The Soil Microbiome of the Laurel Forest in Garajonay National Park (La Gomera, Canary Islands): Comparing Unburned and Burned Habitats after a Wildfire

A wildfire dramatically alters the soil microbiome of Garajonay National Park's laurel forest, reducing species richness and diversity while shifting bacterial community composition. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria dominated unburned soils, but burned areas saw significant decreases in these groups alongside a surge in Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. The study compared microbial communities across two topographical positions—slope and ridge crest—in both undisturbed and post-fire habitats, revealing the fire's profound impact on this unique subtropical ecosystem.

Villadas, P. J., Díaz-Díaz, S., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, A., del Arco-Aguilar, M., Fernández-González, A. J., Pérez-Yépez, J., Arbelo, C., González-Mancebo, J. M., Fernández-López, M., & León-Barrios, M. (2019). The Soil Microbiome of the Laurel Forest in Garajonay National Park (La Gomera, Canary Islands): Comparing Unburned and Burned Habitats after a Wildfire. Forests, 10(12), 1051. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121051