Plant managements but not fertilization mediate soil carbon emission and microbial community composition in two eucalyptus plantations

Wu, Bin; Liu, Wenfei; Wu, Ying; Thompson, Jill ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4370-2593; Wu, Jianping. 2024 Plant managements but not fertilization mediate soil carbon emission and microbial community composition in two eucalyptus plantations. Plant and Soil, 501 (1-2). 139-153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06175-4

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06175-4

Abstract/Summary

•Background and aims: Forest management practices affect soil carbon dynamics, particularly by changing the diversity of aboveground plant functional groups. However, we have a limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms for how plant management affects soil respiration in planted forest ecosystems. •Methods: We conducted a 3-year manipulation experiment of plant functional groups that included understory removal, tree root trenching, and fertilization treatments in 2-year-old and 6-year-old Eucalyptus plantations in the subtropical region, to explore the responses of soil carbon emission and microbial community composition. •Results: Soil respiration was significantly suppressed by understory removal (-38%), tree root trenching (-41%), and their interactions (-54%), but fertilization alone and in interactions had no significant effect. Soil bacterial and fungal diversity was negatively affected by understory removal and tree root trenching, respectively. Soil respiration and microbial diversity were lower in younger plantations. Reductions in soil carbon emissions were associated with losses of plant functional groups and soil microbial diversity, while increases in soil respiration were associated with soil physicochemical factors, soil temperature, and plantation age. •Conclusions: The results indicated that understory removal and tree root trenching strongly affected soil respiration, while the power effects were regulated by soil microbial community and soil properties in contrast plantation ages. Our findings highlight that plant management is of great significance to the soil carbon emission processes in afforested plantations.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06175-4
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0032-079X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Publisher link (see Related URLs) provides a read-only full-text copy of the published paper.
Additional Keywords:	soil respiration, afforestation, understory removal, plant management, soil microbial community, eucalyptus plantation
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science Botany
Related URLs:	Publisher Dataset
Date made live:	09 Nov 2023 10:39 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535780

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06175-4

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

0032-079X

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Publisher link (see Related URLs) provides a read-only full-text copy of the published paper.

Additional Keywords:

soil respiration, afforestation, understory removal, plant management, soil microbial community, eucalyptus plantation