Work

Resilience and turnover of soil mycobiota following fire-prevention interventions in Mediterranean scrublands

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The abandonment of rural areas across the Mediterranean has led to widespread shrub encroachment, increasing fuel loads, and the risk of high-intensity wildfires under current and future climate conditions. Fuel management practices, such as prescribed burning and mechanical clearing, are necessary to mitigate this threat. However, these interventions may also alter soil fungal communities, which play a key role in ecosystem functioning and support non-timber forest products of socio-economic interest. In this study, we assessed the effects of prescribed burning and total mechanical clearing on soil fungal communities in Cistus ladanifer-dominated shrublands in northern and southern Spain. Soil samples were collected before and after the fire-prevention treatments were performed, and fungal DNA was extracted and sequenced to characterize taxonomic and functional shifts. Prescribed burning triggered a strong, initial shift in the fungal community: five months post-fire, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi significantly decreased while saprotrophs increased. However, one year after management, the relative abundances of both guilds returned to pre-fire levels, suggesting important insights on the functional resilience. Comparisons among prescribed burning, total clearing, and control plots revealed no significant differences in fungal richness or diversity. Although compositional changes were detected, no evidence of significant trophic functional disruption was found. These results indicate that both prescribed burning and mechanical clearing are effective biomass reduction strategies that cause only transient but not significant disturbances to soil fungal communities, supporting their use in fire-prone Mediterranean landscapes.

Source: Journal of Environmental Management

DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129872

Authors: Pablo Martín-Pinto, Jorge Víctor Maurice-Lira, Enma Fuentenebro, Ignacio Sanz-Benito, Juan Andrés Oria-de-Rueda

Institution: Universidad de Valladolid

Language: English

Topic: Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750