Effects of forest harvesting in fungal colonization of lenga leaf litter decomposition in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

PANCOTTO V., ; A. MORETTO, ; M. CABELLO, ; L. ELIADES, ; R. MANSILLA, ; VRSALOVIC, J; J. ESCOBAR ; M. V. LENCINAS.

Bragança

Congreso; IUFRO Landscape Ecology International Conference; 2010

Impacts of shelter-wood cut on fungal biodiversity in Nothofagus pumilio (lenga) forests are little studied in Tierra del Fuego. Nothofagus pumilio is the most important timber species in the southern part of Patagonia. Our objective is to evaluate fungal colonization of lenga leaf litter in forests managed by shelter-wood cut. Three common situations were studied: 1) stockpiled and 2) shelter-wood harvested areas in forests harvested 1 year ago, and 3) undisturbed surrounding forest (control). Fungal biodiversity was assessed in collected litter-fall before filling litterbags and in litterbags after 253 days of decomposition in field. The richness of species was low: in the initial leaf litter, we identified 9 species; only 2 species were common with the 19 species found at 253 days. Stockpiled and harvested areas had more species and were more diverse than control (richness=10, 11 and 6 species; Shannon index= 2.10, 2.16 and 1.64, respectively). The percentage of rare species was higher in these areas in comparison with control sites (40%, 55% and 17%, respectively). Our results suggest that forest management influences fungal biodiversity and species community colonizing leaf litter. In an outlook interactions of fungal biodiversity and decomposition will be discussed.