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Mineral fertilization and soil depth slightly affected aggregate structures despite significantly altered microbial properties in surface forest soils

  • Soils, Sec 1 • Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Successive mineral fertilization might have side effects on soil environmental quality, such as aggregate structure, contamination, and enzyme activity. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the influences of mineral fertilization on biotic and abiotic properties of forest soils, we investigated the effects of successive nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on physical structures, contaminant contents, and microbial communities of forest soils with different sampling depths.

Materials and methods

Mineral nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were applied, alone or together, at different rates to provide nutrients to economic tree species (Chinese fir) in a forest plantation since 2011. Surface soil samples were taken at different sampling depths, and soil aggregate, contaminant content, and microbial properties were determined and comprehensively linked.

Results and discussion

Our results showed that successive fertilization, sampling depths, and their interactions had negligible impacts on soil aggregate ratios and cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) contents. Contrastingly, soil β-glucosidase, phosphate, and fungal and actinomycetal biomass were significantly affected by the mineral fertilization, and sampling depth was a key factor determining the responses of microbial communities to the mineral fertilization.

Conclusions

In the surface (0–20 cm) soils, abiotic properties had resistance to different fertilization and sampling depths, but biotic properties were markedly or significantly affected by the mineral fertilization or sampling depths. Simultaneously, sampling depths should be considered to reveal the impacts of managements on microbial properties in the surface forest soils.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the Innovation Fund Designated for Graduate Students of Jiangxi Agricultural University (NDYC2017-B001), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31930070), and Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology (20181ACH80006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Silviculture, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

    Yun Niu, Yuanqiu Liu, Fusheng Chen, Xiaomin Guo, Ling Zhang, Handong Luo & Qiang Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China

    Yun Niu

  3. College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China

    Manyun Zhang

  4. Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, 4111, Australia

    Manyun Zhang, Shahla Hosseini Bai & Zhihong Xu

Authors
  1. Yun Niu
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  2. Manyun Zhang
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  3. Shahla Hosseini Bai
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  4. Zhihong Xu
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  5. Yuanqiu Liu
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  6. Fusheng Chen
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  7. Xiaomin Guo
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  8. Ling Zhang
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  9. Handong Luo
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  10. Qiang Zhang
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Correspondence to Manyun Zhang or Fusheng Chen.

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Niu, Y., Zhang, M., Bai, S.H. et al. Mineral fertilization and soil depth slightly affected aggregate structures despite significantly altered microbial properties in surface forest soils. J Soils Sediments 20, 3615–3626 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02752-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02752-7

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