Effects of wood ash on the soil properties and fungal community structure in a beech forest in Poland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine how wood-ash fertilization affects the basic properties of soil, including the pH and the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus stoichiometric, and, consequently, the microbial activity, including the abundance and composition of the soil fungi. The studied plots were amended using 3, 4.5 and 6 t of wood ash per hectare, with control plots with no added wood ash also being designated. Analyses of the main physicochemical properties of the soils, enzymatic activity and microbial biomass of C and N were performed two years after the addition of the wood ash. The fungal communities were investigated using next-generation sequencing technology. We found that the use of wood ash increased the soil pH over a short time, with the highest dose having the strongest effect, and increased the abundance of nutrients, which in turn increased the microbiological activity. The addition of wood ash to the soil was also important in shaping the composition of the fungi.