Wildfires’ Effect on Soil Properties and Bacterial Biodiversity of Postpyrogenic Histic Podzols (Middle Taiga, Komi Republic)
Data on the main properties of Histic Podzols in the pine forests of semi-hydromorphic landscapes in the middle taiga of the Komi Republic after forest fires are presented. A decrease in topsoil horizon thickness by more than 7.6 times, an increase in litter density by 6 times, and a decrease in lit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/145 |
| Summary: | Data on the main properties of Histic Podzols in the pine forests of semi-hydromorphic landscapes in the middle taiga of the Komi Republic after forest fires are presented. A decrease in topsoil horizon thickness by more than 7.6 times, an increase in litter density by 6 times, and a decrease in litter stock by 4 times were observed in postfire soil. There was an increase in carbon content in the pyrogenic horizon (48%) and in the upper part of the podzolic horizon—from 0.49 at the control plot to 1.16% after the fire. The accumulation of all studied trace metals (Cu—from 2.5 to 6.8 mg × kg<sup>−1</sup>; Zn—from 35.7 to 127.4 mg × kg<sup>−1</sup>; Ni—from 2.2 to 8.1 mg × kg<sup>−1</sup>; Pb—from 1.4 to 28.3 mg × kg<sup>−1</sup>; Cd—from 0.3 to 1.1 mg × kg<sup>−1</sup>) in soils after wildfires was recorded. The effect of the fire can be traced to a depth of approximately 20–30 cm. A significant influence of the pyrogenic factor on the alpha and beta bacterial diversity was noted. The bacterial response to a forest fire can be divided into an increased proportion of spore-forming and Gram-negative species with complex metabolism as well. |
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| ISSN: | 1999-4907 |