Effects of historical logging on soil microbial communities in a subtropical forest in southern China

Abstract

Gaining a better understanding of the legacy effects of logging and forest restoration on soil microbial communities could improve our ability to conserve biodiversity and promote ecosystem sustainability. Herein, we investigated how soil microbial community is linked to natural, restored, and planted forests and the legacies of historical forest. Soil microbial biomass and composition were measured in four forest types (i.e., primary forest, once-clearcut forest, twice-logged forest, and plantation forest) and related to physico-chemical soil properties and forest community structure data by using analysis of covariance. Fungal, bacterial, and total microbial biomass measured by phospholipid fatty acid profiles were significantly lower in the two secondary forests and the plantation than in the primary forest. The conversion of vegetation and soil regimes due to forest logging altered microbial communities. Our findings elucidate the correlation of plant communities and soil characteristics to soil microbial communities in the context of subtropical forest management. Naturally restored and planted forests may affect soil microorganisms largely by directly modifying the soil labile C and N fractions of organic matter.