Forest fire induces short‐term shifts in soil food webs with consequences for carbon cycling

We tested for fire‐induced (5–6 years post‐fire) changes in the structure and functioning of the soil food web along a 3000‐km north–south transect across European Russia, spanning all major forest types in the northern hemisphere outside the tropics. The total biomass of the detrital food web, including microbes and invertebrates, was not affected by fire. However, fire reduced the biomass of microfauna and mites, but had no impact on mesofauna or macrofauna. Fire also reduced rates of carbon (C) mobilisation by soil biota. Our results demonstrate that fire‐induced shifts in soil food webs have significant short‐term effects on forest soil C cycling, but that these effects vary across forest types and geographic locations. We tested for fire‐induced changes in the structure and functioning of the soil food web along a 3000‐km north–south transect across European Russia. The overall biomass of detrital food web was not affected by fire. Fire reduced rates of carbon mobilisation by soil biota, and the role of soil biota in controlling C mineralisation was considerably greater in burnt than unburnt forests.