosystems, ensuring many ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil formation, and organic carbon pool increase. Due to these roles, there is a need to study and completely understand how soil biodiversity is composed through different habitats. The aim of this study was to describe the edaphic soil community of the alpine environments belonging to the Gran Paradiso National Park, thus detecting if there are any correlation with environmental features. We studied soil fauna through environmental DNA metabarcoding. From eDNA metabarcoding, 18 families of arthropods were successfully detected, and their abundance expressed in terms of the relative frequency of sequences. Soil faunal communities of mixed coniferous forests were characterized by Isotomidae, Entomobriydae, Hypogastruridae, and Onychiuridae; while mixed deciduous forests were composed mostly by Isotomidae, Cicadidae, Culicidae, and Neelidae. Calcicolous and acidic grasslands also presented families that were not detected in forest habitats, in particular Scarabaeidae, Curculionidae, Brachyceridae, and had in general a more differentiated soil community. Results of the Canonical Component Analysis revealed that the main environmental features affecting soil community for forests were related to vegetation (mixed deciduous forests, tree basal area, tree biomass, Shannon index), soil (organic layers and organic carbon stock), and site (altitude); while for prairies, soil pH and slope were also significant in explaining soil community composition. This study provided a description of the soil fauna of alpine habitats and resulted in a description of community composition per habitat and the relation with the characteristic of vegetation, soil, and topographic features of the study area. Further studies are needed to clarify ecological roles and needs of these families and their role in ecosystem functioning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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25 pages, 2928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Livestock Pressure and Vegetation Cover on the Spatial and Temporal Structure of Soil Microarthropod Communities in Iberian Rangelands

by Carlos Lozano Fondón, Jesús Barrena González, Manuel Pulido Fernández, Sara Remelli, Javier Lozano-Parra and Cristina Menta

Forests 2020, 11(6), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11060628 - 02 Jun 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2359

Abstract

Forests, including their soils, play an important role since they represent a large reservoir of biodiversity. Current studies show that the diversity of soil fauna provides multiple ecosystem functions and services across biomes. However, anthropogenic practices often pose a threat to soil fauna because of changes in land use and soil mismanagement. In these terms, rangelands in the southwest of Spain present several problems of soil degradation related to livestock activity and soil erosion, the intensity of which compromises the soil fauna’s functions in the ecosystem. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the response of community metrics and the spatial distribution of soil microarthropods to livestock activity and vegetation in such ecosystems. A photo interpretation analysis of an experimental catchment used as a study area was developed to identify and classify the intensity of livestock pressure. A total of 150 soil samples were collected throughout 2018. Soil biological (CO₂ efflux) and physical-chemical parameters (pH, bulk density, organic matter, and water contents), and such meteorological variables as precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration were considered as variables affecting the composition of microarthropod communities in terms of taxa diversity, abundances, and their adaptation to soil environment (evaluated by QBS-ar index). Results showed higher abundance of microarthropods and higher adaptation to soil environment outside the influence of trees rather than beneath tree canopies. Moreover, the classification of livestock pressure revealed by the photo interpretation analysis showed low correlations with community structure, as well as with the occurrence of well-adapted microarthropod groups that were found less frequently in areas with evidence of intense livestock activity. Furthermore, abundances and adaptations followed different spatial patterns. Due to future climate changes and increasing anthropogenic pressure, it is necessary to continue the study of soil fauna communities to determine their degree of sensitivity to such changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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14 pages, 2057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Responses of Soil Microbial Community Composition and Enzyme Activities to Land-Use Change in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China

by Da Luo, Rui-Mei Cheng, Shun Liu, Zuo-Min Shi and Qiu-Hong Feng

Forests 2020, 11(5), 483; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11050483 - 25 Apr 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3183

Abstract

The land-use change is a major determinant influencing ecosystem carbon (C) patterns and nutrient cycling in subalpine forests in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. While some results have been obtained in relation to the influence of land-use change on aboveground components, less is known about the belowground microbial communities and related processes. We assessed the structure and function of soil microbial communities following land-use change from old-growth forest (OF) to secondary forest (SF), plantation forest (PF), and grassland (GL) in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. Phospholipid fatty acid profiles and enzyme activity analysis were used to determine the composition and activities of microbial communities, respectively. Significant differences in physicochemical characteristics, microbial communities, and extracellular enzyme activities in soils under different land uses were observed in this study. pH and total nitrogen (TN) in OF and SF were significantly higher than in GL. PF showed the highest soil organic C (SOC), and significantly higher than in GL. Total phosphorus (TP) and C/N ratio in PF were significantly higher than the other land-use types. OF and PF had significantly higher anaerobic bacteria than in GL. The actinobacteria in SF was significantly higher than in PF. The saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal (SEM) fungi was significantly lower in GL than the other land-use types. Total microbial biomass and β-glucosidase activities were significantly higher in OF and SF than in GL. GL had significantly higher polyphenoloxidase activities than in OF and PF. Anaerobic bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and SEM fungi were positively correlated with SOC and TP, Gram+ bacteria were correlated with C/P and N/P ratio. N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was negatively correlated with anaerobic bacteria, while polyphenoloxidase activity was positively related to actinobacteria. Furthermore, redundancy analysis revealed that the microbial community composition was primarily regulated by TN and pH. This suggested that altered land-use type initiated changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the soils, which affected the composition of microbial communities and microbial enzyme activities related to nutrient cycling in this area. This provides a scientific basis for the influence mechanism of land use on composition and function of microbial communities, as well as the rational utilization and management of land resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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19 pages, 2569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bacterial Community Changes Associated with Land Use Type in the Forest Montane Region of Northeast China

by Shi-Jun Wu, Jiao-Jiao Deng, You Yin, Sheng-Jin Qin, Wen-Xu Zhu, Yong-Bin Zhou, Bing Wang, Honghua Ruan and Long Jin

Forests 2020, 11(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010040 - 27 Dec 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2533

Abstract

Soil microorganisms play a vital role in the biogeochemical cycle, whereas land use change is one of the primary factors that affects the biodiversity and functionality of terrestrial ecosystems. The composition and diversity of bacterial communities (by high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene) were evaluated in the soils of the Montane Region of Northeast China, across different land use types, e.g., natural secondary forest (Quercus mongolica, QM), shrubland (SL), coniferous plantation (Larix gmelinii, LG, and Pinus koraiensis, PK), and agricultural land (Zea mays, ZM). Significant differences in the chemical characteristics and bacterial communities in soils under different land uses were observed in this study. Soil resident TC (total carbon) and TN (total nitrogen) were much higher in secondary natural forest soils, than in coniferous plantation and agricultural soils. Compared with forest and shrubland soils, soil bacterial OTUs, the Chao1 index, and the ACE index were the lowest in the ZM. There were high proportions of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Saccharibacteria, and Nitrospirae in agricultural and forest soils, which accounted for over 90% of the reads in each sample. We found that the dominant group in the forest and shrubland soils was Proteobacteria, while the most dominant group in the ZM was Actinobacteria. The results of both heatmap and principal component analyses displayed groups according to land use types, which indicated that the bacterial communities in the areas under study were significantly influenced by long term differently managed land use. Furthermore, redundancy and Pearson correlation analyses revealed that the bacterial communities were primarily regulated by soil characteristics. This suggested that altered land use patterns initiated changes in the chemical properties of the soils, which affected the composition of microbial communities in this area. This provides a scientific basis for the evolutionary mechanism of soil quality, as well as the rational development and utilization of land resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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19 pages, 3228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Microbial Diversity, Biomass, and Activity in Two Pine Plantations of Southern Italy Treated with Prescribed Burning

by Elisabetta Giuditta, Rossana Marzaioli, Assunta Esposito, Davide Ascoli, Adriano Stinca, Stefano Mazzoleni and Flora A. Rutigliano

Forests 2020, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010019 - 21 Dec 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3468

Abstract

Microbial diversity plays a crucial role in ecosystem processes, including organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. This research explores the effect of prescribed burning (PB) on soil microbial diversity, as well as biomass and activity in Mediterranean pine plantations. In burned and adjacent unburned plots of Pinus pinea and P. pinaster plantations of Southern Italy protected areas, the fermentation layer and the 5 cm thick layer of mineral soil underneath were sampled at intervals during the first year after PB. The experimental protocol encompassed measurements of total microbial abundance (C_mic and soil DNA), fungal mycelium, fungal fraction of C_mic, microbial activity, bacterial genetic diversity (16S rDNA PCR-DGGE), microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂), and C mineralization rate (CMR), as well as physical and chemical soil properties. PB caused only temporary (up to 3 h–32 d) reductions in C_mic, DNA amount, fungal mycelium, respiration, and CMR in the P. pinaster plantation, and had no appreciable negative effect on the microbial community in P. pinea plantation, where fire intensity was lower because of less abundant litter fuel. In either plantation, PB did not generally reduce bacterial genetic diversity (evaluated as band richness, Shannon index, and evenness), thus, also accounting for the fast recovery in microbial growth and activity after high-intensity PB in P. pinaster plantation. While confirming PB as a sustainable practice to reduce wildfire risk, also supported by data on plant community obtained in the same plantations, the results suggest that an integrated analysis of microbial diversity, growth, and activity is essential for an accurate description of PB effects on soil microbial communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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20 pages, 2888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Post-Fire Deadwood Management on Soil Macroarthropod Communities

by Carlos R. Molinas-González, Jorge Castro, Adela González-Megías and Alexandro B. Leverkus

Forests 2019, 10(11), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10111046 - 19 Nov 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2580 | Correction

Abstract

Dead wood comprises a vast amount of biological legacies that set the scene for ecological regeneration after wildfires, yet its removal is the most frequent management strategy worldwide. Soil-dwelling organisms are conspicuous, and they provide essential ecosystem functions, but their possible affection by different post-fire management strategies has so far been neglected. We analyzed the abundance, richness, and composition of belowground macroarthropod communities under two contrasting dead-wood management regimes after a large wildfire in the Sierra Nevada Natural and National Park (Southeast Spain). Two plots at different elevation were established, each containing three replicates of two experimental treatments: partial cut, where trees were cut and their branches lopped off and left over the ground, and salvage logging, where all the trees were cut, logs were piled, branches were mechanically masticated, and slash was spread on the ground. Ten years after the application of the treatments, soil cores were extracted from two types of microhabitat created by these treatments: bare-soil (in both treatments) and under-logs (in the partial cut treatment only). Soil macroarthropod assemblages were dominated by Hemiptera and Hymenoptera (mostly ants) and were more abundant and richer in the lowest plot. The differences between dead-wood treatments were most evident at the scale of management interventions: abundance and richness were lowest after salvage logging, even under similar microhabitats (bare-soil). However, there were no significant differences between microhabitat types on abundance and richness within the partial cut treatment. Higher abundance and richness in the partial cut treatment likely resulted from higher resource availability and higher plant diversity after natural regeneration. Our results suggest that belowground macroarthropod communities are sensitive to the manipulation of dead-wood legacies and that management through salvage logging could reduce soil macroarthropod recuperation compared to other treatments with less intense management even a decade after application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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14 pages, 1889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in the Soil Bacterial Community in a Chronosequence of Temperate Walnut-Based Intercropping Systems

by Pengxiang Gao, Xiaofeng Zheng, Lai Wang, Bin Liu and Shuoxin Zhang

Forests 2019, 10(4), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10040299 - 31 Mar 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3274

Abstract

Agroforestry (tree-based intercropping) is regarded as a promising practice in sustainable agricultural management. However, the impacts of converting cropland to an agroforestry system on microbial communities remain poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the soil bacterial communities in conventional wheat monoculture systems and a chronosequence (5–14 years) walnut-wheat agroforestry system through the high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes to investigate the effect of agroforestry age on soil bacterial communities and the correlation between soil properties and bacterial communities in the agroecosystem. Our results demonstrate that establishing and developing walnut tree-based agroforestry increased soil bacterial diversity and changed bacterial community structure. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria were the dominant soil bacterial phyla and Bacillus was the dominant genus. Crop monoculture systems were characterized by the Bacillus (Firmicutes)-dominated microbial community. The relative abundance of Bacillus decreased with agroforestry age; however, subgroups of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased. Of the selected soil physicochemical properties, soil pH and bulk density were significantly correlated with bacterial alpha diversity, and soil pH and organic carbon were the principal drivers in shaping the soil microbial structure as revealed by redundancy analysis (RDA). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Forest Biodiversity and Soil Functions)

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