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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2022, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (3): 20-30.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20220303

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Distribution of Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen across Different Altitudinal Vegetation Zones in Wenshan National Nature Reserve

Cong Li1,Jinghua Lu1,Mei Lu1,*,Zhidong Yang1,Pan Liu1,Yulian Ren3,Fan Du2   

  1. 1. College of Ecology and Soil and Environment, Southwest Forestry University Kunming 650224
    2. College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University Kunming 650224
    3. College of Life sciences, Guizhou University Guiyang 550025
  • Received:2020-09-02 Online:2022-03-25 Published:2022-06-02
  • Contact: Mei Lu

Abstract:

Objective: This study is aimed to explore the distribution and main influencing factors of microbial biomass C and N across three different altitudinal vegetation zones, which provides baseline data for understanding the process of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and its regulation mechanism in subtropical forest. Method: We used the chloroform fumigation method to measure changes in microbial biomass C and N along altitudinal gradients and soil layers in three typical vegetation zones (i.e., subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, sub-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest, and humid evergreen broad-leaved forest). The partial Mantel's test and Fourth-Corner method were used to analyze the relationships of microbial biomass C and N to vegetation diversities and soil properties. Result: 1) The altitudinal variation of soil microbial biomass C and N were significant (P < 0.05). Soil microbial biomass C and N in communities of the three vegetation zones increased with the rise of altitudes, in an order of subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (28.05, 4.95 mg·kg-1) < semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest (15.75, 2.84 mg·kg-1) < humid evergreen broad-leaved forest (41.61, 7.80 mg·kg-1). 2) Soil microbial biomass C and N significantly decreased with the depth of soil layers (P < 0.05). Soil microbial biomass C and N were 4.26 and 3.22 times, respectively higher in 0-10 cm layer than in 40-50 cm layer. The largest range of vertical variations in biomass C and N (7.21 and 3.42 times, respectively) was observed in subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest. 3) Partial Mantel correlation test showed that microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen had the strongest correlation with total nitrogen, soil organic matter, and pH value (P < 0.01, r≥0.75), followed by the correlation with soil moisture content, bulk density, and total potassium (P < 0.05, r>0.5). The fourth corner analysis showed highly negative correlations of soil microbial biomass C and N with the vegetation diversity (i.e., Shannon, Margalef, and Pielou index) (P < 0.01) in the subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, and highly negative correlation with soil pH but highly positive correlation with litter thickness, organic matter and total nitrogen (P < 0.01) in the semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved and humid evergreen broad-leaved forests in the middle vegetation zone. Conclusion: The altitudinal variation of soil microbial biomass C and N were mostly controlled by total nitrogen, soil organic matter, and soil pH, but mainly by vegetation community diversity at low altitudes, and by litter thickness, soil pH, soil organic matter, and total nitrogen at high altitudes.

Key words: vegetation zones, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, vegetation diversity, distribution characteristics, Wenshan National Nature Reserve

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