Abstract
The effect of forest fire on soil microarthropod fauna was investigated in the Inhoo Park, located at Deokjin-gu, Chonju city, where fire burned about 2 hectares on April 5, 1994. Vegetation of the area was covered with mixed forest such as 20 to 30 year old black locust, alder, and pine gree, etc., and also rich in understory plants, dead leaves, twigs, etc. The soil samples were taken from burnt soil and near-by control site on April 10, June 6 and Oct. 22 in 1994, and June 26, 1995. Soil microarthropods were extracted using Tullgren apparatus for 72 hours. Soil microarthropods collected in this experiment were 8, 013 at control and 3, 805 at the burnt site making a total of 11, 818 from 5 classes. Therefore, appearance of microarthropods was reduced to 52.5% at burnt site. Dominant animal groups were Acari (45%) and collembola (46%). The reduced rate of soil animal density by fire damage was 52.5% of the total soil microarthropods accounting 36% in Acari and 70% in collembola. The reduction of soil animal density by fire was 65.3% by habitat destruction and 51.7% by diret shock from fire heat. In Collembola, 89% was reduced by habitat destruction. Oribatid mites collected at sample plots included 29 families, 47 genera and 58 species. Forty-two species at burnt site and 47 species at unburnt site were identified, of these 32 being common species at both sites. The density ratio of soil animals at the burnt sites and those at unburnt sites was 38.6% va 61.4% resulting in 37% reduction due to fire. The dominant species with more than 5% in relative density were Trichogalumna nipponica (7.3%) and Eremobelba japonica (5.8%) at unburnt site, shereas 5 species including Eohypochthonius crassisetiger (8.5%) at the burnt site. The number of these species were 32.1% of total number. MGP analysis based on the number of oribatid mites indicated GP type at both unburnt and burnt sites, revealing domination of the P group in oribatid mites.