Journal article

Publication year: 2009

Pages: 272-278

Journal: Current Zoology

Volume number: 55

Issue number: 4

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/55.4.272

URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26628302_How_do_soil_fauna_and_soil_microbiota_respond_to_beech_forest_growth

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract: 

The dynamics and
performance of soil biota during forest rotation were studied in
monoculture beech stands forming a chronosequence of four different
age-classes(30,62,111,153 yr).Biomass was monitored in major groups of
microflora,microfauna,mesofauna,and macrofauna.Resource
availability(litter layer,soil organic mater),biomass of the two
dominant decomposer groups(microflora,earthworms)as well as the biomass
of mesofauna and microfauna were found to remain quite stable during
forest succession.Nevertheless,the marked increase of the biomasses of
primary decomposers(fungi,saprophagous macroinvertebrates)in the
62-year-old stand,followed by an increase of the biomasses of
macropredators in the 111-year-old stand,indicate substantial changes of
several components of edaphic communities during forest
development.However,constant values of soil respiration suggest that the
overall performance of the soil food web does not change during beech
forest succession.Thus,the decomposer system of lowland managed beech
forests on calcareous soils seems to be very stable over time.We suggest
that earthworm activity might have masked impacts of forest development
on other soil biota and led to an astounding stability of decomposer
assemblages during beech forest rotation. 

Harvard Citation style: Chauvat, M., Zaitsev, A., Gabriel, E. and Wolters, V. (2009) How do soil fauna and soil microbiota respond to beech forest growth?, Current Zoology, 55(4), pp. 272-278. https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/55.4.272

APA Citation style: Chauvat, M., Zaitsev, A., Gabriel, E., & Wolters, V. (2009). How do soil fauna and soil microbiota respond to beech forest growth?. Current Zoology. 55(4), 272-278. https://doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/55.4.272