Iranian Journal of Forest

Iranian Journal of Forest

Changes in Microbial and Biological Soil Fertility under Waste Accumulation in the Hyrcanian Forests

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Yahya Kooch
Katayoun Haghverdi 1
Azam Noraiy 2
Samaneh Hajimirzaaghayee 3
Mojtaba Amiri 4
Saeid Shabani 5
Mehrdad Zarafshar 6
1 Islamic Azad University
2 Sari Unievrsity
3 Sari University
4 Semnan University
5 Gorgan Research Institute
6 Linnaeus University
10.22034/ijf.2026.532142.2055
Abstract
Introduction: Landfilling, also known as open dumping, is among the most commonly employed methods for managing municipal solid waste globally. Currently, numerous active landfill sites in developing nations are deficient in proper leachate collection systems and sufficient treatment facilities, leading to significant environmental harm, especially in the Hyrcanian forests. Nevertheless, there has been no comparative research published regarding microbial indices and soil biological fertility between natural forest stands and landfill sites in Iran. Consequently, this study was undertaken to address this deficiency, concentrating on four cities (Behshahr, Shirgah, Noor, and Chalous), examining both adjacent forests stands (uncontaminated) and landfill sites.
Materials and Methods: In this research, soil samples were taken from four waste accumulation locations across various cities. At each location, 20 soil samples were gathered during the growing season from two depths: 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm. Additionally, control samples were obtained from nearby, uncontaminated forest areas to compare with the contaminated sites. All samples underwent chemical and biological analyses after being transported to the laboratory. To evaluate biological fertility, the soil biological fertility index was utilized as a standard measure. This index is determined based on factors such as soil organic matter, basal respiration, microbial biomass carbon, metabolic coefficient, and mineralization rate.
Results: Across all cities, soil microbial and enzymatic indices were significantly lower in landfill sites compared to the adjacent forest stands (P < 0.01). The results further revealed that the highest and lowest activities of urease, acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and invertase at both depths were observed in Chalous and Behshahr, respectively (P < 0.01). In addition, the assessment of the soil biological fertility index indicated that all four cities fell within the pre-stress (alarm) condition, with the lowest score (9) recorded in Behshahr.
Conclusion: The findings of this research demonstrated that waste accumulation in the Hyrcanian forests leads to a significant reduction in soil microbial indices, enzymatic activities, and biological fertility compared to uncontaminated forest soils. These changes represent a serious threat to the sustainability of forest ecosystem functions. Therefore, the results of this study can be directly applied in the sustainable management of the Hyrcanian forests. It is recommended that management actions such as preventing unregulated waste disposal, continuous monitoring of soil quality, and designing bioremediation programs in contaminated areas be considered as top priorities by natural resource and environmental managers.
Keywords
Natural forest
Non-engineered waste accumulation
Soil pollution
Soil biological fertility
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 09 July 2025
  • Revise Date 01 October 2025
  • Accept Date 25 October 2025