Journal
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
Volume 68, Issue -, Pages 10-19Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2013.03.005
Keywords
Soil functional diversity; Microbial activity; Plant diversity; Natural forest
Categories
Funding
- Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-0580-10]
- Centre of Excellence Adaptive Forest Ecosystems [ITMS: 26220120006]
- Research and Development Operational Programme
- ERDF
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Changes of soil microbial community caused by the heterogeneity of abiotic and biotic environment were studied in the reserve Dobroc, Slovakia. Data on vegetation, microclimate, soil properties and microbial activity were collected on two linear transects crossing both the core of the reserve and the buffer zone. In contrast to expectations, the variation of most environmental variables was comparable or even higher in the buffer zone than in the old-growth forest. Beta diversity was much higher in the natural forest, which coincided with differentiation patterns of trees and understory plants. Mantel correlations between microbial community indicators and environmental variables showed that soil chemistry and vegetation diversity were the most important determinants of microbial activity. Redundance analysis of microbial data identified potassium content, plant richness and influence of fir as the drivers of functional group composition. Inconsistency of correlations of microbial community characteristics with environmental variables indicates that different processes associated with the demography and functions of microbiota are driven by different environmental factors. Amount and variety of substrates available for decomposition seems to influence microbial community more than microclimate. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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