凋落物对土壤酸化的缓冲及其对根系生长的影响

凋落物层是森林生态系统中一个十分活跃的界面,一方面环境因素影响凋落物的积累和分解,另一方面凋落物的动态反过来又影响到系统内的水热收支平衡、土壤的理化特性以至森林生产力。值得注意的是,在高度工业化的现代社会,大气污染作为一种新生的环境因子不同程度地作用于森林生态系统,凋落物层则是大气污染物(如酸雨)作用于森林土壤亚系     

模拟酸雨对主要酸性土壤中铝的溶出及形态的影响

本文研究了模拟酸雨对主要酸性土壤中铝的溶出及形态变化的影响。结果表明,模拟酸雨对土壤酸化的影响较小,但对土壤铝的溶出却影响明显,尤其在pH<4.0时;模拟酸雨对不同类型土壤的影响是不同的,其中以高度风化的酸性土壤较为敏感。模拟酸雨对土壤游离铝形态的影响是重要的,酸处理后,交换性铝略有增加,无定形活性铝增加较多,而有机络合态铝有减少的趋势。这表明在酸雨的长期作用下,铝终将转化为交换性铝和水溶性铝而进入环境并危害生态系统。     

Relationship between the weathering of clay minerals and the nitrification rate: a rapid tree species effect

We compared the properties of the clay mineral fraction and the composition of soil solutions in a Fagus sylvatica coppice (native forest) and four adjacent plantations of Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus nigra, Picea abies and Quercus sessiliflora planted in 1976. The results revealed changes of clay fraction properties due to tree species effect. Clay samples from Douglas fir and pine stands differ when compared to other species. Twenty-eight years after planting, we observed the following changes: a more pronounced swelling after citrate extraction and ethylene glycol solvation, a higher CEC and a smaller poorly crystallised aluminium content. All these changes affecting the clay fraction agreed well with soil solution analyses which revealed high NO₃ ^?, H⁺ and Al concentrations under Douglas fir and pine. These changes were explained by a strong net nitrification under Douglas fir and pine stands when compared with other tree species. The higher NO₃ ^? concentrations in soil solutions should be linked to the presence, type and activity of ammonia-oxiding bacteria which are likely influenced by tree species. The production of NO₃ ^? in excess of biological demand leads to a net production of hydrogen ion and enhances the dissolution of poorly crystallised Al-minerals. Secondary Al-bearing minerals constituted the principal acid-consuming system in these soils. As a consequence, the depletion of interlayer spaces of hydroxyinterlayered minerals increases the number of sites for exchangeable cation fixation and increases CEC of the clay fraction. The dissolution of Al oxy-hydroxides explain the increase in Al concentrations of soil solutions under Douglas fir and pine stands when compared to other species. Nitrate and dissolved aluminium were conjointly leached in the soil solutions. A change in environmental conditions, like an introduction of tree species, enough modifies soil processes to induce significant changes in the soil mineralogical composition even over a period of time as short as some tens of years. Generally, mineral weathering has been considered to be very slow and unlikely to change over tens of years, resulting in few studies capable of detecting changes in mineralogy. This study appears to have detected changes in clay mineralogy during a period of 28 years after the planting of forest species. Our study represents a single location with a limited block design, but causes us to conclude that the observed changes could be widely representative. Where available, archived samples should be utilized and long-term experiments set up so that similar changes can be tested for and detected using more robust designs. The plausible hypothesis we present to explain apparent changes in clay mineralogy has strong relevance to the sustainable management of land.     

Nutrient distribution in a Swedish tree species experiment

The influence of four tree species on the distribution of nutrients between different compartments of the ecosystem was examined. In a randomized block (n=3) experiment in south-western Sweden, Ca, Mg and K were determined as exchangeable amounts in the mineral soil and as total amounts in the O+A₁ horizons (topsoil) and in the aboveground tree biomass. N contents were determined in all compartments as well as P contents of the aboveground tree biomass and the topsoil. The four tree species planted were: silver fir [Abies alba Mill.] (AA), grand fir [Abies grandis Lindl.] (AG), Norway spruce [Picea abies L. Karst.] (PA) and Japanese larch [Larix leptolepis (Sieb. och Zucc.) Endl.] (LL). At the age of 35–36 years, the total stemwood production of the most productive species, AG, was estimated at 471 m³ ha⁻¹. In relation to AG, LL had produced 80%, PA 73% and AA 37%. The system totals [aboveground tree biomass total + topsoil total + exchangeable (Ca, Mg, K) or total (N) in the mineral soil] of Ca, K and N did not differ significantly at the 5% level between the investigated species. For Mg, the system total in LL was significantly higher than for the other species. There was an indication that LL and AA contained higher amounts of Ca, Mg, K and N in the topsoil but less in the biomass than did AG and PA (partly significant). In the mineral soil, there were no significant differences in the exchangeable pools of Ca and K, nor in the total amounts of N. The biomass nutrient concentrations generally decreased in the order: AA > PA > AG > LL. At stem or whole-tree harvest, the Ca export per biomass unit would more than double in the case of PA compared to LL. LL also contained less N in the biomass than the other species. However, the N content in the biomass did not differ between the most (AG) and the least (AA) productive species, although the production of dry weight biomass (standing + harvested) of AG had been twice that of AA. It is concluded that the nutrient budget of a managed forest may vary considerably depending on the choice of tree species.     

Effects of tree species composition on within‐forest distribution of understorey species

Question: Do tree species, with different litter qualities, affect the within‐forest distribution of forest understorey species on intermediate to base‐rich soils? Since habitat loss and fragmentation have caused ancient forest species to decline, those species are the main focus of this study. Location: Three ancient forests, along a soil gradient from acidification‐sensitive to base‐rich, were studied: Limbrichterbosch and Savelsbos in The Netherlands and Holtkrat in Denmark. Methods: Canopy and soil surveys along transects generated data for Redundancy Analysis on tree – humus relationships. We analysed the distribution of forest plant species with Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The explanatory factors were soil characteristics (pH, organic matter, loam content and thickness of the humus layers), external crown projection, ground water and canopy data. We further analysed the relationship between forest species and humus characteristics with Spearman correlations. Results: Tree species have a significant impact on humus characteristics through the nature of their litter. Humus characteristics significantly explain the distribution of forest understorey species. The pH of the first 25 cm mineral soil and the thickness of the F‐ (fermentation) layer are the primary factors affecting the distribution of ancient forest species. Conclusion: This study indicates that the species composition of the forest canopy affects the distribution of forest understorey species. Ancient forest species are more abundant and frequent underneath trees with base‐rich litter. On acidification‐sensitive soils these relationships were stronger than on more base‐rich, loamy soils.     

Growth,net photosynthesis and leaf nutrient status of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus crenata</Emphasis> seedlings grown in brown forest soil acidified with H<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript> or HNO<Subscript>3</Subscript> solution

To obtain basic information for evaluating critical loads of acid deposition for protecting Japanese beech forests, growth, net photosynthesis and leaf nutrient status of Fagus crenata seedlings grown for two growing seasons in brown forest soil acidified with H₂SO₄ or HNO₃ solution were investigated. The whole-plant dry mass of the seedlings grown in the soil acidified by the addition of H₂SO₄ or HNO₃ solution was significantly less than that of the seedlings grown in the control soil not supplemented with H⁺ as H₂SO₄ or HNO₃ solution. However, the degrees of reduction in the whole-plant dry mass and net photosynthetic rate of the seedlings grown in the soil acidified by the addition of H⁺ as H₂SO₄ solution at 100 mg l^–1 on the basis of air-dried soil volume (S-100 treatment) were greater than those of the seedlings grown in the soil acidified by the addition of H⁺ as HNO₃ solution at 100 mg l^–1 (N-100 treatment). The concentrations of Al and Mn in the leaves of the seedlings grown in the S-100 treatment were significantly higher than those in the N-100 treatment. A positive correlation was obtained between the molar ratio of (Ca+Mg+K)/(Al+Mn) in the soil solution and the relative whole-plant dry mass of the seedlings grown in the acidified soils to that of the seedlings grown in the control soil. Based on the results, we concluded that the negative effects of soil acidification due to sulfate deposition are greater than those of soil acidification due to nitrate deposition on growth, net photosynthesis and leaf nutrient status of F. crenata, and that the molar ratio of (Ca+Mg+K)/(Al+Mn) in soil solution is a suitable soil parameter for evaluating critical loads of acid deposition in efforts to protect F. crenata forests in Japan.     

西双版纳白背桐次生林土壤种子库、种子雨研究

 本文讨论了西双版纳常见的次生林白背桐(Mallotus paniculatus )林的土壤种子库和种子雨的组成及动态。结果表明该林地的种子雨年输入量为745粒/m2,土壤种子库储量在雨季末期为3345±438粒/m2,旱季末期为4555±554粒/m2,种子雨的输入高峰出现在旱季,导致旱季末期土壤种子库储量大于雨季末期。森林破碎化导致的隔离效应阻碍了种子的传播途径,使土壤种子库储量下降,种子雨和土壤种子库中鸟类传播的种子比例增大。传播成熟林树种的大型动物到达不了该样地,植被的演替受到了阻碍。     

Seedling and Sapling Dynamics of Treefall Pits in Puerto Rico1

Seedling and sapling dynamics in a Puerto Rican rain forest were compared between forest understory and soil pits created by the uprooting of 27 trees during Hurricane Hugo. Soil N and P, organic matter, and soil moisture were lower and bulk densities were higher in the disturbed mineral soils of the pits than in undisturbed forest soils ten months after the hurricane. No differences in N and P levels were found in pit or forest soils under two trees with N–fixing symbionts (Inga laurina and Ormosia krugii) compared to soils under a tree species without N–fixing sym–bionts (Casearia arborea), but other soil variables (Al, Fe, K) did vary by tree species. Forest plots had greater species richness of seedlings (<10 cm tall) and saplings (10–100 cm tall) than plots in the soil pits (and greater sapling densities), but seedling densities were similar between plot types. Species richness and seedling densities did not vary among plots associated with the three tree species, but some saplings were more abundant under trees of the same species. Pit size did not affect species richness or seedling and sapling densities. Recruitment of young Cecropia schreberiana trees (>5 m tall) 45 months after the hurricane was entirely from the soil pits, with no tree recruitment from forest plots. Larger soil pits had more tree recruitment than smaller pits. Defoliation of the forest by the hurricane created a large but temporary increase in light availability. Recruitment of C. schreberiana to the canopy occurred in gaps created by the treefall pits that had lower soil nutrients but provided a longer–term increase in light availability. Treefall pits also significantly altered the recruitment and mortality of many understory species in the Puerto Rican rain forest but did not alter species richness.     

Tree species traits cause divergence in soil acidification during four decades of postagricultural forest development

A change in land use from agriculture to forest generally increases soil acidity. However, it remains unclear to what extent plant traits can enhance or mitigate soil acidification caused by atmospheric deposition. Soil acidification is detrimental for the survival of many species. An in‐depth understanding of tree species‐specific effects on soil acidification is therefore crucial, particularly in view of the predicted global increases in acidifying nitrogen (N) deposition. Here, we report soil acidification rates in a chronosequence of broadleaved deciduous forests planted on former arable land in Belgium. This region receives one of the highest loads of potentially acidifying atmospheric deposition in Europe, which allowed us to study a ‘worst case scenario’. We show that less than four decades of forest development caused significant soil acidification. Atmospheric deposition undoubtedly and unequivocally drives postagricultural forests towards more acidic conditions, but the rate of soil acidification is also determined by the tree species‐specific leaf litter quality and litter decomposition rates. We propose that the intrinsic differences in leaf litter quality among tree species create fundamentally different nutrient cycles within the ecosystem, both directly through the chemical composition of the litter and indirectly through its effects on the size and composition of earthworm communities. Poor leaf litter quality contributes to the absence of a burrowing earthworm community, which retards leaf litter decomposition and, consequently, results in forest‐floor build‐up and soil acidification. Also nutrient uptake and N₂ fixation are causing soil acidification, but were found to be less important. Our results highlight the fact that tree species‐specific traits significantly influence the magnitude of human pollution‐induced soil acidification.     

Nutrient fluxes in litterfall of a secondary successional alluvial rain forest in Southern Brazil

During forest succession, litterfall nutrient fluxes increase significantly. The higher inputs of organic matter and nutrients through litterfall affects positively soil fertility and the species composition, which are essential components in forest restoration and management programs. In the present study, the input of nutrients to the forest soil via litterfall components was estimated for two sites of different development stages, in an early successional alluvial rain forest in Brazil. Litterfall returned to the soil, in kg/ha, ca. 93 N, 79 Ca, 24 K, 15 Mg, 6 P, 1.7 Mn, 0.94 Fe, 0.18 Zn, 0.09 Cu and 11.2 Al, in the site where trees were more abundant and had higher values of basal area. In the other area, where trees where less abundant and values of basal area were comparatively low, litterfall returned < 50% of those amounts to the forest soil, except for Al. The amount of Al that returned to the soil was similar in both areas due to the high contribution of Tibouchina pulchra (82% of Al returned). Comparatively, high proportion of three dominant native tree species (Myrsine coriacea, T. pulchra and Cecropia pachystachya) explained better litter nutrient use efficiency (mainly N and P) in the site with the least advanced successional stage. Although litterfall of these species show lower nutrient concentrations than the other tree species, their nutrient fluxes were high in both sites, indicating a certain independence from soil essential nutrients. Such feature of the native species is very advantageous and should be considered in forest restoration programs.     

Microbial Community Structure and Density Under Different Tree Species in an Acid Forest Soil (Morvan, France)

Overexploitation of forests to increase wood production has led to the replacement of native forest by large areas of monospecific tree plantations. In the present study, the effects of different monospecific tree cover plantations on density and composition of the indigenous soil microbial community are described. The experimental site of “Breuil-Chenue” in the Morvan (France) was the site of a comparison of a similar mineral soil under Norway spruce (Picea abies), Douglas fir (Pseudotuga menziesii), oak (Quercus sessiflora), and native forest [mixed stand dominated by oak and beech (Fagus sylvatica)]. Sampling was performed during winter (February) at three depths (0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm). Abundance of microorganisms was estimated via microbial biomass measurements, using the fumigation–extraction method. The genetic structure of microbial communities was investigated using the bacterial- and fungal-automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (B-ARISA and F-ARISA, respectively) DNA fingerprint. Only small differences in microbial biomass were observed between tree species, the highest values being recorded under oak forest and the lowest under Douglas fir. B- and F-ARISA community profiles of the different tree covers clustered separately, but noticeable similarities were observed for soils under Douglas fir and oak. A significant stratification was revealed under each tree species by a decrease in microbial biomass with increasing depths and by distinct microbial communities for each soil layer. Differences in density and community composition according to tree species and depth were related to soil physicochemical characteristics and organic matter composition.     

模拟酸雨对我国亚热带毛竹林土壤呼吸及微生物多样性的影响

酸沉降造成的土壤持续酸化对毛竹林生态系统碳循环具有重要的影响,为量化酸沉降我国亚热带毛竹林土壤的影响,于2016年在浙江省杭州临安天目山国家级自然保护区毛竹林持续开展了2年野外模拟酸雨淋溶土壤实验,设置pH 4.0(T1)和pH 2.0(T2)两个模拟酸雨处理,以pH 5.8天然湖水为对照(CK),分析酸雨作用下土壤CO_2排放及土壤微生物多样性的变化趋势,并明确毛竹林土壤呼吸、土壤微生物及土壤理化性质三者之间的关系。结果表明:土壤呼吸速率在酸雨作用下经过缓冲期后呈现先促进后抑制的变化,作用强度表现为:T2T1。不同处理的土壤呼吸对温度的敏感性由高到低依次是:T2、CK、T1。PCR-DGGE分析表明,模拟酸雨改变了土壤微生物菌群结构,T2处理抑制了土壤细菌的多样性和丰富度,而T1处理对土壤真菌多样性和丰富度具有促进作用。土壤pH值、有效钾、可溶有机碳、微生物量碳、碱解氮和有效磷对土壤微生物群落结构及土壤呼吸具有显著的影响(P0.05)。综上所述,模拟酸雨能够显著抑制毛竹林的土壤呼吸,并改变土壤微生物群落结构及多样性,这些结果为进一步研究毛竹林土壤生态系统对环境问题响应机制提供理论基础。     

Tropical tree species composition affects the oxidation of dissolved organic matter from litter

Plant species effects on soil nutrient availability are relatively well documented, but the effects of species differences in litter chemistry on soil carbon cycling are less well understood, especially in the species-rich tropics. In many wet tropical forest ecosystems, leaching of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the litter layer accounts for a significant proportion of litter mass loss during decomposition. Here we investigated how tree species differences in soluble dissolved organic C (DOC) and nutrients affected soil CO₂ fluxes in laboratory incubations. We leached DOM from freshly fallen litter of six canopy tree species collected from a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica and measured C-mineralization. We found significant differences in litter solubility and nutrient availability. Following DOM additions to soil, rates of heterotrophic respiration varied by as much as an order of magnitude between species, and overall differences in total soil CO₂ efflux varied by more than four-fold. Variation in the carbon: phosphorus ratio accounted for 51% of the variation in total CO₂ flux between species. These results suggest that tropical tree species composition may influence soil C storage and mineralization via inter-specific variation in plant litter chemistry.     

Annual wood production in a tropical rain forest in NE Costa Rica linked to climatic variation but not to increasing CO2

Increased atmospheric [CO₂] could theoretically lead to increased forest productivity (‘CO₂ fertilization’). This mechanism was hypothesized as a possible explanation for biomass increases reported from tropical forests in the last 30+ years. We used unique long‐term records of annually measured stands (eighteen 0.5 ha plots, 10 years) and focal tree species (six species, 24 years) to assess the effects of rainfall, temperature, and atmospheric [CO₂] on annual wood production in a neotropical rain forest. Our study area was a meso‐scale section (600 ha) of old‐growth Tropical Wet Forest in NE Costa Rica. Using the repeated remeasurements we directly assessed the relative effects of interannual climatic variation and increasing atmospheric [CO₂] on wood production. A remarkably simple two‐factor model explained 91% of the interannual variance in stand‐level tree growth; the statistically independent factors were total dry season rainfall (positive effect, r²=0.85) and night‐time temperature (negative effect, r²=0.42). Stand‐level tree mortality increased significantly with night‐time temperature. After accounting for dry season rainfall and night‐time temperature, there was no effect of annual [CO₂] on tree growth in either the stand or focal species data. Tree growth in this Tropical Wet Forest was surprisingly sensitive to the current range of dry season conditions and to variations in mean annual night‐time temperature of 1–2°. Our results suggest that wood production in the lowland rainforests of NE Costa Rica (and by extension in other tropical regions) may be severely reduced in future climates that are only slightly drier and/or warmer.     

接种彩色豆马勃对模拟酸沉降下马尾松幼苗生物量的影响

外生菌根能够提高宿主植物对外界环境胁迫的抵抗力,促进植物的生长,本文试图揭示外生菌根对酸雨胁迫下马尾松生长的保护作用。本研究采用盆栽试验,共设置四个处理：酸雨对照处理（Control check (CK), 约pH值5.5）不接种,酸雨对照处理接种,酸雨pH值3.5处理不接种,酸雨pH值3.5处理接种。pH值3.5的酸雨处理降低马尾松的生物量,在试验前期降低根冠比,试验中后期则提高根冠比,在试验初期增加了叶面积,但中后期显著降低了叶面积。接种外生菌根菌有利于马尾松幼苗的生长,pH值3.5处理下接种外生菌根菌能提高马尾松幼苗的生物量,外生菌根菌对生物量分配和叶面积的影响与酸雨胁迫的影响是相反的,即外生菌根菌抵消了酸雨胁迫对马尾松的影响。     

Herb layer changes (1954-2000) related to the conversion of coppice-with-standards forest and soil acidification

Question: Did the composition of the herb layer of a deciduous forest on loamy soils sensitive to soil acidification change between 1954 and 2000? How are these change related to the abandonment of traditional coppice-with-standards forest management and increased soil acidification? Location: Central Belgium (Europe). Methods: Twenty semi-permanent phytosociological quadrats from an ancient deciduous forest (Meerdaal forest) were carefully selected out of a total of 70 plots dating from 1954 and were revisited in 2000. Species composition and soil pH H₂O were recorded using an analogous methodology. The studied period coincides with a period of forest conversion from coppice-with-standards towards a high forest structure and with an increase in acidifying and eutrophying deposition. Results: Between 1954 and 2000, species composition of the herb layer changed significantly. Redundancy analysis pointed to increased shade resulting from shifts in cover and species composition of the shrub and tree layer as the main driving force. Soil acidity increased and the majority of plots entered the aluminium buffer range, which potentially affected herb layer composition. Observations at the species level, especially a strong decrease in cover of the vernal species Anemone nemorosa supported this hypothesis. Conclusions: Our results show significant shifts in the forest herb layer in less than five decades. These shifts were related to an alteration in the traditional forest management regime and increased soil acidity. Whereas the effect of a changed management regime can be mitigated, soil acidification is less reversible. Testing the generality of these patterns on more extensive data sets is certainly needed.     

西双版纳“龙山”片断热带雨林中小型土壤动物群落组成与多样性研究

对西双纳不同面积“龙山”片断干性季节雨林和保护区连续湿性季节雨淋凋落物层土壤动物群落多样性研究表明,土壤动物群落物种丰盛度,多度和多样性的变化不顾在随雨林片断化面积减少而降低的“种－面积效应”,而雨林片断化后因先锋植物（喜阳性）侵入产生的“干暖效应”,使片断雨林凋落物增多,腐殖质,土壤有机质,N,P等元素含量增高,土壤生境条件更有利于土壤动物生存,其群落多样性指数高于连续湿性季节雨林,但2种生境土壤动物群落种－多度模型均表现为对数级模式。     

杉木人工林土壤真菌遗传多样性

为探明杉木人工林土壤真菌遗传多样性及其与环境因子的关系,采用454测序技术对土壤真菌的遗传多样性进行了分析,测定了黄丰桥林场杉木人工林土壤真菌的遗传多样性与环境因子的相关性。试验结果表明:①不同代数、林龄的杉木人工林土壤理化性质及林下植被多样性均有显著差异。第1代杉木幼林林土壤肥力较高,有机质、全N、速效K的均值分别为88.02g/kg、2.56 g/kg、84.96 mg/kg均高于第2代和第3代杉木幼林林,速效N和含水量的均值分别为22.86 mg/kg和26.28%低于其他样地。杉木幼林林下植被多样性最为丰富。②通过454测序技术分析发现第1代杉木幼林真菌Ace丰富度指数、Chao丰富度指数及群落遗传多样性指数均大于第2代杉木幼林和第3代杉木幼林。杉木人工林土壤中粪壳菌纲(Sordariomycetes)真菌为优势种群。不同栽培代数杉木人工林的真菌群落存在差异,其中块菌科(Tuberaceae)为第2代和第3代杉木林特有真菌,而不同发育阶段的杉木人工林的真菌群落差异不明显。③经RDA分析,杉木人工林土壤主要真菌群落受含水量、有机质、速效P、速效K影响较大。土壤真菌群落遗传多样性Shannon-Wiener多样性指数与林下植被多样性、土壤全N显著正相关,土壤真菌Chao指数与土壤真菌Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、土壤全N含量显著正相关。本研究表明不同栽培代数杉木人工林的真菌群落存在差异,土壤真菌群落与环境因子之间具有相关性。     

Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in coniferous plantations in Hokkaido,Japan: effects of tree species and environmental factors

The distribution, species composition and abundance of carabid beetles in monospecific plantations of three different coniferous tree species (Japanese spruce, Sakhalin fir and larch) were investigated by baited pitfall traps in Hokkaido, Japan. In total, 16 150 carabid beetles consisting of 31 species in 13 genera were collected in 2011 and 2012. The most predominant species was Pterostichus thunbergii Morawitz, followed by Synuchus melantho (Bates) and Carabus opaculus (Putzeys). Average numbers of beetles per trap were significantly reduced in larch. Large‐sized Carabus species (C. arboreus arboreus Lewis and C. opaculus) were collected in large numbers in Japanese spruce. There was no significant difference in diversity and equitability among the three kinds of plantation. The ordination of redundancy analysis showed that medium‐sized forest generalists, Pterosticus subovatus (Motschulsky) and P. thunbergii, were highly associated with Japanese spruce and Sakhalin fir, and the forest specialist Synuchus nitidus (Motschulsky) was with Sakhalin fir. In contrast, in larch there was no such associated forest species, and some species of Carabus, Pterostichus and Synuchus were considerably reduced in number, suggesting that larch has unfavorable effects on some forest species. The most important environmental variables influencing carabid assemblages were soil moisture and foliage layer cover. Practices in forest management to minimize the effects of plantations on carabid assemblages are discussed.