Decoupling of soil biological properties by deforestation

Soil management practices can influence both the level and quality of soil organic matter. The effects of oak (Quercus brantii Lindl) deforestation on soil organic C (SOC), soil basal respiration (SBR), potentially mineralizable N (PMN), soil l-asparaginase activity (LAS) and their association were investigated. Soil samples were collected from protected forest and deforested counterparts of four adjacent sites in Lordegan region, west central Iran. Deforestation decreased SOC, SBR, PMN and LAS by 63, 62, 57 and 61%, respectively, and reduced the correlation coefficients among the bio-indicators to insignificant levels. It can be concluded that deforestation not only degraded the soil biological properties but also decreased the degree of correlation among them.