Effects of preparation of clear‐cut forest sites on the soil mycobiota with consequences for Scots pine growth and health

Abstract

Abstract Fungal abundance and diversity were assessed in two differently managed forest soils. In soil 1, chipped woody debris had been spread on the top soil and mixed with the soil by standard deep ploughing to 50 cm. In soil 2, woody debris was removed and there was no ground preparation. Ten years later, the different methods of management resulted in unexpectedly distinctive habitat heterogeneity with a high variation in structure of the mycobiota communities. Incorporation of woody debris into soil resulted in lower abundance of fungi but greater fungal diversity (which may enhance ecosystem stability) and was beneficial for the growth of Scots pines. Removal of post‐harvest woody debris from the surface of the clear‐cut site with no subsequent ground preparation, compared with incorporating chipped debris and deep ploughing, resulted in the soil of the subsequent 10‐year‐old Scots pine plantation having: (a) 159‐fold greater abundance of fungi, (b) lower fungal diversity, (c) different fungal community composition, (d) higher proportion of mycorrhizal fungi, (e) no root rot pathogens, (f) less tree biomass. The study showed that removal of post‐harvest woody debris and no ground preparation is potentially beneficial for the health of young coniferous trees.