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How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 7041

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Dr. Cristian Oneț

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Magheru Street, 410048 Oradea, Romania
Interests: ecology; environmental protection; soil quality; soil pollution

Dr. Vlad Stoian

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Guest Editor

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: soil microbiology; microbial ecology; plant growth promotion; root symbionts; microbial communities
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest management practices can have both positive and negative effects on soil property dynamics and can significantly influence various factors such as soil structure, nutrient cycling, organic matter content, and microbial activity. Sustainable management approaches aim to minimize soil disturbance, maintain soil fertility, and promote long-term ecosystem health and resilience. The method of administration and management of the forest fund has a direct influence on forest soils. Also, the complexes of forest management measures, which are applied in the stands of the forest fund, have a differentiated impact on forest soils depending on their specificity. The accessibility of the forest fund, mainly of the stands that are included in the ten-year harvest and culture plans related to forestry management, also has a major influence on the quality of forest soils. Forest soils and plants present unique microbiomes, associated with a multitude of processes and ecosystem services. The key position of microbial communities in forests makes them suitable indicators of applied management, with rapid reactions to any biotic or abiotic changes. Studies on microbial models, community assemblages, and reactions to applied management are necessary in order to better understand how these ecosystems function. Methodological approaches and the establishment of new indicators related to forest soils are vital for the realistic understanding and conservation of these ecosystems. This Special Issue is aimed at publishing selected contributions on the influence of forest management on soil property dynamics. The goal of the current Special Issue is to publish high-quality original scientific articles, paying special (but not exclusive) attention to the following topics:

Influence of silvicultural practices and treatments on soil properties;
Negative impacts of selective harvesting on soil quality;
Forest microbiomes;
Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems;
Effects of reforestation and afforestation on improvements in soil properties;
Effects of prescribed fires on soil properties;
Sustainable forest management approaches that promote forest soil health.

Dr. Cristian Oneț
Dr. Vlad Stoian
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

sustainable forestry
forest management practices
forest regeneration
soil health
forest disturbances
forest microbiomes

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 5589 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Root–Soil Anchoring Dynamics of Bambusa pachinensis (Pachi Bamboo) Root System

by Chia-Cheng Fan, Chung-Hao Chen and Chunhsiung Chen

Forests 2025, 16(5), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16050832 - 16 May 2025

Viewed by 64

Abstract

Bamboo is widely distributed throughout the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. This study aims to investigate the biomechanical properties of the root system of Bambusa pachinensis (Pachi bamboo). The root system of Pachi bamboo grows densely in clusters, with most roots growing vertically and potentially penetrating more than one meter into the soil after growing for several years. Owing to these characteristics, Pachi bamboo is considered a promising plant species for soil reinforcement. However, research on its root reinforcement capabilities remains limited. In situ shear and pullout tests were conducted to assess the root reinforcement of the fibrous root system. The root diameters of Pachi bamboo are typically less than 4 mm, and its tensile strength is notably lower than that of tree roots. This study establishes a method for estimating the root reinforcement of Pachi bamboo based on the number and cross-sectional area of the culms in a single bamboo cluster. The relationship between the maximum tensile force (F_ult) and root diameter (D) is F_ult = (3.65)D^2.59, where F_ult is in Newtons (N), and D is in millimeters (mm). The relationship between the pullout resistance (P_ult) and the shear resistance (S_ult) with the number of culms (SN) is P_ult = 46.5(SN) and S_ult = 0.53(SN) + 5, where P_ult is in Newtons (N), and S_ult is in kilopascals (kPa). These results suggest a positive contribution of the number of culms to mechanical resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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17 pages, 4056 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Thinning of the Infected Trees and Cultivating of the Resistant Pines on Soil Microbial Diversity and Function

by Xiaorui Zhang, Zhuo Liu, Mu Cao and Tingting Dai

Forests 2025, 16(5), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16050813 - 13 May 2025

Viewed by 218

Abstract

Pine wilt disease (PWD) poses a significant threat to pine forest health, making sanitation thinning of infected trees and cultivation of disease-resistant pine stands crucial measures for forest ecosystem restoration. To date, limited studies have systematically investigated how post-sanitation planting of pine-wilt-disease-resistant Pinus species affects soil microbiome, especially regarding bacterial and fungal diversity characteristics, functional succession patterns, and community assembly processes. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of soil microbial community characteristics and biochemical properties between experimental plots subjected to sanitation thinning and those replanted with disease-resistant pine species. The results indicated that compared to the sanitation-thinned experimental plot, the disease-resistant experimental plots (Pinus taeda experimental plot and Pinus thunbergii experimental plot) exhibited significantly higher activities of β-glucosidase (S-β-GC), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase (S-NAG), and soil arylsulfatase (S-ASF). Compared with the sanitation logging stands, our analysis revealed that the Pinus taeda experimental plot and Pinus thunbergii experimental plot exhibited significantly higher fungal community evenness (OTUs), greater species abundance (OTUs), and more unique fungal taxa. Furthermore, the edaphic properties—specifically soil moisture content (SMC), pH levels, and total potassium (TK)—significantly influenced the structures of soil bacterial and fungal communities. Compared to the sanitation-thinned experimental plot, wood saprotrophic fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibited increased abundance in both the P. taeda experimental plot and Pinus thunbergii experimental plot. Furthermore, the null models indicated that both the P. taeda experimental plot and P. thunbergii experimental plot enhanced the undominated processes of bacteria and fungi. In summary, our data elucidate the differences in bacterial and fungal responses between pine forests undergoing thinning due to infected trees and those cultivated for disease resistance. This deepens our understanding of microbial functions and community assembly processes within these ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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18 pages, 2403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Acid Rain and Understory Vegetation Removal on the Biological Activity of the Soils of the Cinnamomum camphora (Linn) Presl Plantation

by Zaihua He, Yini Liu, Yonghui Lin, Xiangshi Kong, Hong Lin and Xingbing He

Forests 2025, 16(3), 525; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030525 - 16 Mar 2025

Viewed by 244

Abstract

Acid rain and understory vegetation removal are critical drivers altering soil ecosystem alterations. However, the mechanisms by which these factors influence soil moisture dynamics, nutrient availability, and microbially mediated enzyme activities remain insufficiently elucidated. This study investigated the impacts of simulated acid rain and understory vegetation removal on soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial community in a subtropical Cinnamomum camphor (Linn) Presl plantation. The results indicated that acid rain and understory vegetation removal significantly decreased the soil organic carbon (SOC) while concurrently elevating the C-acquiring enzyme activities and microbial C limitation. Understory vegetation removal markedly reduced the soil moisture, nutrient availability, and N- and P-acquiring enzyme activities. Additionally, acid rain increased the bacterial diversity, but the understory vegetation removal increased the fungal diversity. Moreover, both acid rain and understory vegetation removal enhanced the bacterial community deterministic processes and destabilized the community by shifting generalists toward specialists, but had no significant effect on the fungal community structure. Partial least squares path modeling revealed that the bacterial stability loss intensified the C limitation, while the fungal stability regulated the P limitation. Collectively, the findings highlighted the critical role of understory vegetation in buffering the soil microclimate and nutrient cycling, and demonstrated that bacterial communities are more responsive to acid rain and understory vegetation removal than fungal communities. This study provides insights into the mechanisms by which anthropogenic disturbances alter soil ecological functions in subtropical plantations, emphasizing the need for integrated forest management strategies to conserve and manage soil ecosystems in subtropical plantations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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22 pages, 4239 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

How Natural Regeneration After Severe Disturbance Affects Ecosystem Services Provision of Andean Forest Soils at Contrasting Timescales

by Juan Ortiz, Marcelo Panichini, Pablo Neira, Carlos Henríquez-Castillo, Rocio E. Gallardo Jara, Rodrigo Rodriguez, Ana Mutis, Camila Ramos, Winfred Espejo, Ramiro Puc-Kauil, Erik Zagal, Neal Stolpe, Mauricio Schoebitz, Marco Sandoval and Francis Dube

Forests 2025, 16(3), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030456 - 4 Mar 2025

Viewed by 888

Abstract

Chile holds ~50% of temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere, thus constituting a genetic–ecological heritage. However, intense anthropogenic pressures have been inducing distinct forest structural-regeneration patterns. Accordingly, we evaluated 22 soil properties at 0–5 and 5–20 cm depths in two protected sites, with similar perturbation records but contrasting post-disturbance regeneration stages: long-term secondary forest (~50 y) (SEC_FORST) (dominated by Chusquea sp.-understory) and a short-term forest after disturbance (~5 y) (FAD_IST) within a Nothofagus spp. forest to determine the potential of these soils to promote nutrient availability, water cycling, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration (CO₂→SOC), and microbiome. Results detected 93 correlations (r ≥ 0.80); however, no significant differences (p < 0.05) in physical or chemical properties, except for infiltration velocity (+27.97%), penetration resistance (−23%), SOC (+5.64%), and % Al saturation (+5.64%) relative to SEC_FORST, and a consistent trend of suitable values 0–5 > 5–20 cm were estimated. The SOC→CO₂ capacity reached 4.2 ± 0.5 (FAD_IST) and 2.7 ± 0.2 Mg C y⁻¹ (SEC_FORST) and only microbial abundance shifts were observed. These findings provide relevant insights on belowground resilience, evidenced by similar ecosystem services provision capacities over time, which may be influenced progressively by opportunistic Chusquea sp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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21 pages, 4874 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Soil Microbial Communities in Extreme Arid Deserts to Different Long-Term Management Methods

by Yulin Zhang, Yi Du, Zhaobin Mu, Waqar Islam, Fanjiang Zeng, Zhihao Zhang and Norela C. T. Gonzalez

Forests 2025, 16(2), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020306 - 10 Feb 2025

Viewed by 787

Abstract

(1) Background: As population growth accelerates, unsustainable practices such as excessive cutting and burning of desert plants in the transition zones between deserts and oases have led to widespread vegetation loss. (2) Methods: The experiment was conducted in the oasis transition zone on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert from 2010 to 2023 year. Among the treatments included a control group (CK), cutting in spring (CS), cutting in fall (CF), burning in spring (BS), and flood water irrigation (FI). We used high-throughput sequencing to determine soil microbial composition and diversity and routine laboratory methods to determine soil physical and chemical properties and enzyme activities. (3) Results: No significant differences in bacterial alpha diversity (Chao1, Dominance, Observed_features, Pielou_e, Shannon, and Simpson) across the different long-term disturbance patterns. In fungi, the CK treatment showed significantly higher Chao1, Shannon, and Observed_features indices compared to BS and FI. Principal component analysis revealed a substantial reduction in bacterial community diversity in BS compared to FI, while fungal communities were lower in CK and CS compared to BS, CF, and FI; (4) Conclusions: Soil moisture content, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, and the activity of the enzyme cellobiohydrolase as key factors shaping the bacterial community. For fungi, organic carbon and the β-1,4-glucosidase enzyme were the main drivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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16 pages, 4093 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Alleviating Microbial Carbon Limitation in Pinus armandii Forests Through Panax notoginseng Cultivation

by Rui Rui, Jingying Hei, Yue Li, Xiaoli Wan, Shu Wang and Xiahong He

Forests 2025, 16(1), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010158 - 16 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 632

Abstract

The cultivation of Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) within the Pinus armandii forest understory has been widely promoted in Yunnan, China. However, relatively little is known about how Sanqi cultivation influences microbial metabolic limitations and their driving factors in P. armandii ecosystems in terms of soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) and stoichiometry (EES). In this study, we established monoculture P. armandii (MPA) and Sanqi–P. armandii agroforestry (SPA) systems to investigate microbial resource limitations in P. armandii soils over 12 months (semi-monthly sampling). Sanqi cultivation decreased EEAs in P. armandii soils in the SPA system. Moreover, the vector length in both the bulk and rhizosphere soils of P. armandii decreased significantly from 1.31 to 1.12 and 1.29 to 1.21, respectively, indicating a decrease in the microbial C limitation of P. armandii soils. A vector angle < 45° in both systems revealed that N, rather than P, predominantly restricted microbial metabolism. The most influential factors affecting vector length and angle were Sanqi cultivation and seasonal dynamics. Structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that fungi-to-bacteria ratios and soil chemical properties were direct factors positively affecting vector length. Overall, our findings suggest that Sanqi cultivation benefited soil microorganisms in P. armandii soils and should be encouraged to supply N to promote the sustainable development of P. armandii. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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17 pages, 2783 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enzyme Activity Stoichiometry Suggests That Fertilization, Especially Nitrogen Fertilization, Alleviates Nutrient Limitation of Soil Microorganisms in Moso Bamboo Forests

by Haoyu Chu, Wenhui Su, Yaqi Zhou, Ziye Wang, Yongmei Long, Yutong Sun and Shaohui Fan

Forests 2024, 15(6), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15061040 - 16 Jun 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1621

Abstract

Rational application of N fertilizer is essential for maintaining the long-term productivity of Moso bamboo forests. Microbial activity is a crucial indicator of soil quality. Changes in soil nutrient resources due to N addition can lead to microbial nutrient limitations, thereby impeding the maintenance of soil quality. Currently, there is limited research on the effects of N application on microbial nutrient limitations in Moso bamboo forest soils. To examine the changes in extracellular enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitations in Moso bamboo forest soils following N application, we conducted an N application experiment in northern Guizhou. The findings revealed that the N3 treatment (726 kg·N·hm⁻²·yr⁻¹) significantly reduced β-glucosidase (BG) activity by 27.61% compared to the control group (no fertilization). The N1 (242 kg·N·hm⁻²·yr⁻¹), N2 (484 kg·N·hm⁻²·yr⁻¹), and N3 treatments notably increased the activities of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase (NAG) by 11.45% to 15.79%. Acid phosphatase (ACP) activity remained unaffected by fertilization. N application treatments significantly decreased the C:Ne and C:Pe ratios, while the N:Pe ratio was less influenced by N fertilizer application. Scatter plots and vector characteristics of enzyme activity stoichiometry suggested that microorganisms in the study area were limited by C and N, and N fertilizer application reduced the vector length and increased the vector angle, indicating that N application alleviated the C and N limitation of microorganisms in Moso bamboo forests. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) demonstrated that microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) was the most critical factor affecting extracellular enzyme activity and stoichiometry. Furthermore, Random Forest Regression analysis identified MBP and the N:Pm ratio as the most significant factors influencing microbial C and N limitation, respectively. The study demonstrated that N application modulates the microbial nutrient acquisition strategy by altering soil nutrient resources in Moso bamboo forests. Formulating fertilizer application strategies based on microbial nutrient requirements is more beneficial for maintaining soil quality and sustainably managing Moso bamboo forests. Additionally, our study offers a theoretical reference for understanding carbon cycling in bamboo forest ecosystems in the context of substantial N inputs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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Review

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26 pages, 1977 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Forest Soil Microbiomes: A Review of Key Research from 2003 to 2023

by Aurelia Onet, Paola Grenni, Cristian Onet, Vlad Stoian and Vlad Crisan

Forests 2025, 16(1), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010148 - 15 Jan 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1901

Abstract

Forests have a key role in mitigating both non-biological and biological ecological disturbances. However, major disturbances (soil pollution, shift from native forest species to exoticones, forested watersheds and climate changes) can have different impacts on a forest’s soil microbiome. Because the soil microbial community of forests has a key role in a variety of ecosystem services that promote the forest’s health, this review tries to answer the following questions: (i) Which are the main ecological disturbances that drive the responses of the forest soil microbiome? (ii) How can we measure these changes? For this aim, the review summarizes details on the tree vegetation type, the microbial communities in forest ecosystems, and the mutual influence between plants, soil, and microbiomes. Microbial communities are shaped by factors such as soil type and composition, plant and vegetation types, nutrient levels and soil fertility, disturbance patterns, symbiotic associations, biotic interactions, and the progression of forest succession. Anthropogenic activities produce a rapid response in the microbial communities, leading to both short- and long-term alterations. Harvesting processes reduce drastically the microbiome diversity, forcing a shift from specialized to more generalist microorganisms. Restoration scenarios indicate a re-establishment of microbial communities to a level similar to the native forest, but with a high percentage of replaced native microorganisms. This review emphasizes that the forest soil microbiome is shaped by a range of environmental, ecological, and biotic factors. The primary drivers of the soil microbiome in forest ecosystems discussed in this review include soil composition and nutrient availability, plant community structure, microbial interactions within the soil, disturbances, succession, and temporal dynamics. When considered together, these factors interact in complex ways, influencing the diversity, function, and resilience of the soil microbiome in forest ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?)

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