Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil microbial biomass and community structure in two reforested tropical forests

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil microbial biomass and community structure in two reforested tropical forests

AU - Liu, Lei

AU - Gundersen, Per

AU - Zhang, Wei

AU - Zhang, Tao

AU - Chen, Hao

AU - Mo, Jiangming

PY - 2015/9/23

Y1 - 2015/9/23

N2 - Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition may aggravate phosphorus (P) deficiency in forests in the warm humid regions of China. To our knowledge, the interactive effects of long-term N deposition and P availability on soil microorganisms in tropical replanted forests remain unclear. We conducted an N and P manipulation experiment with four treatments: control, N addition (15 g N m-2 ·yr-1), P addition (15 g P m-2 ·yr-1), and N and P addition (15 + 15 g N and P m-2 ·yr-1, respectively) in disturbed (planted pine forest with recent harvests of understory vegetation and litter) and rehabilitated (planted with pine, but mixed with broadleaf returning by natural succession) forests in southern China. Nitrogen addition did not significantly affect soil microbial biomass, but significantly decreased the abundance of gram-negative bacteria PLFAs in both forest types. Microbial biomass increased significantly after P addition in the disturbed forest but not in the rehabilitated forest. No interactions between N and P additions on soil microorganisms were observed in either forest type. Our results suggest that microbial growth in replanted forests of southern China may be limited by P rather than by N, and this P limitation may be greater in disturbed forests.

AB - Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition may aggravate phosphorus (P) deficiency in forests in the warm humid regions of China. To our knowledge, the interactive effects of long-term N deposition and P availability on soil microorganisms in tropical replanted forests remain unclear. We conducted an N and P manipulation experiment with four treatments: control, N addition (15 g N m-2 ·yr-1), P addition (15 g P m-2 ·yr-1), and N and P addition (15 + 15 g N and P m-2 ·yr-1, respectively) in disturbed (planted pine forest with recent harvests of understory vegetation and litter) and rehabilitated (planted with pine, but mixed with broadleaf returning by natural succession) forests in southern China. Nitrogen addition did not significantly affect soil microbial biomass, but significantly decreased the abundance of gram-negative bacteria PLFAs in both forest types. Microbial biomass increased significantly after P addition in the disturbed forest but not in the rehabilitated forest. No interactions between N and P additions on soil microorganisms were observed in either forest type. Our results suggest that microbial growth in replanted forests of southern China may be limited by P rather than by N, and this P limitation may be greater in disturbed forests.

U2 - 10.1038/srep14378

DO - 10.1038/srep14378

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26395406

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 5

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 14378

ER -