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Soil microbial functional diversity under intensively managed bamboo plantations in southern China

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS • RESEARCH ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope

Bamboo (Phyllostachy pubescens Mazel ex Lehaie), a unique fast-growing tree species, is an important forest resource in southern China. Because of its high economic value and short rotation period, intensive management practices such as fertilization, weeding, and deep tilling are extensively utilized. These practices significantly increase the production of mature timber and young shoots. In this paper, bamboo stands under intensive management with short-term (STIP) and long-term (LTIP) practices were compared with those managed conventionally (CON) to study the effects of intensive management practices on soil biological properties.

Materials and methods

We measured the soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), basal respiration carbon (BRC), and the specific ability of soil microbiota to consume a range of carbon (C) substrates, measured by Biolog ECO MicroPlate.

Results

Intensive management practice significantly decreased (P < 0.05) soil MBC (in the order of CON > STIP > LTIP), but increased soil BRC (in the order of STIP ≈ LTIP > CON). Under intensive management practices, soil microbial activity, and diversity of C sources utilized by microbial communities decreased (P < 0.05), as characterized by average well color development (AWCD). Shannon and McIntosh indexes tended to decline with intensive management practices. Intensive management practice also caused much lower (P < 0.05) utilization of 2-hydroxy benzoic acid and a-cyclodextrin.

Discussion

Soil biological properties were proved to be sensitive indicators of soil quality in response to the intensive management practices, with decreases in soil MBC, microbial activity, and diversity of C sources utilized by microbial communities under the continuing intensive management practices in bamboo stands. This indicates that the intensive management practices had resulted in the negative effect on the soil microbial activities.

Conclusions

Intensive management practices generally had a negative influence on the soil biological properties. This would have important implications for the sustainable management of bamboo production systems in southern China.

Recommendations and perspectives

To minimize the detrimental effect on soil microbial communities, an improved intensive management practice with reducing amounts of mineral fertilizer and increasing organic fertilizer applications are recommended annually so that both high bamboo yield and soil quality can be sustained over a long period.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to acknowledge the grant awarded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30671662), and the grant awarded by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 20070410181) for this project. ZHX would also like to acknowledge the funding support from the Australian Research Council, Griffith University, and Forestry Plantations Queensland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Qiufang Xu

  2. Forest Soil and Environmental Research Laboratory, Zhejiang Forestry University, Lin’an, Zhejiang Province, 311300, China

    Qiufang Xu & Peikun Jiang

  3. Centre for Forestry and Horticultural Research, School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia

    Zhihong Xu

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  1. Qiufang Xu
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Correspondence to Zhihong Xu.

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Xu, Q., Jiang, P. & Xu, Z. Soil microbial functional diversity under intensively managed bamboo plantations in southern China. J Soils Sediments 8, 177–183 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-008-0007-3

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