Forest Age and Soil Depth Mediate the Effects of Soil and Root Traits on Soil Microbial Community in Plantations.

ABSTRACT: The soil microbial community composition and Alpha diversity serve as key indicators of soil quality changes driven by forest development. We explored the variations in soil properties, root traits, microbial communities, and their interrelationships across forest age and soil depth in Populus tomentosa, Platycladus orientalis, and Styphnolobium japonicum plantations. The results showed that the Chao, Shannon, and Pielou_e indices of the soil microbial community increased with forest age. Soil properties and root traits had a stronger influence on the composition of soil bacteria (41.4%) compared to fungi (28.8%). In comparison to root traits (7%-10%), soil properties had a more significant influence (23%-26%) on microbial composition. Soil clay, water content, and con

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12521610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature