showed that SRC improved breeding bird diversity compared to agricultural cropland, but bird diversity was lower than in forest ecosystems, and ground beetle diversity was higher in arable fields than in SRC.
Makeschin (1994) showed an increase in soil fauna
diversity, microbial biomass and most faunal groups,
especially decomposers, in tree plantations compared
to arable land. Other studies dealt with mycorrhizal
fungi and showed that mycorrhizal colonization significantly
increases willow production (Van Der Heijden
2001; Toljander et al. 2006). The impact of soil conversion
to SRC on nutrient availability and soil carbon
storage has also been considered. Over the long term,
SRC can represent a carbon sink but over the short term
it can induce N and K depletion (Lockwell et al. 2012;
Ens et al. 2013). Compared to other trees, willow is
known to be both water- and nutrient-demanding, especially
when cultivated at high densities (Ledin 1998).
Because of this high demand, the soil nutritional status
of non-amended SRC plots could modify soil biological
activity, communities and biogeochemical cycles.
However, as yet there has been no study about the
impact of SRC on soil physico-chemical and especially
biological properties.