PARENT SESSION
Contributed Oral Session 7: Disturbance Ecology: Fire; Litter; Animal response
Monday, August 8, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Room 518 A, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Microbial ecology in disturbed pine forest ecosystem: Wildfire effects on microbial biomass and diversity.
Mabuhay, Jhonamie*,1, Isagi, Yuji1, Nakagoshi, Nobukazu1, 1 Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
ABSTRACT- This study aimed to determine microbial biomass carbon and diversity at three topographic positions (ridge, middle slope and valley bottom) at varying periods after the occurrence of wildfire. It is the aim of this study to enhance knowledge on the microbiological status of post-fire sites for a better estimate of success in restoration. Results showed that the biomass carbon and microbial diversity were affected by fire, in which the average of the burned plots was less than 50% of the level of the unburned plots. In addition, the biomass carbon at the sites studied 3 years after and 25 years after fire, and 4 months after and 9 years after fire, were not significantly different from each other. On the other hand, the site studied 4 months after fire showed the highest microbial diversity, followed by the ones studied 3, 25, 9, and then 6 years after fire. In terms of topographic positions, the ridge was shown to be the most affected by fire. These results show that fire can adversely affect the microbial biomass carbon and microbial diversity of the soil of which recovery may take a long time.
Key words: biomass carbon, microbial diversity, wildfire, topographic positions