Influence of different management strategies of a cork oak foreston chemical and microbiological characters of soils

Abstract: This study was performed in the framework of an international research programfinanced by NATO (ESP.MD.SFPP 981674). The experimental cork oak forest area ofCusseddu-Miali-Parapinta, managed by AGRIS Sardegna – Dipartimento della Ricerca per ilSughero e la Silvicoltura, has been selected for the environmental soil study. Soil samples werecollected from three stations undergoing different management strategies: Station 1 was damagedby fire in 1983 and recovered in the following years. Station 2 has been managed since 1958;Station 3 remained as a spontaneous growing stand since the 1960’s. The samples collected attwo depths (0-10cm and 10-20cm) and in two periods (summer and winter) were analysed todetermine some chemical parameters (pH, total organic carbon, heavy metals) and fungidiversity. Among the three stations some differences were pointed out concerning the pH values,lower in the damaged station, and the heavy metal content, higher in the same station. Moreover,the highest fungi biodiversity was observed in this last station while the Penicillium genusdominated in the non-managed station. These results could be partially correlated with themanagement strategies.