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Relationships Between Soil Microorganisms, Plant Communities, and Soil Characteristics in Chinese Subtropical Forests

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Abstract

We analyzed the influence of above- and belowground factors on the soil microbial community in a Chinese subtropical forest, one of the most diverse biomes in the northern hemisphere. Soil samples were taken at different depths from four replicate comparative study plots in each of three forest age classes (young 10–40 years, medium 40–80 years, old ≥80 years). Microbial biomass and community structure were then determined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, and basal respiration and microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) were determined by substrate-induced respiration. These data were then related to plant community and soil variables using non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and post-hoc permutational correlations. We found that microbial lipid composition and abundance were not related to forest age class. Instead, microbial lipid composition and abundance were related to factors reflecting primary production, i.e., percent litter cover, percent dead wood cover, and percent tree layer cover. Specifically, the relative abundance (mol fraction) of indicators for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were positively significantly correlated with percent litter cover. We also found that the biomass of all microbial groups and total PLFA were negatively significantly related to percent deadwood cover. In addition, \( {\text{pH}}_{{{\text{H}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}}} \) was the only soil parameter that was correlated significantly to microbial biomass. Our results indicate that overarching ecological factors such as plant productivity and soil pH are important factors influencing the soil microbial community, both in terms of biomass and of community composition in this subtropical ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the staff of the Gutianshan NNR and the students Bo Tong and Bo Yang for their field assistance. We also thank Annette Gurenowitz for the help with lipid analysis and Wenzel Kröber for providing leaf trait data. Funding for the project was mainly received from the German Research Foundation (DFG) (Grant BU 941/12-1 in the Research Unit FOR 891/1) and additionally from the Helmholtz Impulse and Networking Fund through the Helmholtz Interdisciplinary Graduate School for Environmental Research (HIGRADE).

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  1. Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Yu Ting Wu, Jessica Gutknecht, Tesfaye Wubet & François Buscot

  2. Group of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Yu Ting Wu & François Buscot

  3. Group of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Karin Nadrowski

  4. Department of Physical Geography and Soil Science, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 19-23, 72070, Tübingen, Germany

    Christian Geißler, Peter Kühn & Thomas Scholten

  5. Department of Biology and Geobotany, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Sabine Both, Alexandra Erfmeier, Martin Böhnke & Helge Bruelheide

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  1. Yu Ting Wu
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Correspondence to Yu Ting Wu.

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Author Contributions

Yu Ting Wu: sampling in the field and preparation, analyses and data evaluation, writing of the manuscript; Jessica Gutknecht: data evaluation and interpretation, manuscript revision; Karin Nadrowski: data evaluation and interpretation; Christian Geißler; Peter Kühn; and Thomas Scholten: sampling in the field and preparation, elicitation and provision of soil parameters; Sabine Both; Alexandra Erfmeier; and Martin Böhnke: delivery of vegetation structure; Helge Bruelheide: delivery of vegetation structure, manuscript revision; Tesfaye Wubet: manuscript revision; François Buscot: coordination and idea of the project, manuscript revision.

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Wu, Y.T., Gutknecht, J., Nadrowski, K. et al. Relationships Between Soil Microorganisms, Plant Communities, and Soil Characteristics in Chinese Subtropical Forests. Ecosystems 15, 624–636 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-012-9533-3

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