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Impacts of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing tree species on soil respiration and microbial community composition during forest management in subtropical China

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Forest management with N-fixing trees can improve soil fertility and tree productivity, but have little information regarding belowground carbon processes and microbial properties. We aimed to evaluate the effects of three forest management regimes, which were Erythrophleum fordii (N-fixing tree), Pinus massoniana (non-N-fixing tree), and their mixed forest, on soil respiration and microbial community composition in subtropical China, using Barometric Process Separation and phospholipid fatty acid profiles, respectively. We found that the inclusions of N-fixing species in forests significantly increased the soil respiration, but have no effects on SOC and ecosystem total C stock. In addition, soil microbial communities were obviously different among the three forest management regimes. For instance, total and bacterial PLFAs were higher in the E. fordii and mixed forest than in the P. massoniana forest. Conversely, fungal PLFAs in the P. massoniana forest were elevated versus the other two forests. Soil total N, nitrate-N and pH were the key determinants shaping the microbial community composition. Our study suggests that variations in soil respiration in the studied forests could be primarily explained by the differences of root biomass and soil microbial biomass, but not soil organic carbon. Although soil fertility and microbial biomass were promoted, N-fixing plantings also brought on increased CO2 emissions in laboratory assays. The future decision of tree species selection for forest management in subtropical China therefore needs to consider the potential influences of tree species on CO2 emissions.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Guangxi Youyiguan Forest Ecosystem Research Station for assisting with research permits and providing logistical support. We appreciate Mr. Philip C. Brookes from Rothamsted Research, Dr. Haworth Matthew, and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on the manuscript. We are grateful to Wen Wang, Pizheng Hong, Jia Xu, Haolong Yu, Jian Hao, Angang Ming, Ji Zeng, and Jixin Tang for their help with field work and laboratory analysis. A special thank goes to Shuxia Fu for PLFA extraction and Prof. Lixia Zhou for analysis and identification of PLFA extracts. This study was jointly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology (2012BAD22B0102), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31290223) and the Strategic Priority Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDA05060100).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory on Forest Ecology and Environmental Sciences of State Forestry Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, NO.1 Dongxiaofu, Xiangshan Road, Haidian District, 100091, Beijing, China

    Da Luo, Ruimei Cheng, Zuomin Shi, Gexi Xu & Shirong Liu

  2. Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, China

    Ruimei Cheng & Zuomin Shi

  3. College of Forestry and Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, 830052, Urumqi, China

    Weixia Wang

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  1. Da Luo
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Correspondence to Zuomin Shi.

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Luo, D., Cheng, R., Shi, Z. et al. Impacts of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing tree species on soil respiration and microbial community composition during forest management in subtropical China. Ecol Res 31, 683–693 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-016-1377-4

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