Aim of the study:
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of hurricane-driven deforestation and reforestation on diurnal changes in soil temperatures in the Tatra Mountains (Poland).

Material and methods:
Soil temperature was measured at 0.20 m of depth in the mineral soil horizons on both north-facing and south-facing slopes in the deforested subcatchment and in the control woodland subcatchment. Soil temperature measurements were collected every 10 minutes in 2015–2020. The cross-correlation analysis was applied in order to determine the magnitude of the delay of soil temperature to air temperature changes at four studied sites during a day.

Results and conclusions:
The effect of deforestation on diurnal changes in soil temperature manifested itself mainly via a larger range of diurnal soil temperatures during warmer part of the year. In the summer months the diurnal soil temperature range for deforested slopes was 1 to 3℃ higher than that for wooded slopes. Diurnal soil temperature ranges were found to strongly decline with reforestation. Deforested slopes were characterized by a more rapid soil temperature reaction to changes in air temperature over the course of the day. Cross-correlation revealed that soil temperature changes on a deforested, south-facing slope occurred 4 to 5 hours later relative to changes in air temperature, while the delay for a wooded slope facing the same direction was usually 7 to 8 hours. Soil temperatures in the summer, both during the day and at nighttime, were higher on deforested slopes than wooded slopes. This indicates that deforestation may significantly intensify soil warming caused by global climate warming.