RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Prescribed burning in spring or autumn did not affect the soil fungal community in Mediterranean Pinus nigra natural forests
A1 Vázquez Veloso, Aitor
A1 Dejene, Tatek
A1 Oria de Rueda Salgueiro, Juan Andrés
A1 Guijarro, Mercedes
A1 Hernando, Carmen
A1 Espinosa Prieto, Juncal
A1 Madrigal, Javier
A1 Martín Pinto, Pablo
K1 Global change
K1 Cambio global
K1 Prescribed burning
K1 Quemas prescritas
K1 Pinus nigra
K1 Fungal communities
K1 Comunidades fúngicas
AB In the context of global change, wildfires are not only a threat but are also increasing in their severity in forest ecosystems worldwide, affecting and modifying vegetation, wildlife, and fungal dynamics. Mediterranean ecosystems are frequently affected by fire and prescribed burning is being increasingly used as a tool to reduce the risk and severity of wildfires. Although some of the effects of prescribed burning have been studied, the best moment to perform a prescribed burn to reduce the impact of fire on fungal communities has not been fully investigated. In this study, we analysed the effect of prescribed burning in two different seasons (spring and autumn) on soil fungi associated with natural Pinus nigra forests. Four years after prescribed burning was applied, our analyses showed that the total fungal richness and the composition of fungal communities in spring-burned, autumn-burned, and unburned control plots did not differ significantly. However, analyses of specific phyla and functional trophic groups did reveal some significant differences between spring- or autumn-burned plots and unburned control plots. Valuable edible fungi, which were not affected by the prescribed burning, were also found in the study area. Thus, our results suggest that prescribed burning is not only an interesting tool that could be used to reduce the risk of wildfire but also is compatible with the conservation of fungal communities, and could even promote specific valuable edible species, generating complementary incomes for the rural population. Although further studies are needed, our analyses suggest that the season (spring or autumn) in which prescribed burning is performed does not affect fungal conservation and, therefore, does not need to be one of the factors taken into consideration when selecting the most appropriate time to perform a prescribed burning.
PB Elsevier
SN 0378-1127
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/52510
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/52510
LA eng
NO Forest Ecology and Management, 2022,  vol. 512, 120161
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 15-ene-2025