Section: Monitoring of natural and anthropogenically disturbed areas
Data on microbiological properties of podzolic soils (Retisols) in the first three years after logging that were exposed to heavy wheeled logging equipment are presented. The study was conducted on different technogenic logging plots: apiary plot (A) and trails (3P – three passes of logging equipment, 10P – ten passes, 10R – ten passes by leveling). Microbial biomass carbon (Cmic=MB) and microbial CO2 production rate (basal respiration, BR) were determined by the substrate-induced respiration method (SIR). MB content in the initial forest ranged from 24 to 815 µgC/g soil, and BR values ranged from 0.3 to 32.5 µg C-CO2/g/h. The apiary plot shows a gradual increase in MB content up to 2–14 times higher than the original forest over three years. In mineral horizons its values are maximum in the first year (80 µgC/g soil), then they decrease by eight times. There is a significant decrease in microbial carbon up to seven times in the first two years, followed by a sharp increase in the third year after logging in skidding trails. The share of Сmiс in the soil organic carbon of the studied soils ranged from 0.01 to 2.57%. The highest values of this parameter were detected in the mineral horizons of soils of the skidding trails. The share of Сmiс to water-soluble organic soil carbon is greater than that to the total carbon. It can be stated that in the modified soils of young clearcuts there is intensive accumulation of microbial carbon especially in carbon of water-soluble compounds in the third year after logging.
ISSN 1995-4301
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