Soil samples from the rhizosphere of pine (Pinus densiflora) stands in the fire-disturbed Uljin forest were collected to analyze their physicochemical properties and fungal communities. In the burned area, soil pH decreased by 0.56, and organic matter content decreased by 0.32%p compared to the undisturbed area. Fungal community analysis revealed that all alpha diversity indices decreased in the burned area, but there were no differences according to fire severity. Soil pH, available phosphorus, and total nitrogen showed a positive correlation with the alpha diversity. Additionally, beta diversity analysis also indicated significant differences in the fungal communities between the burned area and the control sites (p value = 0.031). The changes in fungal communities were considered to be influenced by the decline in the order Atheliales, genus Russula, and genus Trechispora. A prediction analysis of the functional traits of fungi showed that the number of fungi involved in nutrient absorption and decomposition decreased in the burned area. It seems that the soil restoration of pine forests is progressing very slowly, as the soil fungi related to nutrient absorption by pine trees have not recovered even 18 months after the forest fire. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor continuous fungal communities in pine forest restoration after a forest fire to determine forest ecosystem restoration success and stabilization.

Evaluating forest functional indicators is essential for effective forest management planning. In this study, we conducted a metagenome-based comparative analysis of the rhizosphere soils from a natural Quercus mongolica stand and an artificial Larix kaempferi stand on Mt. Gariwang, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. Both stands originally belonged to the same natural forest and represent the current dominant tree species. Bacterial communities were affected more by climate than by tree species. A bacterial co-occurrence network analysis showed more complex interactions in the Q. mongolica than in L. kaempferi. Conversely, fungal communities were affected more by tree species than by climate. Specifically, the Q. mongolica stand had a high ratio of saprotrophic fungi, whereas the L. kaempferi stand exhibited a higher ratio of fungi associated with nutrient decomposition and harbored a high proportion of fungi that form ectomycorrhizae with long-distance exploration types. These fungal traits serve as indicators of soil ecological changes in Q. mongolica and L. kaempferi stands. Our comparative analysis of the microbial communities of Q. mongolica and L. kaempferi, representative plantation species in the Republic of Korea, revealed seasonal and host species–specific bacterial and fungal associations, and fungal communities were less variable than bacterial communities and more accurately reflected host tree traits.