Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Applied Soil Ecology, cilt.184, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.Low-intensity prescribed fire has significant influences on the community structure and biodiversity of the soil. The recovery rate of microarthropods following a fire is not well understood. The present study focused on the effects of prescribed fire on the biological quality of soil, using the QBS-ar (The Soil Biological Quality-arthropods) index, the recovery rate and community structure of microarthropods with the Shannon diversity index. The study was conducted in a pure oak stand (Quercus frainetto Ten.), and treatment sites were burned in the autumn with low-intensity prescribed fire following heavy litterfall. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that fire treatments resulted in significant increases in soil pH (5.1 %), as well as significant decreases in microarthropod density (72.2 %), the number of taxa (37.1 %), Shannon diversity (H) (8.4 %), and soil biological quality (QBS-ar) (43.2 %). The density of microarthropods was also correlated with some soil parameters (soil temperature, moisture, pH, and nitrogen). Following the fire, the recovery rate of each soil microarthropod was different each other; Mesostigmata and Prostigmata recovered faster than Oribatid mites. Other microarthropod taxa, such as Isotomidae and Protura, had a slow recovery. Linear mixed-effects model showed that monitoring of Entomobryidae, Hypogastruridae, Isotomidae, Mesostigmata, Onychiuridae, Oribatida, Prostigmata, Protura, Tomoceridae taxa after a fire may contribute to determine soil ecosystem recovery. Microarthropods recovered their community structures quickly one year after the fire. It also demonstrated that microarthropods and the QBS-ar index can be used to monitor the ecosystem of the soil recovery following low-intensity prescribed fire.