“Rhizosphere upheaval after tree cutting: Soil sugar flux and microbial behavior”

ABSTRACT

Cutting trees removes all parts of their photosynthetic area, which affects rhizosphere assembly. However, information regarding the underground alteration process after tree cutting is insufficient. This study aimed to observe the fate of both root exudation and the rhizosphere microbial community following tree cutting. The study included 540 Calliandra calothyrsus Meissn. The experimental layout was a completely randomized block design with 3 blocks (cutting age) × 2 (cutting and not cutting) × 180 trees. Composite soil samples were collected from trees at 0–20 cm depth and stumps at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after cutting to observe the soil sugar content, pH, and functional group population. This study demonstrated that cutting reduced the flux of sugars below ground by 80% and caused rapid acidification (pH less than 5.0) of the soil. Total soil sugar depletion is presumed to be a mechanism by which C. calothyrsus survives and regrows after cutting. Sugar depletion affects significant shifts in the size and structure of the rhizosphere microbial community. Increasing soil acidity is another survival strategy to limit close competitor populations in the rhizosphere. This study confirms that C. calothyrsus is a proper species for developing in the coppice-harvesting-system (CHS) energy estate.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Belowground sugar
• coppice
• cutting
• functional groups
• rhizosphere

Acknowledgements

Great thanks are addressed to the DG of FORDA for funding allocation, to the Director of R & D for Forest for facilitation, to Waryono and Rukman for all assistance during the work in the field, and to all laboratory staff for analysis of the samples.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the FORDA project part of RPPI 5 Biomass Energy (2016-2019).