A phytophagous insect outbreak affects the ecosystem of a pine forest. In this study we present evidence that invertebrate activity affects not only trees, but also the soil microbial community in pine forest soil.
Numbers of actinobacteria and fungi increased significantly due to bigger supply of easily degradable organic matter in litterfall. High rates of respiration in soils of the affected forest sites have also been noted. However, high respiration intensities were observed for no longer than a year after herbivory outbreak. Moreover, herbivory did not cause major, long-term disruptions of nitrogen mineralization processes in the studied pine forest soil.