The effect of preservation on soil enzymes activities in Juniperus excelsa plantation of Chahartagh

Preservation of forest habitats has been shown to improve soil properties, rehabilitation and overall environmental quality. Soil enzymatic activities as indicator of biological activity of the soil are used for assessment quality and soil fertility. Little work has considered the effects of management in forest ecosystem. The objectives of this study were to quantify the seasonal changes in enzyme activity (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase and urease) of soils at areas under canopies and intercanopy at a preserved Juniperus excelsa habitat and to compare the results with a non preserved neighbor one in Chahartagh, Iran. Soil required samples were taken on May and September, 2009. Soil enzyme activities showed seasonal variation with higher activity in September in both areas. The activity of studied enzymes was significantly higher in soils under junipers at both preserved and non preserved areas. The more enzyme activity at areas under juniper may be related to a larger microbial community especially fungi under trees. The results indicated that preservation will induce changes in soil enzyme activities which affecting the functioning of soil processes such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling.