Successional changes in soil, litter and macroinvertebrate parameters following selective logging in a Mexican Cloud Forest

Authors: Negrete-Yankelevich, S., Fragoso, C., Newton, A.C. and Heal, O.W.

Journal: Applied Soil Ecology

Volume: 35

Issue: 2

Pages: 340-355

ISSN: 0929-1393

DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2006.07.006

Abstract:

The environmental and vegetation shifts associated with logging disturbance and secondary succession in Tropical Montane Cloud Forests have been studied in detail, however little is known about the consequences that these changes have for the soil system. The present study was undertaken to determine the impact of selective logging and subsequent secondary succession on soil microenvironmental conditions, leaf litter quality and quantity, soil nutrient concentration and soil and litter macroinvertebrate community composition. The study was carried out in three successional chronosequences, two recently logged sites and two pristine tropical mountain cloud forest sites in Oaxaca, Mexico. Results showed that selective harvesting of Quercus spp. trees caused an increase in soil temperature of ca. 4 °C that is not completely reversed after 100 years of succession. During 100 years of secondary succession litter diversity increased and soil organic matter accumulated (16.4% increase in total C). The availability of cations (Ca, Mg, Na, and K) in the topsoil decreased by more than 50% as a result of logging, and only Mg increased again between 75 and 100 years after disturbance. Pristine cloud forests sustain a diverse litter and soil macroinvertebrate community, but its composition and diversity was negatively affected by logging. The effect of Quercus harvesting activities on the litter community was apparent within 2 months of disturbance (total abundance declined by ca. 65%, higher taxa richness by ca. 10% and diversity by ca. 35%). For the soil community there was a time-lag in the effect of logging. Two months after disturbance there was no significant effect on the soil community but 15 years after abandonment, total macroinvertebrate abundance in the soil was ca. 80% lower and higher taxa richness ca. 30% lower compared to undisturbed sites. Full recovery of the macroinvertebrate community composition appeared to take more than 100 years both in the litter and soil. Reduced abundances of Coleoptera and Enchytraeidae were apparent even after 100 years of succession. The endemic earthworm Ramiellona wilsoni was found almost exclusively in the pristine forests and therefore its abundance could be used as a sensitive indicator of disturbance in these forests. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source: Scopus

Preferred by: Adrian Newton

Successional changes in soil, litter and macroinvertebrate parameters following selective logging in a Mexican Cloud Forest

Authors: Negrete-Yankelevich, S., Fragoso, C., Newton, A.C. and Heal, O.W.

Journal: APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY

Volume: 35

Issue: 2

Pages: 340-355

ISSN: 0929-1393

DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2006.07.006

Source: Web of Science (Lite)