Soil microbial communities response to different fertilization regimes in young Catalpa bungei plantation

Abstract

Fertilization is a fundamental aspect of global forest management that enhances forest productivity and drastically affects soil microbial communities. However, few studies have investigated the differences and similarities in the responses of below-ground microbial communities to different fertilization schemes. The effects of fertilization regimes on the composition and diversity of soil fungal and bacterial communities were investigated in a young Catalpa bungei plantation in Shandong Province, Eastern China. Soil microbial communities were assessed undergoing three types of fertilization: (i) no fertilization (CK), (ii) hole fertilization (HF), and (iii) the integration of water and fertilizer (WF). We further analyzed the effects of soil depth (i.e., 0–20 and 20–40 cm) on the structure of soil microbial communities. Our results indicated that the diversity of bacteria (e.g., Chao1 and Shannon indices) reduced undergoing fertilization, and WF had a higher negative impact on bacterial diversity than HF. A lower bacterial diversity was observed in the subsoil compared to the topsoil. In contrast to bacterial diversity, fungal diversity had a slightly increasing trend in the fertilized environments. The primary bacterial function was metabolism, which was independent of fertilization or soil depth. Among fungal functional guilds, symbiotic soil fungi decreased obviously in the fertilized stand, whereas saprotrophic fungi increased slowly. According to the structural equation models (SEM), the diversity and composition of bacterial and fungal communities were jointly regulated by soil nutrients (including N and P contents) directly affected by fertilization and soil layer. These findings could be used to develop management practices in temperate forests and help sustain soil microbial diversity to maintain long-term ecosystem function and services.

Combined Application of Coffee Husk Compost and Inorganic Fertilizer to Improve the Soil Ecological Environment and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Arabica Coffee

“…Previous research has shown that appropriate fertilization levels promote the proliferation of soil bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, mainly due to the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium provided by inorganic fertilizers, which serve as important nutrient sources for the growth and reproduction of soil microorganisms [5,35]. However, excessive fertilization led to a reduction in bacterial activity and diversity [35], consistent with our findings. Other studies have indicated that with increasing nitrogen application, the fungal biomass decreased while the bacterial biomass remained relatively stable [36,37], which differed from our research results.…”

“…Soil microorganisms play a vital role in soil structure formation as well as organic matter and mineral decomposition [34]. Previous research has shown that appropriate fertilization levels promote the proliferation of soil bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, mainly due to the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium provided by inorganic fertilizers, which serve as important nutrient sources for the growth and reproduction of soil microorganisms [5,35]. However, excessive fertilization led to a reduction in bacterial activity and diversity [35], consistent with our findings.…”

Elucidating the impact of biochar with different carbon/nitrogen ratios on soil biochemical properties and rhizosphere bacterial communities of flue-cured tobacco plants

“…The activity of soil urease (S-UE) was determined by the indophenol blue colorimetric method. Whereas the activities of soil acid phosphatase (S-ACP), soil catalase (S-CAT), and soil sucrase (S-SC) were determined by the colorimetric method ( Guan et al., 2022 ).…”

Characteristics of the Rhizospheric AMF Community and Nutrient Contents of the Dominant Grasses in Four Microhabitats of the Subalpine Zone in Northwestern Yunnan, China

“…This observed difference in diversity can be attributed to the larger amount of rainfall experienced during the rainy season, which created a more favorable habitat for microorganisms [29]. One factor contributing to the alteration in fungal community structure is depth; as the soil depth changes, so do soil nutrient levels, causing alterations to the soil fungal community [30]. The study of Bainard revealed that differences in the AMF community were caused by environmental parameters such as soil phosphate concentration, water content, and the type of host plant [31].…”