Microfungal community structure in anthropogenic birch stands in central Finland

We describe the soil microfungal communities in 30-year-old birch (Betula pendula Roth) stands planted either on former spruce forest soil (BS) or on former arable soil (BF) and compare these with the soil microfungal communities in spruce forests (S), arable fields (F) and old deciduous forests (D). Fungi were isolated from 0- to 3-cm and 3- to 6-cm samples collected in September 1997 and May 1998. Principal components analysis differentiated fungal communities in the S and BS sites from those in the other site types. The Morisita-Horn index of similarity indicated that fungal communities in the F and BF sites were less similar to those in the other site types. Fungal communities of the BS and S sites were more similar in the 3- to 6-cm layer than in the 0- to 3-cm layer, suggesting that it takes >30 years to replace the spruce litter and associated fungal community. Similarity between fungal communities in the F and BF sites was low, indicating significant changes in the fungal community composition following afforestation of field soil by birch. Fungal communities in the BS and BF sites were more similar to each other than those of their original site types. Fungal communities of the BS, BF and S sites were more similar to those of the D sites than those of the F sites were to the D sites. Differences between the fungal communities of the different site types were attributed primarily to litter quality, earthworm community, and secondarily to organic matter, pH, KCl-extractable NH₄⁺, and PO₄^3-.