Abundance of soil microarthropods associated with forest fire severity in Samcheok, Korea

This study investigated the association of soil arthropod abundance from mountain sites where differential forest fire severities had been influenced since April 2000. The post-fire study was conducted from 2005 to 2007 at mountain sites in Imwon-ri and Yang-ri, Samcheok, Korea. Study sites were arranged based on the burn severity and subsequent recovery rate in a year after the fire; ranging from unburned control to severely burned site: Con, T3, C2, T2 and T1. Results from soil sampling revealed that abundance of soil microarthropods was highest in unburned control site, and lowest in most severely burned site, T1. Among the microarthropod groups, abundances of Gamasida, Oribatida and Collembola were significantly different among the sites and showed the abundance ranking of Control > C2 = T3 > T2 > T1. The soil moisture contents and organic matter contents were lower in sites with higher burn severities. But, soil pH values were in reverse trend. The abundances of oribatid mites and collembolans were positively correlated with the soil moisture contents and the organic matter contents but negatively to the soil pH. Abundance of gamasid mites, which are the predators in microarthropod food web was positively correlated to those of their potential preys, oribatid mites and collembolans.