Effects of Thinning and Induced Drought on Microbiological Soil Properties and Plant Species Diversity at Dry and Semiarid Locations
| Autor: | Javier Hedo de Santiago, M. Andrés-Abellán, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Jorge de las Heras, Consuelo Wic-Baena |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Thinning Soil biodiversity Ecology Soil texture fungi food and beverages Soil Science Plant community 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Development 01 natural sciences Agronomy Forest ecology 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental Chemistry Environmental science Plant cover Species richness Soil fertility 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science |
| Zdroj: | Land Degradation & Development. 27:1151-1162 |
| ISSN: | 1085-3278 |
| Popis: | Soil properties and plant species diversity are key elements of forest ecosystem functioning and are affected directly by climate change. The aim of this work was to study plant species diversity, physicochemical and soil microbiological properties and enzymatic activities after induced drought conditions and thinning at semiarid (Calasparra) and dry (Yeste) Pinus halepensis Mill. forest stands. Different plots affected by a wildfire event 17 years ago, with or without thinning 5 years after the fire event, were selected. A 15% rainfall reduction over 3 years was also carried out. Physicochemical soil properties (soil texture, pH, carbonates, total organic carbon, electrical conductivity and total N and P), soil enzymes (urease, phosphatase, β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities), carbon mineralisation and soil microbial biomass carbon were analysed in the selected study areas. Shannon and Simpson indices were calculated, and total plant cover and plant species richness were evaluated. The results showed no differences in microbiological soil properties and soil enzyme activities when comparing thinned and unthinned plots; conversely, plant species diversity indices were affected by thinning. Induced drought affected only total cover and species richness, which were lower at Yeste. Significant site variation was also observed in soil properties, species richness and total plant cover, as opposed to the plant species diversity indices. We conclude that soil properties recover in the midterm after thinning activities, and they resist against a 15% rainfall reduction under potential climate change conditions remaining steady after induced drought. The plant community presents different responses to drought depending on the experimental site. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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