Impacts of forest stand density on the biodiversity and functioning of the plant-soil interface

Global warming imposes ne wc onstraints on forest ecosystems and induces forest management adaptation. French forest policy currently advocates mor ei ntensiv et hinning so as to mitigate the increased risk of water stress from mor ef requent summer droughts. However, fe ws tudies hav ey et assessed the potential impact of these intensiv ef orest management practices on soil biodiversity, which is the subject of my thesis. The first results sho wt hat the soil food we bs tructur ei sa ffected by mor ei ntensiv et hinning. Indeed, the abundance of several soil detritivor eg roups, i.e. springtails, mites and millipedes is negatively impacted by stand density reduction. The earthworm community is also affected, as endogeic abundance increases with stand density reduction while anecic abundance decreases. This could hav ei mportant consequences in terms of litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, which ar ee ssential functions for forest soil fertility.