Soil enzyme activities and microbial communities as bio indicators for soil recovery, health and quality in forest ecosystem in south Moravian region of the Czech Republic =:Půdní enzymové aktivity a mikrobiálních komunit jako bioindikátorů pro obnova půdy, zdraví a kvalita v dubových lesích v jihomoravském regionu České republiky /

Abstract

Forest ecosystem in Europe has been affected by the anthropogenic activities for many decades. Coppicing was the most commonly used forest management practice in Europe and the coppice forests were abandoned or converted into high forests from the beginning of 20th century. In general, anthropogenic activities including forest management (especially biomass harvesting) cause modifications in soil chemical, biochemical, and biological properties that subsequently affects the soil health and quality which may affect the soil ecosystem functions including the climate change. However, all forests harvesting practices might have adverse effects on soil properties, but their abandoned or conversion into high forests can have positive impact on their recovery. The present thesis highlights the assessing of soil functionality, health and quality in differently managed sessile oak forest in the south Moravian region of the Czech Republic using soil enzyme activities and microbial community functional diversity as bio indicators for soil health and qualityy. In addition, this work proved the potential of soil proteins as antimicrobial agent against multi-resistant microbial pathogens (i.e. methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus MRSA) using different experimental protocols. Our results provide evidence that the past intensive management system such as coppicing contributed to organic matter depletion in the soil and the abandonment of these forests has improved the overall situation, by reducing the side effects of the management within long time period and help the soil recovery under the extensively managed coppiced forest. On the other hand, the soil proteins extracted from the coppiced forest showed higher potential as antimicrobial agent than the soil proteins extracted from the high forest. This result provides strong evidence that the management practices affect the microbial community composition, structure, and function due to the changes in the micro and macroclimatic conditions in the managed site