Redistribution of wood ash from energy production to soil can be beneficially due to fertilizing and acid-neutralizing capabilities of the ash. The alkaline nature, the high salinity and the nutrient content of the ash may have substantial effects on soil bacterial communities and thus impact on the many essential bacterial driven processes in soil. In this talk I will present results from an incubation study investigating soil bacterial community responses in a Spruce forest plantation using culture dependent- and independent methods. Results show that wood ash addition significantly changes bacterial numbers, community composition and diversity of the soil.