Wildfires and harvesting are important disturbances to forest ecosystems, but their effects on soil microbial communities are not well characterized and have not previously been compared directly. This study was conducted at sites with similar soil, climatic, and other properties in a spruce-dominated boreal forest near Chisholm, Alberta, Canada. Soil microbial communities were assessed following four treatments: control, harvest, burn, and burn plus timber salvage (burn-salvage). Burn treatments were at sites affected by a large wildfire in May 2001, and the communities were sampled 1 year after the fire. Microbial biomass carbon decreased 18%, 74%, and 53% in the harvest, burn, and burn-salvage treatments, respectively. Microbial biomass nitrogen decreased 25% in the harvest treatment, but increased in the burn treatments, probably because of microbial assimilation of the increased amounts of available NH 4 + and NO 3 \uffe2\uff88\uff92 due to burning. Bacterial community composition was analyzed by nonparametric ordination of molecular fingerprint data of 119 samples from both ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) and rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. On the basis of multiresponse permutation procedures, community composition was significantly different among all treatments, with the greatest differences between the two burned treatments versus the two unburned treatments. The sequencing of DNA bands from RISA fingerprints revealed distinct distributions of bacterial divisions among the treatments. Gamma - and Alphaproteobacteria were highly characteristic of the unburned treatments, while Betaproteobacteria and members of Bacillus were highly characteristic of the burned treatments. Wildfire had distinct and more pronounced effects on the soil microbial community than did harvesting.
", "keywords": ["DNA", " Bacterial", "Electrophoresis", "0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "Bacteria", "Molecular Sequence Data", "Biodiversity", "Sequence Analysis", " DNA", "15. Life on land", "Nucleic Acid Denaturation", "DNA", " Ribosomal", "Fires", "6. Clean water", "Alberta", "Trees", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "DNA", " Ribosomal Spacer", "Biomass", "Soil Microbiology"], "contacts": [{"organization": "B.E. Kishchuk, William W. Mohn, Nancy R. Smith,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01355-07"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Applied%20and%20Environmental%20Microbiology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1128/aem.01355-07", "name": "item", "description": "10.1128/aem.01355-07", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1128/aem.01355-07"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2008-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2134/jeq2007.0197", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:20:13Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2008-02-12", "description": "AbstractWithin Canada, it has been recognized in the last decade that military training activities may have impacts on the environmental quality of training ranges. However, impacts of activities specific to Air Force Bases have not yet been intensely documented. A hydrogeological study was accomplished at the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, Alberta, to evaluate the environmental impacts of using bombs, rockets, strafing, and open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) on the quality of soil, ground water, surface water, and lake sediments. Samples were analyzed for metals, anions, ammonium perchlorate (NH4ClO4), and energetic materials (EM). It was found that training activities did not result in measured values being exceeded on the basis of guidance values for surface water and lake sediments. Contamination by metals was mostly limited to soils, and some metals may be related to the use of bombs (Cd, Cu, Pb), strafe (Cu), and rockets (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, U, V, Zn). TNT (2,4,6\uffe2\uff80\uff90trinitrotoluene) was the main EM found in soils, while RDX (hexahydro\uffe2\uff80\uff901,3,5\uffe2\uff80\uff90trinitro\uffe2\uff80\uff901,3,5\uffe2\uff80\uff90triazine) was more common in ground water. Both are related to live bombing, while nitroglycerine (NG) is related to rocket use and was detected in soils only. Aluminum, nitrate, and ammonium perchlorate detected in ground water may be related to live bombing or rockets. OB/OD operations resulted in the presence of various EM in soils, and of perchlorate and nitrate in ground water. Contamination by metals and explosives in soils was localized around the targets and varied significantly in time; however, in ground water it was more constant and may persist for a period of several years after a target has been removed.
", "keywords": ["Anions", "Geologic Sediments", "550", "lake sediments", "Fresh Water", "Environment", "01 natural sciences", "Alberta", "Explosive Agents", "Water Supply", "Soil Pollutants", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "Nitrates", "Perchlorates", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "nitroglycerine", "ammonium perchlorate", "Quaternary Ammonium Compounds", "Metals", "13. Climate action", "open detonation", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Weapons", "Water Pollutants", " Chemical", "Environmental Monitoring", "Trinitrotoluene"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2007.0197"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Environmental%20Quality", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2134/jeq2007.0197", "name": "item", "description": "10.2134/jeq2007.0197", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2134/jeq2007.0197"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2008-03-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2307/1940889", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:20:33Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2006-05-09", "title": "Effects Of Invasion Of An Aspen Forest (Canada) By Dendrobaena-Octaedra (Lumbricidae) On Plant-Growth", "description": "Effects of invasion of an aspen forest in the Canadian Rocky Mountains by the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny) on nutrient mineralization, soil microflora, and plant growth were investigated during the growth period of 1992. Experimental chambers with reconstructed forest floor were placed in the field and destructively sampled after 7 and 14 wk. D. octaedra enhanced the shoot biomass of the grass Agropyron trachycaulum (Link) Malte (Poaceae) and increased the shoot\uffe2\uff80\uff94to\uffe2\uff80\uff94root ratio during early plant growth. Microbial biomass, basal respiration and respiratory quotient qCO2 in L/F layer material were reduced by D. octaedra but increased in the H layer. The nutrient (NH4+, NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff94, PO43\uffe2\uff80\uff94) content in soil was also affected by D. octaedra but the effects were small. Effects of the earthworms on soil nutrient content were masked by the great variation in the data and by leaching of nutrients from experimental chambers.
", "keywords": ["roots", "microbes and plants", "soil chemistry", "growth", "populus", "microflora and plants", "Invasion effects on nutrients", "Alberta", "forest soils", "microflora and plants in aspen forest", "Dendrobaena octaedra (Oligochaeta): Element cycles", "Forest and woodland", "nutrients", "biomass production", "Invasion consequences for ecosystem processes in forest soils", "impacts of invasion in aspen forest soils", "mineralization", "Annelids", "effects", "invasion impacts on ecosystem processes", "forests", "2. Zero hunger", "plant morphology", "effects on nutrients", "biomass", "soil fertility", "grasslands", "Habitat colonization", "KananaskisValley", "woodland grasslands", "Dispersal", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "invasion", "Invasion of aspen forest soils effects on nutrients", "Invertebrates", "soil biology", "introduced species", "Soil habitat", "Aspen forest soils", "Nutrient mineralization", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "dendrobaena", "Impact on habitat", "root shoot ratio", "elymus trachycaulus", "soil fauna", "forest trees", "shoots"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Scheu, Stefan, Parkinson, Dennis,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2307/1940889"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2307/1940889", "name": "item", "description": "10.2307/1940889", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2307/1940889"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "1994-12-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.4141/cjps61-090", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:21:22Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2010-03-10", "description": "The influence of grazing on the vegetative cover of fescue grassland in southwestern Alberta was assessed by studying two adjoining sites, one lightly grazed, the other ungrazed. Percentage basal area, yield, water-intake rate, soil temperature, soil moisture, and amount of root material were compared on a paired plot basis.The data showed that light grazing resulted in the development of a richer flora dominated by Danthonia parryi. Protection from grazing appeared to simplify the flora with a trend toward a cover consisting largely of Festuca scabrella. There was little evidence of difference in productivity between the two sites. Cooler and moister conditions prevailed in the upper 12 inches of the soil profile of the ungrazed site as a result of heavy accumulation of mulch. Considerably more root material to a depth of 54 inches was present on the lightly grazed site. The harmful effects of herbage removal, shown by clipping studies, were not apparent in the field study under a light rate of grazing.
", "keywords": ["UNGRAZED RANGE", "COMPARISON", "SOUTH TESTERN ALBERTA", "FESCUE GRASSIAND", "15. Life on land", "LIGHTLY GRAZE"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Alexander Johnston", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps61-090"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Canadian%20Journal%20of%20Plant%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.4141/cjps61-090", "name": "item", "description": "10.4141/cjps61-090", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.4141/cjps61-090"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "1961-07-01T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Alberta&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Alberta&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Alberta&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "last", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (last)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Alberta&offset=4", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 4, "numberReturned": 4, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-07-26T13:10:19.745049Z"}