Abstract
The Curonian Spit (Lithuanian: Kursiu nerija) is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. The Curonian Spit is home to the highest moving (drifting) sand dunes in Europe. Coniferous woods are prevalent in the Kursiu Nerija National Park (80%). These woods consist mostly of native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and alien mountain pine (Pinus mugo L.). With the planting of non-native species, there is a need for studies evaluating the effects of alien and native plant species on soil ecosystem properties. We measured soil microbial communities from nearby pairs of native and alien pine species. Forty-two sampling sites of close-growing P. sylvestris and P. mugo were selected. To measure the soil microbial activity in these sites, we used Biolog EcoPlates. We found that the functional diversity of microorganisms that use carbon sources was significantly greater in the mature pine stands. Microbial functional diversity was also greater in the soils of native pine stands. Differences between activity and functional diversity in newly established and old stands were also identified.
Highlights
The Curonian Spit is a unique sandy and wooded landscape
The results show that in the pine stands, microorganism activity based on the use separate carbon compound groups (AA, A, P, PC, CH, and CA) were studied with regard to pine of organic compounds in the soil mostly depended on pine stand age
The results show that in the pine stands, microorganism activity based on the use these studies with previously published observations, we can on highlight that age
Summary
The Curonian Spit is a unique sandy and wooded landscape. The spit was formed by sea, wind, and human activities. Many researches have been undertaken on adaptation to the existing environment; alien plants can affect native plant communities, reduce their diversity and abundance, and alter the functions and structures of ecosystems These changes occur because alien plants differ from native plant species in terms of size, fitness, growth rate, physiology, leaf area, and shoot distribution. How native and alien pines affect the activity and functional diversity of soil microorganisms in the Curonian Spit has not previously been studied. Considering that alien plants affect their surrounding environment, we decided to examine how microbial community activity and functional diversity can change in soil depending on the species of pine and their age. We describe the results of the EcoPlate method as used to compare changes in the microbial communities and metabolic diversity in native and alien pine stand soils. We attempted to answer the following questions: (1) Do different pine species have different effects on the activity and functional diversity of microorganisms in the soil? (2) Do the activity and functional diversity of microorganisms depend on the age of the pine forest? (3) Do the activity and functional diversity of microorganisms differ in the soils of young pine forests planted on forest land and in sand where there has not previously been any forest?
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