Influences of canopy cover change on soil biological and enzymatic activities in the beech forests of Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Forestry, La.C., Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran

2 Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Soumeh Sara. University of Guilan, Soumeh Sara, Iran

10.22124/cjes.2025.9199

Abstract

Canopy gaps are important for forest dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different canopy gap classes on soil biological and enzymatic activities in beech forests. For this purpose, 18 canopy gaps were examined, grouped into four classes: small (less than 200 m2), medium (200-300 m2), large (300-400 m2), and very large (larger than 400 m2). Mixed soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-20 cm. Also, the frequency of bacterial and fungal populations was counted to measure soil biological activity in each sampling point. The activity of acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase enzymes was measured by reaction with substrate and the photometric method. The results showed that the highest activity of acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase enzymes was observed in the 300-400 m2 class, but there was a significant difference between of acid-phosphatase activity in different canopy gaps of area. The highest abundance of bacteria and fungi was observed in gap areas smaller than 200 m2 and more than 400 m2, respectively. Furthermore, the results revealed significant differences in terms of frequency of bacterial and fungal populations sampled among the four gap size classes.

Keywords

Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 15 November 2025

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