Distribution of Soil Organic Carbon Density Fractions in Aggregates as Influenced by Salts and Microbial Community

Abstract

Understanding soil organic carbon (SOC) at the aggregate level is crucial for soil health in secondary-salinized greenhouse development. Nevertheless, the specific patterns and contributions of ion content and microbial communities on SOC density fractions at the aggregate level remain unclear in secondary-salinized soil. We investigated variations in salts [electrical conductivity (EC) and ions] and microbial communities across various aggregate classes in both a 16-year-use greenhouse and open-field soils. We also examined SOC density fractions, including the light fraction (LF), the heavy fraction of particulate organic matter (POM), and mineral-associated organic matter (MOM) across different aggregates. The findings revealed that a lower Ca2+/K+ along with elevated EC levels (average 2.49 mS cm−1) reduced the macroaggregate percentage in greenhouse compared to open-field conditions, with a lower EC of 0.58 mS cm−1. Bacterial diversity and community composition exhibited no variation across different aggregate sizes at both sites. Conversely, fungal diversity and relative abundance (primarily dominated by Ascomycota of 78.50%) substantially increased in microaggregates (<0.25 mm) compared to macroaggregates (>0.25 mm). Macroaggregates exhibited a higher proportion of LF and MOM (3.3–18.2%, 24.9–34.5%, and 2.9–4.0% for LF, MOM, and POM, respectively) than microaggregates. Correlation and redundancy analyses revealed that fungal diversity, particularly the relative abundance of Ascomycota in aggregates < 0.25 mm, significantly and positively influenced (p < 0.05) the proportion of MOM carbon in terms of the overall SOC (J-type). This study provides valuable insights into the distribution patterns of SOC within the secondary salt-affected soils.