Short-time effect of harvesting methods on soil respiration dynamics in a beech forest in southern Mediterranean Italy

CO2 fluxes from soil, together with soil water content and temperature have
been measured over one solar year in an even-aged beech forest (Fagus Sylvatica
L.) in southern Italy. We investigated the effects of three different harvested
biomass removal treatments (traditional, innovative, unharvested control)
on soil respiration (Rs) in three plots from May 2014 to April 2015, with
the aim to evaluate the effects of such silvicultural practices on the CO2
respired from the forest floor. The influence of soil temperature and soil moisture
on soil respiration was also analysed. Rs showed large variations among
the treatments, with the innovative treatment resulting in significantly higher
soil respiration than control and traditional treatments. There were no significant
differences in soil temperature between the treatments, whereas soil
water content was statistically different only in the innovative treatment. The
study showed that the mean soil respiration increased with thinning intensity,
confirming that after harvesting, residues remaining on the forest floor and
decomposing roots may contribute to raise soil respiration, due to the higher
microbial activity.