Sicoe, S.I.; Crainic, G.C.; Samuel, A.D.; Bodog, M.F.; Iovan, C.I.; Curilă, S.; Hâruța, I.O.; Șerban, E.; Dorog, L.S.; Sabău, N.C. Analysis of the Effects of Windthrows on the Microbiological Properties of the Forest Soils and Their Natural Regeneration. Forests2023, 14, 1200.
Sicoe, S.I.; Crainic, G.C.; Samuel, A.D.; Bodog, M.F.; Iovan, C.I.; Curilă, S.; Hâruța, I.O.; Șerban, E.; Dorog, L.S.; Sabău, N.C. Analysis of the Effects of Windthrows on the Microbiological Properties of the Forest Soils and Their Natural Regeneration. Forests 2023, 14, 1200.
Sicoe, S.I.; Crainic, G.C.; Samuel, A.D.; Bodog, M.F.; Iovan, C.I.; Curilă, S.; Hâruța, I.O.; Șerban, E.; Dorog, L.S.; Sabău, N.C. Analysis of the Effects of Windthrows on the Microbiological Properties of the Forest Soils and Their Natural Regeneration. Forests2023, 14, 1200.
Sicoe, S.I.; Crainic, G.C.; Samuel, A.D.; Bodog, M.F.; Iovan, C.I.; Curilă, S.; Hâruța, I.O.; Șerban, E.; Dorog, L.S.; Sabău, N.C. Analysis of the Effects of Windthrows on the Microbiological Properties of the Forest Soils and Their Natural Regeneration. Forests 2023, 14, 1200.
Abstract
Windthrows in the forestry fund, which have become more frequent due to the increase in extreme weather events, have had and continue to have negative economic and ecological effects, making them a pressing issue in forestry research. Their urgency has been amplified in light of the need to develop sustainable forest management systems. The main objectives of this study are to evaluate the effects of windthrows on some microbiological properties of forest soils and to monitor the evolution of the degraded tree regeneration, 4 years after the event, for three tree species: Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The experimental plot used is arranged in dispersed blocks and subdivided plots, with three repetitions, bifactorial, factor A representing the tree species, and factor B the windthrows: in two situations: affected (AW) and not affected by felling (WW). Three representative soil profiles were studied for each tree species, including dehydrogenase activity (DA) and the number of fungi (NF) in the organic horizon at the soil surface. Dehydrogenase activity was determined by the extraction of triphenylformazan, and NF was evaluated using the Plate Count Method (Petri plates) and the Sabouraud Agar culture medium. The values of Current Dehydrogenase Activity (CDA) and Potential Dehydrogenase Activity (PDA) did not show significant statistical differences in relation to the windthrow factor, but were distinctly significant (p < 0.01) for the tree species factor. On the other hand, NF showed statistical significance for both tree species and windthrows factors, at a level of p < 0.01. Correlations were highlighted between the differences in AW and WW of CDA, PDA, and NF with the number of naturally regenerated seedlings (NRS), and the type of soil. The regressions established between NRS and the differences in CDA and PDA, the dependence of the differences in PDA on the differences in NF, and the regression between the differences in NF and the type of soil demonstrate the importance of soil characteristics in the natural regeneration process of the main tree species - Norway spruce, sessile oak, and European beech. Stimulating NRS in AW forests and increasing the volume of terrestrial organic carbon (TOC) biomass is directly dependent on soil fertility, primarily determined by soil organic carbon (SOC), which accumulates in the soil as a result of organic matter, deposited on the surface. Sustainable forest management of AW plots should stimulate the accumulation of SOC, including the partial or total preservation of dead trees, provided that the attack of specific diseases and pests is avoided.
Keywords
windthrow; organic Carbon; dehydrogenase activity; number of fungi; natural regeneration
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Forestry
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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