Raw sequence reads for fungal community as affected by different forest management types
Mycorrhizal fungi associated with trees play a key role in the soil organic carbon accumulation in boreal forests. Forest management affects stand density, microclimate and litter inputs which affect the soil fungal community. While effects of clear-cutting have been studied, we do not know how other forest management methods shift the fungal community.We compared fungal community composition, species richness, diversity and functionality between uneven-aged, even-aged, clear-cut and uncut boreal Norway spruce forests. We analyzed bulk soil samples via metabarcoding using sequences of the fungal ITS2 regions. We assessed the similarity of fungal community compositions and the influence of stand and soil parameters. We analysed the response of different fungal guilds to forests management practices.We found that the fungal communities differed between all the treatments. Clear-cuts were most dissimilar from the other treatments and the organic layer was stronger affected than the mineral soil. The functionality of the fungal community was altered by clear-cutting showing a decline in diversity and richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi, however not in the even-aged, uneven-aged or uncut mature stands.The functionality of the fungal community is strongly affected by clear-cutting but these differences decline with time. However the differences in the community composition persevere