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Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on soil microbial community in a secondary tropical forest of China

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Abstract

Nutrient availability greatly regulates soil microbial processes and functions in tropical forests. However, few studies have explored the impacts of nitrogen (N) addition (100 kg P ha−1 year−1), phosphorus (P) addition (100 kg N ha−1 year−1), and N × P interaction on soil microbial biomass and microbial community composition in tropical forests. We established a field nutrient manipulation experiment in a secondary tropical forest of South China. Soil physicochemical properties and microbial community composition were measured. Analysis of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) was used to determine soil microbial biomass and composition, and both were related to environmental factors by the redundancy analysis (RDA) and principal response curves (PRC). We demonstrated that N addition usually did not affect microbial biomass, which was increased by P addition over 3 years of fertilization. Nitrogen addition decreased soil bacterial biomass but did not affect soil fungal biomass after 3 years of fertilization. After P addition, soil fungal biomass increased faster than soil bacterial biomass, indicating a more sensitive response of soil fungi to P addition than bacteria. Phosphorus addition increased fungi/bacteria ratio (F/B) ratios after 3 years of fertilization. Both N and P additions had different effects on soil microbial community in this tropical forest and, thus, probably altered ecosystem functioning.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Natural Science Foundation of China (31300419), NSFC-Guangdong Joint Project (U1131001), National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB403200), Innovation Foundation of Guangdong Forestry (2012KJCX013-02), and the “Strategic Priority Research Program” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05070307).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510650, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Jian Li, Zhian Li, Faming Wang, Bi Zou, Yao Chen, Qifeng Mo, Yingwen Li, Xiaobo Li & Hanping Xia

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 10000, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Jian Li, Yao Chen & Qifeng Mo

  3. Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 410125, Changsha, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Zhao

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  1. Jian Li
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  2. Zhian Li
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  3. Faming Wang
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  4. Bi Zou
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  5. Yao Chen
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  7. Qifeng Mo
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  8. Yingwen Li
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  9. Xiaobo Li
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  10. Hanping Xia
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Correspondence to Faming Wang.

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Li, J., Li, Z., Wang, F. et al. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on soil microbial community in a secondary tropical forest of China. Biol Fertil Soils 51, 207–215 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0964-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0964-1

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