Effects of land-use patterns on soil microbial diversity and composition in the Loess Plateau,China

In the Loess Plateau of China,land-use pattern is a major factor in controlling underlying biological processes.Additionally,the process of land-use pattern was accompanied by abandoned lands,potentially impacting soil microbe.However,limited researches were conducted to study the impacts of land-use patterns on the diversity and community of soil microorganisms in this area.The study aimed to investigate soil microbial community diversity and composition using high-throughput deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA)sequencing under different land-use patterns(apricot tree land,apple tree land,peach tree land,corn land,and abandoned land).The results showed a substantial difference(P<0.050)in bacterial alpha-diversity and beta-diversity between abandoned land and other land-use patterns,with the exception of Shannon index.While fungal beta-diversity was not considerably impacted by land-use patterns,fungal alpha-diversity indices varied significantly.The relative abundance of Actinobacteriota(34.90%),Proteobacteria(20.65%),and Ascomycota(77.42%)varied in soils with different land-use patterns.Soil pH exerted a dominant impact on the soil bacterial communities'composition,whereas soil available phosphorus was the main factor shaping the soil fungal communities'composition.These findings suggest that variations in land-use pattern had resulted in changes to soil properties,subsequently impacting diversity and structure of microbial community in the Loess Plateau.Given the strong interdependence between soil and its microbiota,it is imperative to reclaim abandoned lands to maintain soil fertility and sustain its function,which will have significant ecological service implications,particularly with regards to soil conservation in ecologically vulnerable areas.

Research Progress of Soil Microbiology

This paper aims at summarized the research progress of soil microbes,in amount of soil microbes including bacteria,fungi and actinomycetes,soil microbial biomass,including microbial biomass carbon,microbial biomass nitrogen and microbial biomass phosphorus,function of microbial and screening and application of beneficial microorganisms etc.,and future research are discussed combined with our project team for many years of work.

Effects of vegetation type on soil microbial community structure and catabolic diversity assessed by polyphasic methods in North China

Soil microbes play a major role in ecological processes and are closely associated with the aboveground plant community. In order to understand the effects of vegetation type on the characteristics of soil microbial communities, the soil microbial communities were assessed by plate counts, phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） and Biolog microplate techniques in five plant communities, i.e., soybean field （SF）, artificial turf （AT）, artificial shrub （AS）, natural shrub （NS）, and maize field （MF） in Jinan, Shandong Province, North China. The results showed that plant diversity had little discernible effect on microbial biomass but a positive impact on the evenness of utilized substrates in Biolog microplate. Legumes could significantly enhance the number of cultural microorganisms, microbial biomass, and community catabolic diversity. Except for SF dominated by legumes, the biomass of fungi and the catabolic diversity of microbial community were higher in less disturbed soil beneath NS than in frequently disturbed soils beneath the other vegetation types. These results confirmed that high number of plant species, legumes, and natural vegetation types tend to support soil microbial communities with higher function. The present study also found a significant correlation between the number of cultured bacteria and catabolic diversity of the bacterial community. Different research methods led to varied results in this study. The combination of several approaches is recommended for accurately describing the characteristics of microbial communities in many respects.

Field released transgenic papaya effect on soil microbial communities and enzyme activities

Soil properties, microbial communities and enzyme activities were studied in soil amended with replicase （RP）-transgenic or non-transgenic papaya under field conditions. Compared with non-transgenic papaya, significant differences （P〈0.05） were observed in total nitrogen in soils grown with transgenic papaya. There were also significant differences （P〈0.05） in the total number of colony forming units （CFUs） of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi between soils amended with RP-transgenic plants and non-transgenic plants. Compared with non-transgenic papaya, the total CFUs of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in soil with transgenic papaya increased by 0.43-1.1, 0.21-0.80 and 0.46-0.73 times respectively. Significantly higher （P〈0.05） CFUs of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi resistant to kanamycin （Km） were obtained in soils with RP-transgenic papaya than those with non-transgenic papaya in all concentrations of Km. Higher resistance quotients for Km＇ （kanamycin resistant） bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were found in soil planted with RP-transgenic papaya, and the resistance quotients for Km＇ bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in soils with transgenic papaya increased 1.6-4.46, 0.63-2.5 and 0.75-2.30 times. RP-transgenic papaya and non-transgenic papaya produced significantly different enzyme activities in arylsulfatase （5.4-5.9x）, polyphenol oxidase （0.7-1.4x）, invertase （0.5-0.79x）, cellulase （0.23-0.35x） and phosphodiesterase （0.16-0.2x）. The former three soil enzymes appeared to be more sensitive to the transgenic papaya than the others, and could be useful parameters in assessing the effects of transgenic papaya. Transgenic papaya could alter soil chemical properties, enzyme activities and microbial communities.

Effects of seasonal variations on soil microbial community composition of two typical zonal vegetation types in the Wuyi Mountains

Seasonal shifts play an important role in soil microbial community composition. This study examined the hypothesis that soil microbial community structure would vary with seasonal shifts in the Wuyi Mountains in Southeast China, and that two representative tree species （Castanopisi carlesii and Cunninghamia lanceolata） may have different soil microbial community composition. Phospholipids fatty acid analysis （PLFA） of seasonal shifts and was used to assess the effect vegetation types on soil microbial community structure. A total of 22 different PLFAs were identified from all the soil samples. The bacterial PLFAs accounted for 62.37% of the total PLFAs, followed by fungi （28.94%）, and the minimum was actinomycetes （6.41%）. Overall, the level of PLFAs in C. carlesii soil was greater than those in C. lanceolata soil, and significant differences were observed in some seasons. The amounts of total, bacteria, actinomycic and fungal PLFAs significantly changed with the seasons and followed a sequence order （summer 〉 autumn 〉 spring 〉 winter）. The bacteria/fungi PLFAs and G （＋）/G （-） PLFAs of two vegetation types also changed with the seasons and the ratios in summer and autumn were higher than those in spring and winter. The correlation analysis of microbial PLFAs and soil physicochemical properties showed that the total, bacteria, fungal, actinomycic, G （＋） and G （-） PLFAs were significantly positive correlation with TOC, TN, TP, TK and moisture content. We concluded that the seasonal shifts and vegetation types affect soil microbial community composition by changing the soil physicochemical properties.

Effects of vegetation coverage and seasonal change on soil microbial biomass and community structure in the dry-hot valley region

Soil microorganisms are sensitive indicator of soil health and quality. Understanding the effects of vegetation biomass and seasonal change on soil microorganisms is vital to evaluate the soil quality and implement vegetation restoration. This study analyzed the soil phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs) in fresh and withered Kudzu(Pueraria montana var. lobata) vegetation conditions in different seasons. The results showed that vegetation biomass and seasonal change significantly affected microbial biomass and its community structure. Both fresh and withered Kudzu cover significantly increased soil microbial biomass, and the growth effect of microbes in the soil with fresh Kudzu cover was more obvious than that with withered Kudzu cover. Compared with the dry season, the rainy season significantly increased the microbial biomass and the B/F(the ratio of bacterial to fungal PLFAs) ratio but dramatically reduced the G+/G-(the ratio of gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria PLFAs). Kudzu cover and seasonal change had a significant effect on microbial structure in soil covered by higher vegetation biomass. Furthermore, soil temperature and moisture had different correlations with specific microbial biomass in the two seasons. Our findings highlight the effect of Kudzu vine cover on the soil microenvironment and soil microhabitat, enhancing the soil quality in the Dry-hot Valley of Jinsha River, Southwest China.

Effect of Different Fertilizer Treatments on Quantity of Soil Microbes and Structure of Ammonium Oxidizing Bacterial Community in a Calcareous Purple Paddy Soil

The quantity of soil microbes and the structure of ammonium oxidizing bacterial （AOB） community were analyzed using the dilution plate counting and most probable number method （MPN）, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）, respectively. Fertilizer application tended to increase the number of soil microbes and alter the AOB community compared to the control with no fertilizer application （CK）. Among the eight fertilizer treatments, soil samples from the treatments of mineral fertilizers （e.g., N, P, K） in combination with farmyard manure （M） had greater number.s of soil microbes and more complex structure of AOB community than those receiving mineral fertilizers alone. The principal component analyses （PCA） for ammonium oxidizing bacterial community structure showed that the eight fertilizer treatments could be divided into two PCA groups （PCA1 and PCA2）. For the soil sampled after rice harvest, PCA1 included NP, NM, NPM and NPKM fertilizer treatments, while PCA2 was consisted of CK, N, M and NPK fertilizer treatments. For soil samples collected after wheat harvest, PCA1 was consisted of M, NM, NPM and NPKM fertilizer treatments, while PCA2 was composed of CK, N, NP and NPK fertilizer treatments. For a given rotation, the richness of AOB community in PCA1 was greater than that in PCA2. In addition, AOB community structure was more complex in the soil after rice harvest than that after wheat harvest. The results indicated that different fertilizer treatments resulted in substantial changes of soil microbe number and AOB community. Furthermore, mineral fertilizers （N, NP, NPK） combined with farmyard manure were effective for increasing the quantity of soil microbes, enriching AOB community, and improving the soil biofertility.

Identification of candidate soil microbes responsible for small-scale heterogeneity in strawberry plant vigour

Studies were conducted to identify candidate soil microbes responsible for observed differences in strawberry vigour at a small spatial scale, which was not associated with visual disease symptoms. Samples were obtained from the soils close to the rhizosphere of ‘big＇ and ‘small＇ plants from small plots which exhibited large local heterogeneity in plant vigour. A metabarcoding approach was used to profile bacterial and fungal compositions, using two primer pairs for 16 S ribosomal RNA genes（16S r DNA） and one for the fungal internal transcribed spacer（ITS） region. Of the two 16 S r DNA primer sets, the 341F/805 R resulted in sequences of better quality. A total 28 operational taxonomic units（OTUs） had differential relative abundance between samples from ‘big＇ and ‘small＇ plants. However, plausible biological explanation was only possible for three fungal OTUs. Two were possible phytopathogens： Verticillium spp. and Alternaria alternata although the latter has never been considered as a main pathogen of strawberry in the UK. For samples from ‘small＇ plants, the abundance of these OTUs was much greater than from ‘big＇ plants. The opposite was true for a mycorrhizal OTU. These results suggest that soil microbes related to crop production can be identified using metabarcoding technique. Further research is needed to assess whether A. alternata and Verticillium spp. could affect strawberry growth in the field.

Effects of Different Gravel Mulched Years on Soil Microbial Flora and Physical and Chemical Properties in Gravelsand Mulched Fields

Soil microbial flora and influencing factors of soil microbes in soil and gravel-sand mixed layer（ SGSML）,roots denseness layer（ RDL）,eluviate layer（ EL） and calcium accumulation layer（ CAL） in gravel-sand mulched fields（ GSMFs） with different gravel mulched years（ 1,6,12,19 and 25 years） were studied. The results showed that in the composition of soil microbes in the GSMFs,the quantity of bacteria was the largest,followed by actinomycetes,while the number of fungi was the smallest. The total quantity of soil microorganisms in the GSMFs dropped rapidly with the increase of soil depth,which was related to the sudden decrease in the quantity of bacteria. The number of microbes in the RDL was larger than that in the SGSML with few roots due to the effects of root distribution. The number of bacteria and actinomycete in the growing season was larger than that in the non-growing season,while the quantity of fungi in the growing season was smaller than that in the non-growing season. The quantity of bacteria and fungi was the largest in the GSMFs which had been mulched with gravel for 6-12 years. With the increase of mulching time,the GSMFs aged gradually,so their quantity reduced gradually. The quantity of actinomycetes was the smallest in the GSMFs which had been mulched with gravel for 6-12 years and increased with the increase of mulching time. The number of soil microbes in the GSMFs had a good correlation with soil moisture content,p H and mulching time. Soil total carbon content was an important factor restricting the quantity of soil microbes in the GSMFs.

Long-term effects of gravel-sand mulch thickness on soil microbes and enzyme activities in semi-arid Loess Plateau,Northwest China

In semi-arid areas of China,gravel and sand mulch is a farming technique with a long history.In this study,a sample survey was conducted on long term gravel sand mulch observational fields in the Northwest Loess Plateau to determine the effects of long term mulch on soil microbial and soil enzyme activities.We found that after long term gravel-sand mulch,compared with bare ground,soil organic matter,alkali nitrogen,conductivity decreased,while pH and soil moisture increased.Urease,saccharase and catalase decreased with increased mulch thickness,while alkaline phosphatase was reversed.The results of Illumina MiSeq sequencing shows that after gravel-sand mulch,the bacterial and fungal community structure was different from bare land,and the diversity was reduced.Compared with bare land,the bacteria Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria abundance increased with increased thickness,and Actinobacteria was opposite.Also,at the fungal genus level,Fusarium abundance was significantly reduced,and Remersonia was significantly increased,compared with bare land.Redundancy analysis(RDA)revealed that soil environmental factors were important drivers of bacterial community changes.Overall,this study revealed some of the reasons for soil degradation after long term gravel-sand mulch.Therefore,it is recommended that the addition of exogenous soil nutrients after long term gravel-sand can help improve soil quality.

Effect of Pesticides on soil microbial and enzyme activity

Objective Pesticides has gain an increasing awareness because of it is becoming a serious environmental problem and come to threaten the health of humanbeing.The effect of five pesticides(zineb,copforce,the mixture of carbendazim and mancozeb,hymexazol)on soil bacteria,fungi,actinomyces,and Five specific enzymes were chosen for investigation(urease,dehydrogenase,invertase,acid phosphates and protease).Methods The enumeration of the soil micro flora was done by the dilution plate method;The enzyme activity was determined by traditional methods.Shannon-Wiener index as well as 16S rRNA-PCR amplification and DGGE fingerprinting was used for detection of shift in microbial community diversity in pesticides contaminated agricultural soil.Results The outcome showed that the microbial diversity was significantly changed after the application of pesticides,the effect of pesticides on microbe had a order from top to bottom:bacteria-actinomyces-fungi.Conclusions Our results indicate that the use of the pesticides hymexazol resulted in an altered soil community structure,in particular for the actinomyces.Invertase was markedly inhibited by hymexazol,zineb,carbendazim and mancozeb and the inhibiting rates were varied between 30.30% and 21.21%;Urease activity was also inhibited significantly by hymexazol,the inhibiting rate was 37.67%;Protease activity was markedly inhibited by zineb and hymexazol,the inhibiting rates were 27.27% and 18.18% respectively;Phosphates activity was inhibited significantly by hymexazol,zineb,carbendazim and mancozeb,the inhibiting rates were range from 22.12%-3.54%;Dehydrogenase activity was not significantly affected by pesticides.Meanwhile,the correlation of all indexes were analyzed,the data suggested that all indexes existed certain correlation.

Habitat-specific changes of plant and soil microbial community composition in response to fairy ring fungus Agaricus xanthodermus on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Fairy rings are common in diverse global biomes and often appear as lush vegetation in one to three concentric zones caused by the spread of mycelia in grassland ecosystems.However,the underlying mechanisms and environmental adaptation of fairy rings remain largely unclear.In this study,two fairy rings(A and B)caused by Agaricus xanthodermus were sampled on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during a time when fairy rings are most obvious.By conducting a vegetation survey and high-throughput sequencing,the changes of plants and soil microorganisms to fairy ring fungi were examined.Plant above-ground biomass at both fairy rings was greatly increased by fairy ring fungi,but the response of dominant plant species is different at two fairy ring sites.In addition,bacterial and fungal communities significantly varied within distinct sampling zones across the fairy rings,and showed variable genus-specific responses at two fairy ring sites.At fairy ring A,soil available N:P ratio was essential in shaping the structure of plant and microbial community,while soil available N concentration was the most important predictor at fairy ring B.Taken together,our results indicated Agaricus xanthodermus fairy rings have variable effects on alpine meadow plants and soil microbes at different habitats.We propose that the impacts of fairy ring fungi on plants and microbes are determined by the level of soil available N concentration and available N:P ratio.These results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms through which fairy rings affect the vegetation of alpine meadows.

Effect of Autotoxicity and Soil Microbes in Continuous Cropping Soil on Angelica sinensis Seedling Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Population

Objective To study the effect of autotoxicity and the co-effect of autotoxicity and soil microbes from continuous cropping soil on Angelica sinensis growth, root yield and content of essential oils, and soilmicrobalpopulation. Methods The pot experiments were conducted upon A. sinensis seedlings in continuous cropping soil. At the different growth stages, we determined the seedlings in growth parameters, root yield, content of essential oils, ethanol extract, and cultivable microbial populations in rhizosphere soil. Results A. sinensis seedlings were significantly inhibited in growth, root yield and quality. Compared with the control, the composition and structure of soil microbes were changed and the diversity indexes of bacteria functional groups were reduced in rhizosphere soil ofA. sinensis. A. sinensiscropping problems were more seriously after the treatment with combination of autotoxicity and soil microbes than with autotoxicity alone. Conclusion The autotoxicityand soil microbes from continuous cropping soil of A. sinensis could cause the continuous cropping obstacle together.

Effects of reclaimed water irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on the chemical properties and microbial community of soil

The ecological effect of reclaimed water irrigation and fertilizer application on the soil environment is receiving more attention.Soil microbial activity and nitrogen（N）levels are important indicators of the effect of reclaimed water irrigation on environment.This study evaluated soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in soils irrigated with reclaimed water and receiving varied amounts of N fertilizer.The results indicated that the reclaimed water irrigation increased soil electrical conductivity（EC）and soil water content（SWC）.The N treatment has highly significant effect on the ACE,Chao,Shannon（H）and Coverage indices.Based on a 16S ribosomal RNA（16S rRNA）sequence analysis,the Proteobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes and Bacteroidetes were more abundant in soil irrigated with reclaimed water than in soil irrigated with clean water.Stronger clustering of microbial communities using either clean or reclaimed water for irrigation indicated that the type of irrigation water may have a greater influence on the structure of soil microbial community than N fertilizer treatment.Based on a canonical correspondence analysis（CCA）between the species of soil microbes and the chemical properties of the soil,which indicated that nitrate N（NO3-–-N）and total phosphorus（TP）had significant impact on abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Gemmatimonadetes,meanwhile the p H and organic matter（OM）had impact on abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria significantly.It was beneficial to the improvement of soil bacterial activity and fertility under 120 mg kg^-1 N with reclaimed water irrigation.

Soil microbes alleviate allelopathy of invasive plants

Soil microbes are one of the most important determinants of allelopathic effects in the field. However, most studies testing the role of allelopathy in biological invasions did not consider the roles of soil microbes. Here we tested the hypothesis that soil microbes which can degrade allelochemicals may accumulate in soils over time by adaptation and therefore increase the degradation of allelochemicals and alleviate the allelopathic effects in biological invasions. As expected, soil microbes signifi- cantly decreased the allelopathic effects of leaf leachates of eight in the nine invasive plant species studied. In addition, Ageratina adenophora showed lower allelopathic effects in soil with long or intermediately invasion history than those in soil with short invasion history. The two main allelo- chemicals of the invader were degraded more rapidly with increasing invasion history in the soil. Correspondingly,biomass and activity of the soil microbes were higher in the soils with long invasion history than in that with short invasion history. Our results indicate that soil microbes may graduaUy adapt to the allelochemicals of Ageratina and alleviate its allelopathic effects and thus support the above hypothesis. It is necessary to consider the effects of soil microbes when testing the roles of allelopathy or the novel weapons hypothesis in biological invasions.

Variations of Microbial Communities and the Contents and Isotopic Compositions of Total Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen in Soil Samples during Their Preservation

Semi-sealed preservation of soil samples at different moisture of 4% and 23 %, respectively, was simulated to observe the variations of soil microbial communities and determine the contents and isotopic compositions of the total organic carbon and total nitrogen on the 7th and 30th day, respectively. The results show that during preservation, the quantity of microbial communities tended to increase first and then decrease, with a wider variation range at higher moisture （23%）. At the moisture content of 23 %, the microbial communities became more active on the 7th day, but less after 30 days, and their activity was stable with little fluctuation at the moisture content of 4%. However, there were no significant changes in the contents and isotopic compositions of the total organic carbon and total nitrogen. During preservation, the responses of soil microbes to the environment are more sensitive to changes in the total nitrogen and organic carbon contents. It is thus suggested that the variations of microbial communities have not exerted remarkable impacts on the isotope compositions of the total nitrogen and total organic carbon.

Soil microbes weaken the positive effect of an aquaticterrestrial subsidy on plant performance

Aims Linkages formed through aquatic-terrestrial subsidies can play an important role in structuring communities and mediating ecosystem functions.Aquatic-terrestrial subsidies may be especially important in nutrient-poor ecosystems,such as the freshwater sand dunes surrounding Lake Michigan.Adult midges emerge from Lake Michigan in the spring,swarm to mate and die.Their carcasses form mounds at the base of plants,where they may in crease plant productivity through their nutrient inputs.However,the effect of aquatic-terrestrial subsidies on plant productivity could depend on other biotic interactions.In particular,soil microbes might play a key role in facilitating the conversion of nutrients to plant-available forms or competing for the nutrients with plants.Methods In a greenhouse experiment,we tested how carcasses from lake emerge nt midges(Chironomidae)and soil microbes indepe ndently and interactively influe need the performance of a common dune grass,Calamovilfa longifolia.To determine whether midges influenced abiotic soil properties,we measured how midge additions influe need soil nutrients and soil moisture.Important Findings Midges greatly increased plant biomass,while soil microbes in flue need the magnitude of this effect.In the absence of soil microbes plant biomass was seven times greater with midges than without midges.However,in the presence of soil microbes,plant biomass was only three times greater.The effect of midges might be driven by their nutrient inputs into the soil,as midges contained 100 times more N,10 times more P and 150 times more K than dune soils did.Our results suggest that soil microbes may be competing with plants for these nutrients.In sum,we found that midges can be an important aquatic-terrestrial subsidy that produces strong,positive effects on plant productivity along the shorelines of Lake Michigan,but that the impact of aquatic-terrestrial subsidies must be considered within the context of the complex interactions that take place within ecological communities.

Invasion by Conyza sumatrensis alters soil microbial community structure in urban ecosystems

Introduction:Whether invasive plants stimulate or inhibit the soil microbial diversity is still an open question.Despite large-scale invasion by Conyza sumatrensis(Retz.)E.Walker in the urban ecosystems of the Srinagar city of the Kashmir Himalayan region,limited information exists on its impact,particularly,on the belowground microbial diversity.The present study was thus conducted to compare the soil microbial(bacterial and ascomycetous fungal)diversity between the sites invaded by C.sumatrensis and un-invaded(control)sites.Methods:Soil metagenome was extracted from C.sumatrensis invaded and un-invaded plots at the three study sites.A total of six plots(5×5 m each in size),including three invaded by C.sumatrensis and three un-invaded plots were nested within each study site.DNA after amplification was subject to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE);the bands were extracted from the DGGE gel,re-amplified,and sequenced for identification of the species.Results:The number of bacterial species was reduced in the invaded plots at two out of the three sites while as it was relatively higher in the un-invaded plots with many species exclusively found in these plots.Fungal species richness was higher in the invaded plots compared to the un-invaded plots at all the three sites.Also,more fungal species were found to occur exclusively in the invaded plots without being represented in the un-invaded plots.Conclusions:Invasion by C.sumatrensis alters soil microbial community structure in the urban ecosystems in the Kashmir Himalaya.How this species does so and what benefits does it draw from such alteration promise to be an interesting future discourse.

Assessment of soil microbial and enzyme activity in the rhizosphere zone under different land use/cover of a semiarid region, India

Background:Land use/cover and management practices are widely known to influence soil organic matter(SOM)quality and quantity.The present study investigated the effect of different land use,i.e.,forests viz.mixed forest cover(MFC),Prosopis juliflora(Sw.)DC-dominated forest cover(PFC),and cultivated sites viz.agriculture field(AF),vegetable field(VF),respectively,on soil parameter,microbial activity,and enzymes involved in soil nutrient cycle in a semiarid region of India.Results:The results showed a significant reduction(P<0.05)in soil carbon(SC),soil nitrogen(SN)content(~30–80%)and consequently the soil microbial biomass carbon(SMBC)(~70–80%),soil basal respiration(SBR),soil substrate-induced respiration(SSIR),and soil enzyme activities(β-glucosidase,acid phosphatase,and dehydrogenase)under cultivated sites in comparison with forest sites.Pearson’s correlation showed that a positive correlation of SC with SMBC,SBR,SSIR(P<0.01),and enzymatic activities(i.e.,β-glucosidase,dehydrogenase)(P<0.05)may imply the critical role of SC in regulating microbial and enzymatic activity.Also,a positive correlation of soil moisture with urease activity(P<0.01)was found suggesting it as a significant abiotic factor for soil biological functions.Additionally,based on the PCA analysis,we observed the clustering of SMBC/SC ratio and qCO_(2) nearby AF.Conclusion:Our study suggests that soil microbial parameters(SMBC,SBR,SSIR,SMBC/SC,qCO_(2))and enzyme activity are key indicators of soil health and fertility.Land use/cover alters the SOM content and soil microbial functions.The management strategies focusing on the conservation of natural forest and minimizing the land disturbances will be effective in preventing soil carbon flux as CO_(2) and maintaining the SC stock.

INTERCROPPING TEA PLANTATIONS WITH SOYBEAN AND RAPESEED ENHANCES NITROGEN FIXATION THROUGH SHIFTS IN SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES

Intercropping with eco-friendly crops is a well-known strategy for improving agriculture sustainability with benefits throughout the soil community,though the range of crop impacts on soil microbiota and extent of feedbacks to crops remain largely unclear.This study evaluated the impacts of different intercropping systems on soil bacterial community composition,diversity,and potential functions in tea gardens.Intercropping systems were found to be significantly influenced soil microbiota.Within the three tested intercropping systems(tea-soybean,tea-rapeseed and tea-soybean-rapeseed),the teasoybean-rapeseed intercropping system had the most dramatic influence on soil microbiota,with increases in richness accompanied by shifts in the structure of tea garden soil bacterial networks.Specifically,relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria associated with essential mineral nutrient cycling increased significantly in the tea-soybean-rapeseed intercropping system.In addition,soil microbial functions related to nutrient cycling functions were significantly enhanced.This was in accordance with increasing relative abundance of nitrogen cycling bacteria,including Burkholderia spp.and Rhodanobacter spp.Based on these results,it is proposed that intercropping tea plantation with soybean and rapeseed may benefit soil microbiota,and thereby promises to be an important strategy for improving soil health in ecologically sound tea production systems.