Wildfires are among the main disturbances affecting forest ecosystems, with significant impacts on soil quality and microbial biodiversity. The intense heat generated during fires causes major physical, chemical, and biological changes in soils, altering nutrient availability, organic matter, and microbial community structure. These disruptions affect biogeochemical cycles, reduce soil fertility and water retention, and increase erosion risks, ultimately compromising ecosystem resilience.
This study investigates post-fire changes in soil quality in beech and pine forests in the Maiella National Park (Central Italy), using soil enzyme activities as indicators of microbial functionality and ecological recovery. Seven enzymes (dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatases, glucosidases, and oxidases) were analyzed to evaluate microbial responses and nutrient cycling under different fire intensities and environmental conditions.
Soils from sites affected by wildfires in 2017 and 2023 were compared to adjacent unburned controls. Results show contrasting responses: in some cases, fire stimulated enzymatic activity, likely due to the colonization by heat-adapted microbes and increased availability of organic substrates from combustion residues. In other cases, enzyme activity decreased, indicating strong microbial stress and reduced substrate availability.
The observed variability reflects the complex and site-specific effects of fire, influenced by vegetation type, litter composition, fire severity, and pre-existing microbial communities. These findings contribute to the BIOSFeR³a project, which explores how microbial and functional biodiversity supports the resistance, recovery, and regeneration of ecosystems affected by wildfires, climate change, and human pressures.
Understanding post-fire soil enzymatic dynamics provides essential insights for sustainable forest management and ecological restoration in fire-prone regions.

Project: “BIOdiversità Specifica e Funzionale per la Resistenza, Resilienza e Recupero ai disturbi ed al cambiamento climatico [BIOSFeR³a]”, funded by Italian Ministry of University and Research, “National Biodiversity Future Center - NBFC PROJECT”, CUP B83C22002930006