title: Soil microbial community and its interaction with soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics following afforestation in central China.
abstract: Afforestation may alter soil microbial community structure and function, and further affect soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Here we investigated soil microbial carbon and nitrogen (MBC and MBN) and microbial community [e.g. bacteria (B), fungi (F)] derived from phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis in afforested (implementing woodland and shrubland plantations) and adjacent croplands in central China. Relationships of microbial properties with biotic factors [litter, fine root, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and inorganic N], abiotic factors (soil temperature, moisture and pH), and major biological processes [basal microbial respiration, microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2), net N mineralization and nitrification] were developed. Afforested soils had higher mean MBC, MBN and MBN:TN ratios than the croplands due to an increase in litter input, but had lower MBC:SOC ratio resulting from low-quality (higher C:N ratio) litter. Afforested soils also had higher F:B ratio, which was probably attributed to higher C:N ratios in litter and soil, and shifts of soil inorganic N forms, water, pH and disturbance. Alterations in soil microbial biomass and community structure following afforestation were associated with declines in basal microbial respiration, qCO2, net N mineralization and nitrification, which likely maintained higher soil carbon and nitrogen storage and stability.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China. Electronic address: xlcheng@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA.
authors.forename: Dafeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Quanfa
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D055669:Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D016468:Forestry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D065928:Forests; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Carbon sequestration; Land use change; Microbial community structure; Nitrogen transformation; Plant-microbial interaction; Soil microbial biomass