Decaying Spruce Wood as a Factor in Soil Carbon and Energy Flow Through Microbial Communities

Climate change poses significant challenges to forest ecosystems, particularly influencing processes such as deadwood decomposition and carbon sequestration. This study explores the impact of decaying spruce wood on soil properties, enzymatic activity and microbial structure across an altitudinal gradient in mountain ecosystems dominated by spruce monocultures. In the Babia Góra Massif (Poland), we analysed soils beneath highly decomposed spruce logs (600-1200 m a.s.l.), focusing on soil chemistry, enzymatic activity and microbial composition. Decaying wood enriches soil with carbon and nitrogen, boosting β-glucosidase and phosphatase activities. Increased soil moisture content under decaying wood promotes decomposition and microbial activity. Interestingly, microbial community composition under deadwood exhibited biodiversity changes compared to control soils, and metabolic activity was notably higher, suggesting shifts in microbial function rather than community diversity. The study highlights the significant role of decaying spruce wood in shaping soil properties and microbial processes in mountain ecosystems, emphasising its contribution to carbon and nitrogen enrichment and enhanced enzymatic activities. These findings underscore the ecological importance of deadwood in forest ecosystems, particularly in the context of carbon cycling and climate change adaptation. Sustainable forest management practices should prioritise the retention of deadwood to maintain vital ecosystem functions, particularly in the context of global climate change. Future studies should broaden this approach by including different tree species and additional environmental factors, in order to better understand the variability and resilience of deadwood-driven soil processes across forest ecosystems.