Fungal diversity, woody debris, and wood decomposition in managed and unmanaged Patagonian Nothofagus pumilio forests

A L Gallo,P López Bernal,P V Silva,A S Moretto,A G Greslebin

doi:10.1007/s11557-021-01734-4

Abstract

Fungal diversity, woody debris, and wood decomposition in managed and unmanaged Patagonian Nothofagus pumilio forests

Highlights

Biodiversity influences the way in which ecosystems function (Loreau et al 2001), but how ecosystem functioning and biodiversity are related is still poorly understood
Based on previous works that reported that wood-inhabiting fungi are very sensitive to forest structure and, that forest management alters the fungal community (Juutilainen et al 2014; Persiani et al 2016), we expected differences in fungal diversity, and possibly in woody debris mass loss, between Nothofagus pumilio forests that had been subjected to forestry and those that had not
We found no significant differences in aphyllophoroid abundance or diversity, and none of the structural and/or microclimatic variables of the forest significantly contributed to the modeling of fungal diversity in relation to forest management

Summary

Introduction

Biodiversity influences the way in which ecosystems function (Loreau et al 2001), but how ecosystem functioning and biodiversity are related is still poorly understood. Understanding how biodiversity and decomposition are related is extremely important to forest conservation and sustainable management. In forest ecosystems, the decomposition of wood is an essential and complex process regulated by different factors: environmental conditions, decomposer organisms, and wood traits. Their relative importance may change over time, during the different stages of this process (Weedon et al 2009). There is a general consensus that macronutrients, in particular nitrogen and phosphorus, are key factors in woody material decomposition (Weedon et al 2009)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion