Fungal community development in the soils of a mixed temperate forest reflects harvesting intensity following gap felling and selective cutting

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Awokunle Hollá, Sandra ; Brabcová, Vendula ; Raimbault, Alexandre ; Müller, Jörg ; Bässler, Claus ; Baldrian, Petr:
Fungal community development in the soils of a mixed temperate forest reflects harvesting intensity following gap felling and selective cutting.
In: Forest Ecology and Management. Bd. 608 (2026) . - 123593.
ISSN 0378-1127
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123593

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Abstract

Forestry is crucial to the global economy, but its impact on ecosystems—especially under rising CO₂ and climate change—prompts investigation of different tree harvesting methods to ensure long-term forest ecosystem sustainability and preserve its biodiversity. We compared the effects of gap felling and selective cutting in a Before-After-Control-Impact design of 18 patches of 30 m x 30 m on fungal community development over 3 years after cutting implementation in a tree species-rich temperate forest containing both ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species. Fungal biomass and community composition were monitored before tree harvesting and then over three consecutive years. Gap felling led to a 30–50 % increase in soil moisture and an approximately 50 % decline in fungal biomass. The share of EcM fungi dropped from 29 % to less than 2 %, while the share of saprotrophs and plant pathogens increased and their species composition has changed. In contrast, selective cutting caused only moderate, short-term changes: an initial EcM reduction was followed by recovery to levels comparable with nonharvested plots. By focusing on a diverse mixed AM–EcM forest, our study extends previous findings from monocultures and EcM-dominated systems and demonstrates that management causes contrasting patterns of fungal response. Overall, our experimental results suggest that aggregated removal of trees via gap felling, clear cuts or even by stand replacing disturbances profoundly restructures fungal communities and alters soil conditions, whereas selective cutting maintains biomass, community stability, and supports belowground ecosystem functions, having the potential to serve as a fungal-sustainable forest management practice.