Functional Diversity of Soil Microbial Community after Conversion of a Chestnut Forest to an Agricultural System

Riccardo Scotti,Massimo Zaccardelli,Paola Iovieno

doi:10.3390/agriculture11010043

Abstract

In the National park of Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni (South Italy), a portion of a chestnut forest was converted in 2012 into an agricultural system in order to crop a local variety of bean. We investigated the effect over time of the conversion on the functional diversity of the soil microbial community by two different approaches: the catabolic response profile, based on the short time CO2 evolution induced by 25 simple organic substrates and the Biolog community level physiological profile (CLPP), based on the growth of microorganisms on 31 different substrates. The soils were sampled at 13, 17, 29, 41 and 49 months after the soil use change. The results showed that the soil use change did not produce evident modifications of the substrate utilization patterns, but rather a general decrease in the activity in the agricultural soils, as a consequence of the reduction in organic matter content. The results also showed seasonal effects on the substrate utilization profiles and on the calculated functional diversity indexes. The two approaches appeared to be complementary: Degens catabolic response profile was more able to discriminate between the two systems, whereas the Biolog was more able to highlight the variability among samplings.

Highlights

Forests cover roughly 30% of the world’s land area [1]
We investigated the effect over time of the conversion on the functional diversity of the soil microbial community by two different approaches: the catabolic response profile, based on the short time CO2 evolution induced by 25 simple organic substrates and the Biolog community level physiological profile (CLPP), based on the growth of microorganisms on 31 different substrates
The results showed that the soil use change did not produce evident modifications of the substrate utilization patterns, but rather a general decrease in the activity in the agricultural soils, as a consequence of the reduction in organic matter content

Summary

Introduction

Forests cover roughly 30% of the world’s land area [1] Besides their intrinsic beauty, they are a major provider of various vital components of a healthy and functioning Earth. They are a major provider of various vital components of a healthy and functioning Earth They host 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and contain approximately 80% of the global terrestrial aboveground and 40% of the world’s belowground carbon stocks [2]. They are an essential source of timber, food, medicine, fibers and shelter. Deforestation occurs most concentrated in tropical rainforests [7], which are disappearing at a rate of about 13 million hectares per year (approximately the size of Greece)

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion