Dystric Cambisol properties at windthrow sites with secondary succession developed after 12 years under different conditions in Tatra National Park

Abstract

Natural or anthropogenic disturbances in the forest ecosystem alter ecological conditions and lead to shifts in microbial diversity. We focused on the topsoil properties of specific sites in Tatra National Park (Slovakia) that were affected by windthrow, wildfire and wood extraction. We analyzed soil organic matter content (SOM), dry weight (DW), enzymatic activity including dehydrogenase activity (DHA), fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDH) and phosphomonoesterase (PME). Bacterial community profiles were analyzed using the PCR-DGGE approach, and Ellenberg’s indicator values (EIV) were used as eco-indices of studied sites. Dystric Cambisol was sampled at sites distinguished by management approaches established after windthrow in 2004 and wildfire in 2005. We focused on the windthrow site where wooden debris was extracted (EXT); the site left for self-recovery with no intervention (NEX); the site affected by wildfire (FIR), a former reference site damaged by the windstorm in 2014 followed by the extraction of wooden debris (REX), and a non-affected reference spruce stand (REF). The windthrow sites with different management (EXT, NEX) showed relative similarities based on enzymatic activity, bacterial community profiling (85%) and EIV comparison. The FIR site exhibited no similarities (0%) with EXT and NEX in the bacterial community structure. The SOM content correlated only with PME (r2 = 0.42) and soil moisture (r2 = 0.64). Based on RDA analysis, certain EIVs seem to be suitable indicators of selected soil properties. The lack of differences between NEX and EXT could be caused by the diminishing of post-disturbance effects on microbial communities. The effect of wildfire on microbial activity and bacterial community structure seems to be longer than different management approach.