Effect of forest harvesting and slash piling on microbial biomass and respiration in Newfoundland boreal forests

Abstract

Clearcutting Newfoundland boreal forests significantly reduced organic layer fungal and total microbial biomass in clearcut areas with and without slash cover, compared with forested plots. However, aerobically incubated respiration rates were highest in organic layers from clearcut areas under slash, intermediate under forests, and lowest from clearcut areas without slash. Key words: Carbon, ergosterol, fumigation–extraction, fungal biomass, harvest slash, nitrogen