Summary
This study demonstrates that post-fire native soil amendment accelerates recovery of microbial diversity and associated nutrient cycling functions in severely burned mixed conifer forest soils. Although only a subset of introduced microbes successfully colonised the burned soil, inoculation promoted rapid reestablishment of mycorrhizal fungi essential for conifer symbiosis, albeit with limited persistence over a full annual cycle. The findings suggest microbial inoculation could enhance forest reforestation by circumventing reliance on dispersal from distant unburned sites.
Regional applicability
While conducted in a United States mixed conifer forest context, the principles of post-fire microbial inoculation may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom forestry, which comprises different dominant tree species and fire regimes. However, the methodological approach and findings on mycorrhizal recovery and nutrient cycling restoration could inform UK woodland management research, particularly in regions experiencing increased wildfire risk from climate change.
Key measures
16S and ITS rRNA amplicon sequencing, genome-resolved metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, soil chemistry, bacterial and fungal diversity indices, nitrogen transformation functions, mycorrhizal fungal abundance and composition
Outcomes reported
The study measured changes in bacterial and fungal diversity, mycorrhizal fungal communities, nutrient cycling functions, and soil chemistry in burned forest soil following native microbial inoculation, tracked across six sampling points over an annual hydrological cycle.
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