Comparison of soil microfungal populations in disturbed and undisturbed forests in northern Wisconsin

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Abstract
Soil dilution plates were used to isolate populations of microfungi associated with the different soil horizons of 5 secondary successional forests [pine, aspen, birch, oak and elm], which arose after fire or clear-cutting, and 3 virginal (reference) stands [hemlock, beech and basswood]. Ordinations of the populations within each horizon, based on similarities in the species composition of the microfungal communities, revealed the disturbed stands differed from their respective reference stands, although there was no consistent displacement of the stands in the ordinations. Most of the differences entailed alterations in frequency and (or) density, although a few species were predominant in 1 forest type but not in its counterpart. The most recently disturbed areas exhibited the greatest displacements from their reference stands. The ordinations suggested there is a sequential recovery of the mycoflora in the disturbed stands on loamy sand soils which would eventually result in a population similar to that in the reference stand.