Factors influence on humus forming in Castelporziano Reserve, Mediterranean forest ecosystem

Abstract

This contribution aimed to underline the relationship between humus forms, vegetation types and wild mammals disturbance in a Mediterranean forest ecosystem: Castelporziano Presidential Reserve- CPR (Rome, Italy). Humus forms were surveyed along a transect from coast to inland in five forest plant associations representative of evergreen and deciduous forests in the Reserve. The organic carbon-OC and other parameters (pH, Ntot, Moisture) were evaluated in the humus form horizons in the five associations to focus differences in the ecosystem functioning. Principal Component Analysis-PCA was performed on a floristic matrix of 113 plant species×32 relevés and Pearson correlation test was applied to the PCA axes coordinates versus 38 factors, among which 36 measured in the soil and two indicators of disturbance.This integrated study between soil and vegetation highlighted four main points: classification and functioning of the humus forms, ecological gradients, wild mammals impact, organic carbon storage.